Files
Abstract
Long-term harvest data collected from eight wildlife management areas in northern Georgia from 1979–2015 have suggested white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are declining throughout the Chattahoochee National Forest. Improving body condition of harvested deer suggests declines are not likely related to nutritional limitations on fecundity. Rather, expanding predator populations and increasingly homogenous forest structure of the Southern Appalachian region suggest low fawn recruitment as a potential cause of declines. Therefore, I estimated population vital rates (i.e., survival and fecundity) with emphasis on cause-specific fawn mortality. I also assessed the influences of environmental and maternal behavior factors on fawn mortality risk and modeled future population trajectories using estimated vital rates under various management scenarios. Finally, I evaluated a technique to estimate individual parturition events using female GPS data. I radio-collared and monitored 14 yearling and 45 adult female deer along with 71 fawns from 2018–2020 on Blue Ridge and Coopers Creek Wildlife Management Areas on the Chattahoochee National Forest along with surrounding private lands. Fawn survival to 12 weeks of age was low (0.157–0.196) with predation as the leading cause of all known mortalities (82%). Most fawn mortalities occurred during the first few weeks of life (73%) with the risk of coyote (Canis latrans) predation occurring at a higher magnitude and persisting to older fawn ages than other mortality causes. Age-structured vital rates confirmed an annual average population decline of 4.0% with fawn survival as the dominant influence on population dynamics. Maternal females with larger home range sizes increased mortality risk of their fawn(s) by potentially diminishing offspring care. Use of female GPS data to approximate individual parturition timing was effective at estimating 76–90% of parturition events correctly within 3–7 days when incorporating multiple movement behavior metrics (i.e., daily movement rates and home range sizes). Overall, low fawn recruitment is likely the primary contributor to deer population declines in northern Georgia. Population recovery efforts must focus on methodologies to enhance fawn survival as the implementation of antlerless harvest restrictions will likely not be effective as a lone management strategy.