W-87-R-13; Annual Job Progress Report July 1, 1990 - June 30, 1991 issued August 31,
            1991; Sub-project No VII: Illinois Deer Investigations; Study No. 1: Population Dynamics
            of the Illinois Deer Herd.Report issued on: August 31, 199

Esker, Terry L.

Hungerford, Laura L.

Koerkenmeier, Robert G.

Kube, John H.

Nixon, Charles M.

Sullivan, Joseph B.

English

Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository

HI LLINO SUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGNPRODUCTION NOTEUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign LibraryLarge-scale Digitization Project, 2007.•_-87-(-'3GI (jn~ ILLINOIS%r k 'T r"I f 1~X I U J7SJALdSURVHISTORY'EYTER FOR WILDLIFE ECOLOGYIllinois Forest Game InvestigationsW-87-R-13Annual Job Progress Reportbyles M. Nixon, Terry L. Esker, Joseph B. Sullivan,Koerkenmeier, Laura Hungerford and John KubeIllinois Natural History Survey1 July 1990 through 30 June 1991Performance ReportAnnual Job Progress ReportState: IllinoisProject Type: ResearchProject Title: Cooperative Forest Wildlife ResearchSub-project No. V11; Title: Illinois Deer InvestigationsPeriod Covered: 1 July 1990 through 30 June 1991Project No.: W-87-R-13This performance report covers jobs active under the W-87-R-13 segment.Study No. 1; Title: Population dynamics of the Illinois deer herd.Study Objectives:1. To analyze the annual status and harvest of deer in each county usingcomputer programs to develop a conceptual model (of deer abundance and harvest,hunter demands and success, and available habitats) that will provide current andfuture direction to management strategies on the county level.2. To determine annual and seasonal sex and age specific mortality rates fordeer using marked samples of deer captured in western and northern Illinois.This progress report may contain tentative or preliminary findings. It may besubject to future modifications and revisions. To prevent the issuing of misleadinginformation, persons wishing to quote from this report should obtain permission fromthe project leader.23. To sample the perceptions of rural landowners regarding deer abundanceand their tolerance of current deer depredation levels, hunter behavior, and harvestregulations.4. To refine county and regional deer population computer models usingnatality and mortality rates provided by this project and, by aligning population levelswith landowner tolerance, to develop guidelines for manipulating harvests to maintaindeer numbers within acceptable limits.5. To prepare reports from the results of project study investigations and to helpdefer the costs of printing these reports.Job No. 1-A; Title: Population dynamics of the Illinois deer herd--harvest analysisand current status.Objectives: To continue to analyze the annual status and harvest of deer, to refinecounty and regional deer population computer models using natality and survivalestimates provided by this project, and to provide the IDOC with improved deerpopulation projections, harvest potentials, and knowledge of hunter behaviors.(a) Activity:One hundred and sixteen thousand firearm hunters killed 62,982 deer in 1990,another record harvest. Statewide hunter success was nearly 55% (54.1%), also arecord and indicating that deer were abundant throughout Illinois in 1990. Malescomprised 61% of the statewide harvest, as hunters continued the pattern of selectingmales instead of does and fawns (Table 1). Regional harvest patterns were similar tostatewide data, with male selection by hunters more prevalent in the intensively farmedareas of Regions 2 and 5 and the most heavily forested Region 8 (Fig. 1, Table 1).Regional trends in deer numbers for the decade of the 1980's were simulatedusing a sex-,age-,and time-specific recruitment model based upon survival, dispersal,and migration rates for deer marked in east-central Illinois