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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 33(1)

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 and Karl V. Miller A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

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

Wildlife Research 33(1) 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR04090
Submitted: 6 October 2004  Accepted: 9 January 2006   Published: 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.


Acknowledgments

We appreciate the financial support provided by the MeadWestvaco Corporation, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and the USA Department of Agriculture, National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (grant 00-35101-9284). We are grateful to J. L. Crum, P. D. Keyser and D. A. Osborn for providing logistical assistance. Helpful comments to earlier drafts of this manuscript were provided by C. E. Comer and J. D. Taylor. Deer were captured and handled under the auspices of Scientific Collection Permits 43-1999 and 16-2000 from the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.


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