NEAFWA 2017

AUTHORS: Andrew B. Kniowski, Michael J. Cherry - Virginia Tech, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; Nelson W. Lafon, David E. Steffen, W. Matt Knox - Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; W. Mark Ford, U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Virginia Tech

ABSTRACT: The relationships between hard mast abundance and physiological response in central and southern Appalachian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herds are well established. However, previous investigations have not incorporated parameters such as landscape composition, winter severity, or herd density that also might influence deer physiological condition. Accordingly, we used biological data collected at hunter check stations in the Blue Ridge and Ridge and Valley provinces of Virginia to model the response of yearling male and female body mass, as well as yearling antler characteristics (i.e., beam diameter and number of antler points) to mast abundance, winter severity, forest composition, and deer density for 25 counties during 1991-2000. Largely independent of proportion of a county forested, male and female yearling body mass was higher in successive years when the fawn and yearling periods encompassed good mast crops. However, when one or both years had poor mast, body mass decreased as the proportion of the county forested increased. Mountain counties with more open habitats were somewhat buffered against the density-independent mast driver that managers have little ability to control. The beam diameter was negatively related to herd density, whereas number of antler points was not strongly related to any factor evaluated. Our results suggest that in heavily forested mountain counties with large public or corporate holdings, creation of early-successional habitat using timber management, prescribed burning or mine land reclamation could improve deer nutritional condition. In counties with a mosaic of forested and open habitats, managers can improve physiological metrics by reducing herd density.