during 1980-1985 (Fig.2).This simple model, which does not include any density-dependent factors such asweather or effects of social behaviors on survival and recruitment, added andsubtracted deer from a base population derived by trial and error from minimumnumbers of both sexes that must have been present at the beginning of the simulationto support known mortality rates in subsequent years.These simulations indicate deer numbers increased in all regions during the1980-89 period, ranging from a 85% increase in deer numbers in Region 8 to a 176%increase in Region 2 (Table 2). In general, increases were larger in the moreintensively farmed Regions 1, 2, 5, and 6 (Table 2). Based upon current estimates offorest cover available to deer in these regions, pre-hunt deer densities ranged from 1deer per 4.5 acres of forest in Region 2 to 1 deer per 9.1 acres of forest in Regions 7and 8 in the fall of 1989 (Table 2). Statewide deer abundance represented anestimated average pre-hunt density of 1 deer per 8 acres of forest, or about 540,000deer present in the state in fall 1989.These simulations indicate that hunters must begin to harvest more females ifthe IDOC wishes to begin to stabilize or reduce deer numbers. Based upon sex andage specific survival rates existing in east-central Illinois during 1980-85, harvestsapproaching 40% or more of the pre-hunt female segment must be achieved over aspan of years (2-4) to first stabilize and then reduce deer numbers.The county and regional summaries of harvest statistics were updated toinclude the 1990 harvest, downloaded to diskettes, and sent to IDOC and SIUpersonnel.(b) Target Date of Achievement: 1 September 1992.(c) Date of Accomplishment: On Schedule.(d) Significant Deviations: None.(e) Remarks: None.4(f) Recommendations: None.(g) Cost: Federal - $14,190; State-$4,730; Total - $18,920Job 1-B; Title: Estimates of regional doe natality. fawn recruitment, and yearling-adult survival.Objectives: To determine seasonal and annual age specific survival rates and doenatality for deer in west-central and northern Illinois.(a) Activity:Capture and MarkingDeer were livetrapped from December 1990 through March 1991 on sites inBrown and Adams counties (west-central) and DeKalb County (northern), Illinois. Atotal of 77 deer were captured (75 new captures, 2 recaptures) in Brown County.These captures included 28 males (23 fawns,3 yearlings,2 adults) and 47 females (21fawns, 6 yearlings,21 adults). To date, a total of 135 deer have been captured (133individuals, 2 recaptures) in Brown County.A total of 43 deer were captured in DeKalb County, 38 new captures and 5recaptures. There were 19 males (12 fawns,4 yearlings,3 adults) and 19 females (12fawns,2 yearlings,5 adults) captured. To date, 63 individual deer have been marked.A total of 38 deer (3 males, 35 females)and 11 deer (2 males,9 females) havebeen radio collared in Brown County and DeKalb County respectively and arecurrently being radio located at intervals to monitor survival and natality.5NatalityBlood samples were collected from 45 females livetrapped in Brown Countyduring 1991 and assayed for progesterone levels. For does > 1 year during the fallbreeding season, all but 1 was pregnant (Table 3). Of 27 fawn does assayed in 1990and 1991, only 5 (18.5%) have shown any evidence of ovulation. This is a low rate ofbreeding for these precocial breeders in Illinois, as breeding rates for fawn does havebeen reported to exceed 50% in west-central (Grabaugh et al. 1982), east-central(Nixon et al. 1991), and northern Illinois (Hubert 1978). Whether this low rate ofbreeding is strictly a local condition associated with the high density deer populationresident on our study area is not known at this time. We also do not know if theimmediate cause is nutritional, with fawns unable to achieve the necessary fat:leanbody mass ratio thought