Open AccessHome-Range Size and Overlap of Sympatric Male Mule and White-Tailed Deer in Texas
Author(s) -
Kristina J. Brunjes,
Warren B. Ballard,
Mary H. Humphrey,
Fielding Harwell,
Nancy E. McIntyre,
Paul R. Krausman,
Mark C. Wallace
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
western north american naturalist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.303
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1527-0904
pISSN - 1944-8341
DOI - 10.3398/064.069.0105
Subject(s) - odocoileus , sympatric speciation , interspecific competition , range (aeronautics) , biology , sympatry , home range , intraspecific competition , ecology , zoology , habitat , materials science , composite material
. Information about the ecology of sympatric male deer is limited, which may influence management strategies for these species. We estimated home-range and core-area sizes and overlap, and survival of sympatric male desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in west central Texas. We captured 18 males of each species, fitted them with radio-collars, and monitored them for mortality from 2000 through 2003. We calculated home ranges for 7 males of each species in 2001 and 2002. Home-range sizes of mule deer (8.8 km2) and white-tailed deer (7.4 km2) were similar. Interspecific home-range overlap was less common than intraspecific overlap. Mean annual survival was 0.76 ( = 0.04) for mule deer and 0.80 ( = 0.06) for white-tailed deer. The high degree of home-range overlap and similar survival between the 2 deer species suggest that management targeting only 1 species may be unfeasible.
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