Behavior and survival of white-tailed deer neonates in two suburban forest preserves

Abstract

Neonatal survival influences growth of unhunted populations of suburban white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780)). Understanding the interaction of habitat and survival may inform conservation efforts and studies of life history of cervids at high density. We chose two forest preserves representative of forests in suburban Chicago. We radio-marked 56 neonates (1999–2001) to investigate mortality and habitat use. Through 1 July, 21 of 29 (72%) neonates and 6 of 22 (27%) died mostly because of predation by coyotes ( Canis latrans Say, 1823). Akaike’s information criterion suggested that optimal mark–recapture models of survival contained covariates reflecting differences by preserve and timing chosen to coincide with behavioral change from hiding to accompanying the doe. Survival was lower during early parturition (0.26–0.78) relative to the latter part (0.90–0.96). Early fawns (hiders) at one site had lower survival (0.26–0.29) than fawns at the other (0.78). Lower survival associated with larger home ranges, greater movement, and reduced understory cover, suggesting that hiding cover may mediate fawn survival in the presence of predators. Our study demonstrates spatial heterogeneity in population biology of suburban deer and suggests that site-specific differences may influence neonate survival in the face of coyote predation.