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Abstract
In South Florida, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an important game species and primary prey of the endangered Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi). Due to a potential decline in South Florida deer populations, updated information is needed about fawn survival and recruitment. During the 2016 fawning season, I deployed 180 passive cameras in South Florida, identified 123 individual fawns, and used a novel spatial capture-recapture model to estimate number of fawns born and recruited. An estimated 211 (95% CI 180-250) fawns were born in the 10,941-ha study area, and the density of birth locations was greatest in cypress forests and in areas with more frequent fire. Only 37 (95% CI 27-48) of 211 fawns survived to 180 days, indicating 18% of fawns reached sexual maturity. However, 2016 was an extraordinarily wet year and multi-year studies are needed to determine if recruitment is high enough to offset mortality in this population.