Wolf and bear predation on white-tailed deer fawns in northeastern Minnesota

Abstract

1994. Wolf and bear predation on white-tailed deer fawns in northeastern Minnesota. Can. J. Zool. 72: 1557 -1565. White-tailed deer (0doc.oileus lir-ginianus) fawn mortality was studied during the summers of 1989 and 1990 in northeastern Minnesota. Estimated pooled mortality rates for 2 1 radio-tagged fawns were 0.44 for the May-June, 0.13 for the July-October, and 0.51 for the May-October intervals. Predation accounted for all mortalities, with wolves (Canis lupus) responsible for 5 1 % of them and black bears (UI-sus americanus) for 49%. Fawns from mothers >4 years old weighed more and survived better than fawns from young mothers, which weighed less. Of various related factors (doe age, doe mass, fawn mass, fawn birth date, and fawn blood serum urea nitrogen (SUN)), only SUN was significant between surviving and perishing fawns; fawns with low SUN survived significantly less. Fawn SUN may have been only an indirect indicator of a doe physical or behavioral factor that was more important to fawn survival. KUNKEL,, K.E., et MECH, L.D. 1994. Wolf and bear predation on white-tailed deer fawns in northeastern Minnesota. Can. J. ZOO^. 72 : 1557-1565. La mortalite dans faons du Cerf a queue blanche (0doc.oileus virginianus) ite itudiie au cours des ites de 1989 et 1990 dans le nord-est du Minpesota. Les taux de mortalite compilis chez 21 faons porteurs d'un emetteur radio ont it6 evaluis a 0,44 pour la periode de mai-juin, 0,13 pour la periode juillet-octobre et a 0,5 1 pour la periode totale mai-octobre. Tous les cas de mortalite ont dQ etre attribues 2 la predation par le Loup gris (Canis lupus) (51%) et par I'Ours noir (Ursus americanu.~) (49%). Les faons nes de mkres >4 ans etaient plus lourds et ils ont survecu mieux que les faons plus ligers, nis de mkres plus jeunes. Parmi toutes les variables associees aux faons (ige de la mkre, masse de la m?re, masse du faon, date de naissance du faon et azote sous forme d'urie dans le sang (SUN) chez le faon), seule cette dernikre variable accusait une difference significative entre les faons victimes et les faons survivants; les faons a valeur de SUN faible ont survecu significativement moins bien. La variable SUN des faons peut n'etre qu'un indice indirect d'une caracteristique physique ou comportementale de la mkre plus critique pour la survie des faons.[Traduit par la Redaction]

Elk Calf Survival and Mortality Following Wolf Restoration to Yellowstone National Park

“…We coded calf fates through the first year of life as survivor, mortality, or censored. We evaluated mortality events following methods modified from those used by Garner et al (1985) and Kunkel and Mech (1994). We concluded that a carcass was scavenged if we determined no 1) evidence of subcutaneous hemorrhaging; 2) aspirated blood in mouth, nose, or trachea; or 3) signs of struggle including scuff or track evidence of chase and struggle, blood on the ground from pursuit, broken branches, or blood on plants.…”

Wolf Use of Summer Territory in Northeastern Minnesota

“…Wolves occurred throughout the study area at densities of 30-36/1,000 km 2 during the study (Mech 2009). White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) occurred at densities of 12-15/10 km 2 (M. H. Dexter, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, unpublished report) and constituted the major prey of wolves in the area (Frenzel 1974;Mech 1981, 1986), primarily fawns during summer (Van Ballenberghe et al 1975, Nelson and Mech 1986, Kunkel and Mech 1994. Wolf packs inhabiting the area were the Campers Lake Pack, Isabella River Pack, Pike Lake Pack, and Stony River Pack.…”

The history of Patuxent: America’s wildlife research story

“…remaining inhabited these zones (Hoskinson and Mech, 1976;Mech, 1977a, c;Nelson and Mech, 1981). Even after the deer population increased, we continued to find evidence of this relation (Kunkel and Mech, 1994). Buffer zones between territories of wolf packs are important to territorial maintenance.…”

“…Wolves tended to kill old deer Mech and Karns, 1977;Nelson and Mech, 1986a); deer with abnormalities (Mech and others, 1970;Mech and others, 1971;Mech and Karns, 1977); deer with low blood fat (Seal and others, 1978); deer with low marrow fat Mech, 2007); and newborn fawns of below-average weight and (or) with low serum urea nitrogen (Kunkel and Mech, 1994).…”