Ecology and management of white-tailed deer in an agricultural landscape: Analyses of hunter efficiency, survey methods, and ecology

Current research is necessary to focus management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the agricultural Midwest, especially given the novel presence of chronic wasting disease in the region. My objectives were to: (1) examine the potential effects of weather and row-crop harvest on daily harvest of white-tailed deer by archery, and individual hunter variables (e.g., age, weapon preference, preference of hunting method) on individual hunter efficiency and success in 2 regions of Illinois (i.e., east-central and southern Illinois); (2) estimate white-tailed deer densities using direct (i.e., spotlighting deer from road transects) and indirect (i.e., counting pellet groups on randomly-placed transects) techniques across 3 study areas in the midwestern U.S.; (3) quantify sex, age, and season-specific survival and dispersal rates of white-tailed deer in east-central Illinois; and (4) assess habitat selection of white-tailed deer during the summer months in east-central Illinois.;Following the 2006 hunting season, I queried white-tailed deer hunters regarding factors potentially affecting hunter efficiency and success in east-central and southern Illinois using a mail-in survey (n=2,000). Crop harvest progress did not (P=0.780) appear to affect daily harvest of white-tailed deer by archery hunting. Three models of weather impacts on daily harvest of white-tailed deer by archery hunting had Delta AICc <2. The most parsimonious models' covariates were MaxWSP, MSLP, and WDSP1, with MaxWSP (beta=-0.005) having a negative influence and MSLP (beta=0.00007) and WDSP1 (beta=0.006) having a positive influence on daily harvest of white-tailed deer by archery.;I compared direct- and indirect distance sampling techniques for estimating white-tailed deer densities on study areas in east-central Illinois (ECI), southern Illinois (SI, 2007 only), and northern lower peninsula of Michigan (MI) during winter 2007--08. Density estimates obtained via indirect distance sampling for MI, ECI, and SI were 6.1--12.7, 11.2--15.8, and 15.4 deer/km2, respectively. Density estimates obtained via direct distance sampling for MI, ECI, and SI were 18.3--25.2, 14.4--18.1, and 19.0 deer/km2, respectively. Upon examining confidence interval (CI) overlap between direct- and indirect distance sampling techniques by year and study area, only the MI study had non-overlapping CI values.;An examination of sites used by deer in summer and quantification of their survival and dispersal rates were conducted in east-central Illinois. From December 2005 to September 2009, I monitored 105 white-tailed deer for 35,478 radiodays for survival and dispersal analysis. I used Program MARK to estimate rates of annual survival, seasonal survival, and dispersal for fawns, yearlings, and adults. I measured habitat variables at sites used by white-tailed deer in summer and random locations in east-central Illinois, examining potential differences in site selection by sex and at multiple scales. Male and female full-season (winter/spring [16 Dec--14 May], summer [15 May--30 Sep], fall/winter [1 Oct--15 Dec]) survival rate ranged from 0.56 to 0.95 and 0.84 to 0.95, respectively. Male survival was lower than that of females during the fall/winter season for a model not accounting for overdispersion. Averaging across parsimonious models, the dispersal rate for yearling and fawn males and yearling and fawn females were 0.44 +/- 0.07 and 0.41 +/- 0.07, respectively. Adult male dispersal rate was 0.46 +/- 0.15 and no adult females dispersed.;Slight differences were observed in habitat variables at sites used by male and female white-tailed deer, but hypotheses of sexual segregation between the sexes were not supported. Males were never observed in developed landcover. Sex differences in the use of developed landcover approached significance with females using sites with that landcover 131% more than males; they also used sites with 87% higher patch density of wetland landcover than males. Based on the best-fit AIC model, overall (i.e., both males and females) site selection of white-tailed deer was influenced by patch density of agriculture landcover, percentage of fallow field landcover, disjunct core area of the landscape, upper visual obstruction, and percentage of shrubs. Increases in upper visual obstruction and percent of shrub increased the likelihood of a site being selected. Decreases in patch density of agriculture landcover, percentage of fallow field landcover, and disjunct core area of the landscape increased the likelihood of a site being selected. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...