Habitat structure, female distribution, and fallow deer Dama dama mating stands

Abstract

Male fallow deer Dama dama exhibit inter and intrapopulation variation in mating behaviour, including both territorial and non‐territorial mating tactics. During 1993 I investigated the relationship between fallow deer mating territory location and female distribution in relation to habitat characteristics at the Ottenby nature reserve in southern Sweden where males defend isolated mating stands during the autumn rut. Mating stands were positively associated with dense canopy cover and the presence of hazel Corylus avellana trees, but negatively associated with the number of alder Alnus glutinosa trees. Preference for such sites may be connected with the types of display males engage in during the rut as both auditory and olfactory means of communication can be affected by habitat structure. In relation to one another, the stands were randomly dispersed throughout the wooded region and along the perimeter of fields, with no indication of clumping or overdispersion. Female distribution was not associated with any of the habitat characteristics, or with stand location. The idea that males might be defending areas of favoured resources was ruled out as a possible explanation for stand location, although the idea that males might be defending game trails frequented by females remains as a potential determinant of stand locations.