Social and spatial organization of female white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, during the fawning season

Abstract

Abstract. From 1986 until 1988 social and spatial relationships of 11 parturient female white-tailed deer were monitored at the National Zoological Park's Conservation and Research Center to determine their degree and duration of isolation from conspecifics. Social isolation at and following parturition was indicated by decreased association with other parturient females and with their own previous offspring. Parturient females also showed characteristic patterns of spacing behaviour that resulted in complete segregation of core home ranges. These areas encompassed nearly all bedding sites of fawns during the first 6 weeks following parturition and conspecifics were repulsed through overt aggression. The exclusive use, the annual fidelity to these postpartum home ranges and the active repulsion of intruders indicated that female white-tailed deer are territorial during the first weeks postpartum. Predation pressure and the risk of misdirected imprinting may have had a combined effect on the evolution of this territoriality.