The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) at the northern boundary of its range in Eastern Fennoscandia

Abstract

The dispersal, population dynamics, and ecological features of the European roe deer at the northern limit of species distribution and also their visits, wintering, and breeding outside the range boundary are discussed. A significant increase in the abundance of roe deer in the northern part of the range and their largescale expansion beyond the historical distribution limit have taken place during the past decade. However, their spread in Karelia and Arkhangelsk oblast is strictly limited, depending primarily on snow depth and duration. Hunting the roe deer as a game species in the region is possible only in the south of Pskov oblast, where habitat conditions are most favorable for it.