Seasonal Movements and Habitat Use of Female White-Tailed Deer Associated with an Urban Park

Abstract

Many cities throughout the United States have implemented programs for managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations. However, basic ecological questions, such as seasonal movement patterns and habitat use of deer in urban landscapes, have gone relatively unstudied. We conducted a telemetry study to investigate seasonal movements and habitat use of female white-tailed deer in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, during 1996-1999. Home range size varied seasonally, with the largest occurring during the spring (x = 144 ha [SD = 7 ha]) and smallest during the summer (x = 50 ha [SD = 7 ha]). Home ranges during fall (x = 93 ha [SD = 11 ha]) and winter (x = 85 ha [SD = 6 ha] ) were similar in size. Deer in this study demonstrated a high degree of fidelity with their seasonal home ranges, except during a severe winter when 75% of the deer shifted their fall home range. These deer all returned to their original home range the following spring. Habitat analysis indicated that deer used woody cover habitats during every season. Habitats within parks and conservation areas made up the greatest percentage (52-68%) of home range compositions during all seasons except the severe winter when 78% of the home range encompassed residential neighborhoods. Our data suggest that a major difference between urban and rural deer is in spatial scale. Deer in this study used habitats that might be expected based on studies of deer in rural landscapes but occupied smaller home ranges than normally reported for deer in rural landscapes. Deer management programs developed for urban communities should consider movement patterns of deer to ensure the most effective control of particular nuisance individuals.