White‐tailed deer population dynamics and adult female survival in the presence of a novel predator

Abstract

Recent localized declines in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in the southeastern United States have been linked to increasing predation pressure from coyotes (Canis latrans), a novel predator to the region. Studies have documented coyotes as the leading cause of mortality for neonates, and 1 study documented coyotes as a mortality factor for adult females. However, no study has used fieldbased vital rates to conduct sensitivity analyses or model deer population trajectories under potential harvest or predator removal strategies. We used low, medium, and high values of fawn survival, adult female survival, and fecundity data collected from Fort Bragg Military Installation, North Carolina to demonstrate the current declining population trajectory for deer (l ¼ 0.905; low l ¼ 0.788, high l ¼ 1.003). Consistent with other studies of ungulates, we determined adult female survival was the most sensitive and elastic vital rate. Further, for 3 potential management ("what if") scenarios, we projected the population for 10 years using estimated vital rates. Reducing adult female harvest (l ¼ 0.935; low l ¼ 0.875, high l ¼ 1.002) and coyote removal (l ¼ 0.995; low l ¼ 0.898, high l ¼ 1.081) reduced the current population decline, whereas combining both approaches (l ¼ 1.024; low l ¼ 0.898, high l ¼ 1.141) resulted in population increases. Our data indicate that for low-density deer populations with heavy predation pressure on neonates, protecting adult females from harvest may not completely offset population declines. Coyote removal might be a necessary strategy because it could possibly increase very low fawn survival, which appears to be the most important vital rate influencing l in our study. However, managers may have to start with reductions in adult female harvest because coyote removal would have to be continuous and consistently effective, making it an impractical management approach by itself. Ó 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Landscape heterogeneity reduces coyote predation on white‐tailed deer fawns

“…However, recently thinned and clearcut areas combined represented only 12% of the total area within fawn home ranges on SRS, which potentially reduced our ability to detect a relationship between these predictors and hazard ratios. Perhaps more importantly, dense cover patches may become ecological traps when severely limited across the landscape (Chitwood ) though, unlike Kilgo et al (), we found no evidence to suggest a negative effect of dense cover on predation risk either.…”

PARASITOLOGY AND SEROLOGY OF FREE-RANGING COYOTES (CANIS LATRANS) IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA

“…Coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded recently into the eastern US and have attracted attention from wildlife management professionals due to their potential effects on prey populations (e.g., whitetailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus]; Kilgo et al 2010;Chitwood et al 2015). Coyotes are highly adaptable due to dietary and behavioral plasticity and can live in proximity to humans and domestic animals (Gehrt and Riley 2010), so attention to parasites and disease is also warranted.…”

Increased overwinter mortalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns during a drought year

“…More recently, research has focused on changes in young fawn survival due to the expansion of predator distributions to novel regions (Jackson and Ditchkoff 2013;Kilgo et al 2014;Chitwood et al 2015aChitwood et al , 2015bGulsby et al 2015;Nelson et al 2015). Other causes of neonatal mortality are abandonment, starvation, disease, parasites, and agricultural operations (Cook et al 1971;Porath 1980).…”