necessary for estrous to occur in this species, or, if the causeis social, where dominant older does within the existing social groups suppressestrous occurrence in fawns (Verme 1987).Live fawn / > yearling doe counts were also collected from mid-summer untilDecember on both study areas. Fawn / 2 yearling doe ratios averaged 1.25 fawns/doe in Brown County and 1.29 fawns/doe in DeKalb County (Table 4). Both countsare close to the average early fall fawn/doe count from spotlight surveys of apopulation studied in east-central Illinois (1.33 fawns/doe) suggesting that fawnmortality rates between birth and weaning may be comparable to the east-centralpopulation where postpartum fawn mortality was low. These counts must beconsidered only an index to fawn production and survival as fawns are frequentlyunderrepresented in these counts due to separation from the mother or difficulty inobserving the smaller fawns in thick vegetation.6SurvivalAnnual and seasonal survival rates were calculated for marked deer on bothstudy areas for the period June 1990 through June 1991. We used the programMICROMORT to calculate survival, using intervals January-May, June-September, andOctober-December. Fawn survival was calculated only for the January-May interval asthe mean age of fawns at capture was 6-7 months.Fawn survival was high for the January-May interval at both study sites (Table5). Yearling survival was high for both sexes for the June-September interval but wassignificantly lower for males during the October-December and January-May intervalsin DeKalb County compared to Brown County. Yearling female survival was less thanthat of adult females and did not differ significantly between areas (Table 5). Adultfemale survival was very high on both study sites and also did not differ betweenareas. We marked too few adult males to draw any conclusions as to their survival.A comparison of survival among 3 marked populations in Illinois suggestsannual survival among yearling and older deer is different for each sex and amongregions (Table 6). Yearling males survive best in west-central Illinois, and are leastsuccessful in the northern counties. Yearling female survival is quite similar amongregions, at about 64% annually. Adult females survived best in west-central Illinois(Table 6).Other dataWhole blood and serum samples were collected from 73 deer on the BrownCounty site during December 1990-March 1991. These samples were tested forbrucellosis by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and for anaplasmosis by theNational Veterinary Service Lab. All samples were seronegative.7Whole blood was also sent to Dr. Ken Waldrup, Texas A&M University, fortesting for Babesia odocoilileii and for inoculation into splenectomized deer in anattempt to isolate the agent. Eight deer from Brown County tested positive for thisorganism in 1990, a considerable geographic distance from the previous location ofthis disease in Texas. The finding of positive deer in 1990 prompted furtherinvestigation using the 1991 blood samples. Although some of these samples gavepositive reactions to the immunofluorescent test for Babesia, none of the recipient deershowed evidence of infection either clinically or serologically. The samples thattested positive in 1990 could be false positives and thus Babesia may not be presentin Brown County deer. Dr. Waldrup has accepted a position in New Zealand so furthertesting is on hold at present.(b) Target Date of Achievement: 1 September 1991.(c) Date of Accomplishment: On Schedule.(d) Significant Deviations: None.(e) Remarks: None.(f) Recommendations: None.(g) Cost: Federal - $35,475; State - $11,825; Total - $47,300Job No. 1-C; Title: Rural landowner attitudes toward deer and IDOC deermanagement.Objectives: To determine rural landowner attitudes toward present deer abundance,deer damage, IDOC harvest management, and hunter behavior.