Movements of female white-tailed deer to bait sites in West Virginia, USA

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Contents Vol 33(1)

doi:10.1071/WR04090

Movements of female white-tailed deer to bait sites in West Virginia, USA

Tyler A. Campbell ^A ^E, Christopher A. Langdon ^B ^C, Benjamin R. Laseter ^A, W. Mark Ford ^D, John W. Edwards ^B, Karl V. Miller ^A

^A Daniel B. Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
^B Wildlife and Fisheries, Division of Forestry, Box 6125, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
^C Present address: United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Roseburg District, 777 NW Garden Valley Boulevard, Roseburg, OR 97470, USA.
^D United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Box 404, Parsons, WV 26287, USA.
^E Corresponding author. Email: Tyler.A.Campbell@aphis.usda.gov





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Wildlife Research 33(1) 1–4 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WR04090
Submitted: 6 October 2004 Accepted: 9 January 2006 Published online: 7 March 2006

Abstract

We present a comparison of movements of adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in response to seasonal bait sites in the central Appalachians of West Virginia, USA. Our objectives were to compare bait-site use among seasons, evaluate home-range and core-area sizes between baiting and non-baiting periods, and compare distance from the geographic centres of activity to nearest bait site between baiting and non-baiting periods. From June 2000 to May 2001, we radio-monitored 52 deer and determined their use of 29 seasonal bait sites with automated camera systems. We collected 6461 locations and 1333 photographic observations of radio-collared deer. Bait-site use did not differ among four seasonal baiting periods. Additionally, home-range and core-area sizes did not differ between baiting and non-baiting periods. However, deer shifted their centres of activity closer to bait sites during baiting periods. High variability in deer behaviour should be considered when implementing deer-management activities that require all deer to use bait sites, such as infrared-triggered camera surveys.