An evaluation of historical change in white-tailed deer winter yards in the Adirondack region of New York

In the Adirondack region of northern New York, severe winter weather and deep snow typically force white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to congregate in areas of dense coniferous cover and along watercourses at lower elevations. I examined 16 yards in the Adirondacks and explored the notion that, relative to the 1960s and 1970s, deer are currently wintering in residential environments more frequently. Deer in 9 of 16 yards shifted >80% from their historical location. Yards where deer shifted currently contain more residential habitat than yards where no shift occurred. Marked deer wintering in a residential area had smaller home ranges and core areas and used patches of conifer cover on a finer scale than those wintering in a nonresidential area, but no difference in site fidelity was observed. Possible mechanisms for shifts in deer yard location are described.