(a) Activity:A draft of the final report of the survey has been written and is currentlyundergoing review. It is anticipated that the final report will be published as atechnical report by the IDOC.(b) Target Date of Achievement: 1 September 1991.(c) Date of Accomplishment: On Schedule.(d) Significant Deviations: None.(e) Remarks: None(f) Recommendations: None.(g) Cost: Federal - $14,190; State - $4,730; Total - $18,920Job No. 1-D; Title: Data analysis and Preparation of Reports.The following manuscripts were published during this R-13 segment:Nixon, C.M., L.P. Hansen, P.A. Brewer, and J.E. Chelsvig. 1991. Ecology of white-tailed deer in an intensively farmed area of Illinois. Wildlife Monograph 118.The Wildlife Society, Washington, D.C. 77 pp., , _ , and . 1991. Longevity of femalewhite-tailed deer on a refuge in Illinois. Trans. Illinois Acad. Sci. 84(1&2):84-91., P.A. Brewer, And L.P.Hansen. 1990. White-tailed doe toleratesnursing by non-offspring. Trans. Illinois Acad. Sci. 83(3&4):104-106., L.P. Hansen, and S.P. Havera. 1991. Growth patterns of fox squirrels ineast-central Illinois. Amer. Midi. Naturalist 125:168-172.The following manuscripts were accepted for publication during this segment:Nixon, C.M., and L.P. Hansen. 1991. Biology of white-tailed deer in the intensivelyfarmed midwestern United States. Chapter 3, in book titled-- Biology of Deer--R. Brown Ed. Springer-Verlag, N.Y.Herkert, J., C.M. Nixon, and L.P. Hansen. Dynamics of exploited and unexploited foxsquirrels (Sciurus niger) in the midwestern U.S. This paper will be published ina forthcoming book entitled-- Wildlife 2000:Populations9The following manuscript was prepared during the segment and submitted to theCanadian J. Zoology:Nixon, C.M., L.P.Hansen, P.A. Brewer, and J.E. Chelsvig. Stability of white-tailed doeparturition ranges on a refuge in east-central Illinois. 17 pp.Project summaries, an annual progress report, and quarterly reports of progressfor the present projects were submitted to the funding agencies as required. Varioustopics dealing with the deer harvest and deer life history and ecology were reported tothe IDOC as requested at intervals throughout the R-13 segment.(b) Target Date of Achievement: 1 September 1992.(c) Date of Accomplishment: On Schedule.(d) Significant Deviations: None.(e) Remarks: None.(f) Recommendations: None.(g) Cost: Federal - $7,095; State - $2,365; Total - $9,460An amendment to the R-13 project was approved to pay for the cost ofpublishing a Wildlife Monograph. The totals under costs shown above are theamounts originally approved for the study. The additional funds were: Federal -$13,200; State - $4,400; Total -$17,600.Literature cited:Grubaugh, J.W., V.C. Pederson, and F.D. Loomis. 1988. Reproductive performance ofwhite-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in west-central Illinois. Trans. IllinoisAcad. Sci. 81(1&2):189-196.Hubert, G.F., Jr. 1978. Productivity of deer in northwestern Illinois. Illinois Dept.Conserv., Fed. Aid in Wildl. Restor. Perf. Rep. Proj. W-63-R, Job IIB. 6pp.10Nixon, C.M., L.P. Hansen, P.A. Brewer, and J.E. Chelsvig. 1991. Ecology of the white-tailed deer in an intensively farmed area of Illinois. Wildl. Monog. 118. TheWildlife Society, Washington, D.C. 77pp.Verme, L.J. 1987. Decline in doe fawn reproduction in southern Michigan deer: abiosocial-effect hypothesis. Mich.Dep. Nat. Resour., Fed. Aid in Wildl. Restor.Perf. Rep. Proj. W-127-R-5, Job 1.9. 