CHARACTERISTICS OF A BARRIER ISLAND DEER POPULATION IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

The majority of the research conducted on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has addressed mainland populations rather than those on islands. Spotlight counts (direct) and track counts (indirect) were used to estimate deer population density on Smith Island, North Carolina. Spotlight counts...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 2001-07, Vol.117 (2), p.113-122
Main Authors: RAY, DANIEL K., BOLEN, ERIC G., WEBSTER, WM. DAVID
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Barrier islands
Censuses
Deer
Density estimation
Forest habitats
Golf courses
Population density
Population estimates
Roads
Spotlights
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Summary:The majority of the research conducted on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has addressed mainland populations rather than those on islands. Spotlight counts (direct) and track counts (indirect) were used to estimate deer population density on Smith Island, North Carolina. Spotlight counts (19.5 deer/km2) and track counts (23.6 deer/km2) produced similar estimates of overall density. Sex ratios across the island varied from 14:86 (bucks:does) to 43:57, with an overall sex ratio of 27:73. We also examined damage by foraging deer. Native vegetation did not display distinct browse lines, but ornamental plantings exhibited damage from browsing and rutting behavior.
ISSN:0013-6220