Wisconsin deer mortality study

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dan
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Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby dan » Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:41 pm

Dan,

Below is an update for the deer survival study going on. This research is providing some very valuable information on sources and rates of mortality in different areas of the state. You can see below that mortality over the winter was quite high in the northern forest compared to the farmland zones. Thought folks on the Beast would be interested in the update.

Take care,

 Mark Witecha
Wildlife Biologist, Jefferson County
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources




WDNR, in partnership with UW-Madison and in collaboration with multiple landowners and conservation stakeholders, initiated a large-scale study of white-tailed deer survival in 2010. These projects were initiated to better understand factors affecting deer mortality. We radio-collared deer and are monitoring movements, survival, and cause-specific mortality. We radio collared deer in a ‘Northern Forest’ study area, near Winter, and a ‘Eastern Farmland’ study area, near Shiocton. Over the course of the project, we’ve radio collared a grand total of 1,001 deer! Deer capture for this project is complete, but we will continue to monitor survival through the 2014 deer hunting season.

If you are new to the deer research project, background materials can be found by going to the WDNR website: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat ... dDeer.html

Here is the latest information on the project through May 2014:

• From the start of January to June 1st, 43% of our collared juvenile deer and 10% of adult deer have died in the Northern Forest study area.
• In the Northern Forest, it’s typical that 40% of deer at the start of winter are juveniles and 60% are adults. Assuming this age structure, the overall winter-spring mortality rate in the Northern Forest was about 23%.
• In the Eastern Farmland study area, 14% of our juvenile deer and 9% of adult deer have died during the same period.
• A typical age structure in the Eastern Farmland at the beginning of winter is 46% juveniles and 54% adults. Under this assumption, the overall mortality rate in the Eastern Farmland study area would be about 11%
• Now that spring green-up has occurred, these deer will have a very low risk of mortality until the hunting season rolls around.
• The results of this research will have broad application across the northern forest and farmland regions of the state and can help wildlife managers make future deer management decisions
• We’ll be putting together an annual report over the next couple of months



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U.P. bownut
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby U.P. bownut » Mon Jun 09, 2014 11:58 pm

Its interesting to me that almost the same percentage of adult deer died in the northern forest as the farmland even with the presumably higher quality food in the farmland zone. I wonder how many of that 9 or 10 percent were bucks that may have been run down from the rut.
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby ihookem » Sun Jun 15, 2014 6:57 am

Thanks Dan. These studies are very interesting since I hunt about 25 mi east of Winter. This spring I thought I would see dead deer all over the woods, thinking, how a deer could live through a winter like last year. I found myself with a whole new respect for northern deer. I am amazed at the stanima and reisiliance to winter. I found 3 deer, no doubt wolf kills. Two of the three two were fawns, one was an adult doe and died 50 yds from her fawn. Th e low at the cabin was -35 F. It is a good idea for everyone to get a thermometer and keep it at the cabin just for info on deer severity. I'm not surprised 43% of the fawns died but am surprised that only about 10% of adults died. Of the adults I'm sure bucks did far worse but even they seemed to be preparing for a tough winter cause it was a very light and inactive rut according to almost everyone. There are still deer way back in the woods however, and I think I will see deer during gun season cause hunting pressure will be light for gun season and bait piles will be a bit more scarce.
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby dan » Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:14 am

bump
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby cbigbear » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:51 am

Very interesting study. The University of GA's deer program currently has a fawn mortality & adult buck movement studies going on, in a North Louisiana refuge. During last yrs birthing season only 37% of fawns tracked survived pass 6 mths. The cause of death hasn't been published yet. Only very preliminary results from 1 adult buck has been published so far as well. Should be interesting to compare LA data to that of the WI study.

I have some questions that came to mind when reading this WI study, but I'll start another thread as it's a little off topic.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25545
Last edited by cbigbear on Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
dan
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby dan » Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:59 am

I have some questions that came to mind when reading this WI study, but I'll start another thread as it's a little off topic.

Remember we have the "ask the biologist" thread... Mark is pretty up on these studies and I know he has been checking that thread for questions!
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Re: Wisconsin deer mortality study

Unread postby cbigbear » Sat Jul 12, 2014 6:56 am

dan wrote:
I have some questions that came to mind when reading this WI study, but I'll start another thread as it's a little off topic.

Remember we have the "ask the biologist" thread... Mark is pretty up on these studies and I know he has been checking that thread for questions!



Yes, but it was hunting related vs study related so I started another thread & linked it to my above post. Check it out & give me your thoughts.


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