11pp.10-APREPARED BY:Charles M. NixonTerry L. EskerJoseph B. SullivanRobert KoerkenmeirIllinois Natural History SurveyDr. Laura HungerfordSchool of Veterinary MedicineJohn KubeIllinois Dept. of ConservationDATE: 31 August 199111Table 1. Statistics for the 1990 firearm deer season in Illinois.No. No.Age Males Females TotalRegion 10.5 807 695 15021.5 1160 727 18872.5 1253 760 20133.5 462 242 7044.5 128 53 181Total 3810 2477 6287Hunter success = 54.2%Region 20.5 589 424 10131.5 1339 677 20162.5 787 426 12133.5 269 101 3704.5 46 31 77Total 3030 1659 4689Hunter success = 45.5%Region 30.5 1778 1378 31561.5 2562 1187 37492.5 1278 944 22223.5 466 412 8784.5 80 134 214Total 6164 4055 10219Hunter success = 49.6%12Region 40.5 1733 1372 31051.5 2714 1164 38782.5 1255 1028 22833.5 548 412 9604.5 67 164 231Total 6317 4140 10457Hunter success = 65.3%Region 50.5 314 255 5691.5 643 266 9092.5 368 238 6063.5 181 88 2694.5 23 34 57Total 1529 881 2410Hunter success = 52.2%Region 60.5 764 593 13571.5 1257 554 18112.5 858 576 14343.5 310 218 5284.5 63 51 114Total 3252 1992 5244Hunter success = 65.5%Region 70.5 2033 1638 36711.5 3419 1829 52482.5 1886 1543 34293.5 668 538 12064.5 156 196 352Total 8162 5744 13906Hunter success = 61.4%13Region 80.5 1275 954 22291.5 2897 1101 39982.5 1390 1089 24793.5 432 337 7694.5 134 161 295Total 6128 3642 9770Hunter success = 43.2%Statewide0.5 9293 7309 166021.5 15991 7505 234962.5 9075 6604 156793.5 3336 2348 56844.5 697 824 1521Total 38392 24590 62982Hunter success = 54.1%14Table 2. Simulated pre-hunt deer numbers for 1980 and 1989 in 9 regions of Illinois.Estimated Pre-hunt Deer Estimated Deer Density1989Abundance Change Per Square Per 100Region 1980 1989 (%) Mile Acres Forest1 6264 14778 136 4.3 12.02 20595 56940 176 5.4 22.23 48474 94285 95 13.7 13.64 42795 83952 96 16.1 13.15 9725 24905 156 4.7 18.76 17385 44194 154 8.2 12.07 50660 112299 122 10.7 10.98 50040 92606 85 24.9 10.99 7607 15675 106 15.0 14.9State 253545 539634 109 9.6 12.715Table 3. Breeding frequency of does as indicated by progesteronelevels in blood serum collected from does captured in Brown countyduring January-March 1990 and 1991.Breeding Number No. Does No. Does Breeding DoesAge Does Barren Breeding (%)1990Fawn 8 5 3 38Yearling 5 0 5 100Adult 10 0 10 1001991Fawn 19 17 2 11Yearling 3 0 3 100Adult 23 1 22 9616Table 4. Fawn/Ž yearling doe counts from deer observed betweenAugust and December 1990 in Dekalb and Brown counties,Illinois.No. No. DoesArea Method Fawns Observed Fawn/doeBrown Spotlight 126 88 1.43General Obs. 197 169 1.17Marked Does 26 23 1.13Mean 1.25Dekalb Spotlight 122 98 1.24General Obs. 37 24 1.54Marked Does 17 14 1.21Mean 1.2917Table 5. Seasonal survival rates for the period June 1990 through May 1991 calculatedusing the MICROMORT program for deer marked in Brown and DeKalb counties, Illinois.Interval No. No. Survival 95%Age Area (Mo.) Sex Deer Deaths Rate C. I.Brown Jan-MayDeKalb Jan-MayBrown Jun-SepDeKalb Jun-SepBrown Oct-DecDeKalb Oct-DecBrown Jan-MayDeKalb Jan-MayBrown Jun-SepDeKalb Jun-SepBrown Oct-DecDeKalb Oct-DecBrown Jan-MayDeKalb Jan-MayFawnYearlingMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFMFAdult21211311181278181278171457224192242924341310200000435202210000210102010.951.000.851.001.001.001.001.000.790.770.460.761.000.860.640.851.001.001.001.000.000.951.000.891.000.951.000.920.86-1.00.64-0.990.58-1.000.25-0.910.55-1.000.71-1.000.38-1.000.65-1.00----------0.88-1.000.72-1.000.89-1.000.79-1.000.89-1.000-1.00----0.79-1.0018Table 6. Annual survival rates for deer > year old marked in Piattcounty(1980-85), Dekalb county(1990-91), and Brown county(1990-91),Illinois.Age of SurvivalDeer Sex Site Region (%)Yearling M PiattDekalbBrownF PiattDekalbBrownEast-CentralNorthWest-CentralM PiattDekalbBrownF PiattDekalbBrown382979626466Adult 3910066718290- .---- *--CC~I-_ -- I_ ----19r yl I u l i v i I w . .. , .-- .-rin .. r I R ion20Figure 2. Regional boundaries used for simulation- modeling of deer abundancein Illinois 1980-89.

Illinois Forest Game Investigations W-87-R-13, Annual Job Progress Report

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Illinois Forest Game Investigations W-87-R-13, Annual Job Progress Report

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