Date Available
12-6-2017
Year of Publication
2017
Degree Name
Master of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Sciences (MSFNRS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Forestry and Natural Resources
First Advisor
Dr. John J. Cox
Abstract
White-tailed deer are one of the most sought after game species in Kentucky. While much of the Commonwealth boasts high deer populations, those in southeast Kentucky are viewed as relatively low compared to other regions, even after a decade of restrictive doe harvest and multiple years of population supplementation via translocation. We studied survival and cause specific mortality of a local population of deer near the Redbird District of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay and Leslie County, Kentucky from January 2014 - January 2017. We estimated female annual survival at 0.89 (CI: 0.88-0.87), with an overall 3-year survival of 0.69 (CI: 0.56-0.84). Deer vehicle collisions and poaching were the most frequent mortality causes and represented 13 of 18 (72%) of mortalities. Managers should consider all forms of mortality and their relative importance in wildlife population dynamics when making harvest decisions. We recommend longer-term studies similar to ours to better understand population trends and inform regional management of this species in Kentucky.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.495
Recommended Citation
Haymes, Caleb Anderson, "SURVIVAL AND CAUSE-SPECIFIC MORTALITY OF A SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY DEER POPULATION" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources. 38.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/forestry_etds/38
