Data from AU-ADCNR Deer Research

As most of you are aware, a little over 3 years ago the ADCNR funded a comprehensive study on white-tailed deer movement and survival. This is the research that included the brown and orange collars that some of you were seeing for the past few years. I know that it's been a long time coming, but the data and accompanying interpretations are finally in a format that we can share them with all of you.

Kevyn Wiskirchen and Todd Jacobsen, the two MS students that took the lead on the research submitted the final official copies of their theses in the past few weeks. We have put copies of their theses on the Au DeerLab webpage, and I will include links below so that you can get to the information. Keep in mind that the theses were prepared in a scientific format, so parts of them might be less than enjoyable to read.

Kevyn's THESIS had two chapters. The first examined survival and mortality patterns from the data that were collected, and the second looked at patterns of deer activity and how they were influenced by hunting activity. The data form the first chapter is very interesting regarding the relative differences between mortality on public and private lands, and the second chapter describes how your patterns as a hunter may causing you to hunt primarily on days that have low deer movement.

Todd's THESIS had two chapters, also. The first discussed the definition of excursive movements, and the second described the excursive behaviors that were discovered with the radio-collared deer from this project. These data have implications for management of deer on small-medium sized properties.

Very interested to tear into this when I get home. Thanks for posting it up for us!

Awesome! Cant wait to read it!

Thanks much for sharing this.

I guess that I should also provide a LINK to all of the graduate students theses that have been completed with me at Auburn. Some of you might be interested in looking at them. Below is a general description of some of them.

Angela Jackson examined fawn survival at Fort Rucker.

Ally Keever did a follow up of this research at Fort Rucker.

Jeff Sullivan just completed some work in South Carolina that examined visitation of deer to previously hunted stands.

Gabe Karns looked at Buck movement inside of a high fence.

Sarah Saalfeld looked at fawn survival in an urban area.

Clint McCoy examined problems with camera surveys.

...and there are others.

Thanks for posting up, Steve.

Great information, thanks!

Pleasantly surprised how many females are involved. Guess it could be guys with girly names.

Without reading the "previous hunted stand" thesis I would have on my mind what is the difference between a previous hunted stand and a previous visited feeder by a person? Just have to read it I guess.

Thanks for the info!!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. Camp Hill is a rocking place.lol

Thanks, Doc!

Anybody done a study of deer in the free range in the big pen?

Is there any reports on coy dogs , coy wolf's in ala.

Well, its not written in dumbass redneck terms. My 2 takes:
1) They collared 82 deer. 3 died PDQ leaving 79. Of those 79, 30 where killed somehow. That means 49 survived for 3 years of the study. IF I READ THIS CORRECTLY, that is an unbelievable survival rate! IF that is correct, it should give hunters who opt to pass deer up renewed hope in their choice.
2). IF IM READING IT CORRECT, most "excursions" began at sunrise. Once again, renewed hope for hunters for a buck during daylight hours.

A study on coyotes is in progress. Been going a year or two.

thanks

My study concludes all those bastards need to die. Study complete

A slow painful death. I'm thinking of digging a moat around my electric fence around my watermelons. I want them standing in water when they touch the electric fence.

Good stuff. Already engulfed one

The movement data as it relates to the average conception date in a particular area is awesome.

Thanks for sharing. Looks very interesting.

I want to read or hear more about the deer that were found to be harvested illegally in Kevyn's research. I read it this morning so I don't recall the exact numbers but something like 5 out of 35 deer that were taken were done so illegally. That seems like a pretty high percentage. Maybe I'm naive about the amount of poaching that takes place.

I got them running together in my mind. The illegal kills could been by other means. Didn't it say collars found by roads were considered illegal when it could have been a deer/auto collision?

From page 12 of Kevyn's paper. They called it hunting related causes, maybe I should go back and read some of the finer details more thoroughly but I wouldn't think an auto collision would be classified as hunting related or illegal.

I wonder how the deaths were determined 'for sure' to be illegal kills?

22% illegal kill rate of antlered bucks is absurd!!!!
And, a huge testament to the fact that we do not have enough GW's in the field to deter it.

absolute fact , road hunters and night hunters are hurting the population worse than anything . I thought It was coyotes.

I will say it again.......

We need to focus more on enforcing the Laws and Regulations that already exist than trying to come up with new ones! I do not want to give up one damn ounce of my own personal enjoyment to sacrifice to account for illegal activity!!!!
No amount of new Regulatikns or Biologicla Studies will be feasible until we stop this.

I've been on that soapbox for 10 years - but I'm tired of preaching it. I've been assured by many folks in many walks of the business that we can't control our good ole southern outlaws. I say we give it a try at least!! Here I am getting worked up thinking about it!

Page 9 says cut collars found near roads where classified as illegal harvest. My first thought was auto collision. Thinking about it now could be shot from road. Just dont really know.

I'm sure they were on the scene pretty fast, most likely if no deer was found it was a road hunter.

if you target em you can..

Ain't no doubt about it!!!

But, then again, there ain't many like you, Robert Hill, Clem Parnell, etc left.
And, the ones with potential get Politically hampered for hurting the wrong folks feelings!

Here, here

These are all masters thesis?

Nothing that I'm aware of.

Survival rates were greater than I had expected. Excursions did begin at sunrise...which also surprised me and is great news for hunters.

I would love to provide more information on these deer, but unfortunately, there is no more information to share. I think that the data are a good indication that illegal harvest can be fairly prevalent in some areas.

Yes (with the exception of one PhD dissertation and one BS Honors thesis). I probably should have shared this page a long time ago, but never really thought of it. If you dig through that website, you can also get to additional publications that have come out of our research program.

Thanks, they appeared to be, not that it mattered.

Saying they were killed illegally because collars were found near the road is to large of an assumption. Endless possibilities to explain for that. Some probably were. This is why all research,should be taken with a grain of salt,because all people are inherently flawed and prone to jumping to conclusions based on ones particular bent. You Give a set of incomplete facts to 10 people and they would conclude 10 different outcomes potentially.

and I've got some beach front property in Arizona to sell ya.

Since the list is so endless, mind giving me more than 5 or 6 likely reasons the collars were found on the side of the road?

I think your mind is made up.Without the deer there is no way to determine how the deer was killed, could be car,could be bow,could be gun,could be anything where the person who legally killed the deer and cut off and and threw away the collar.It can't be proven otherwise,so it is an assumption.My point was you can't make an assumption a fact.even an educated guess is just that a guess.

I thought about all of those possibilities.
But, then.....realized they were GPS collars. So, they had a really good idea of where and when the deer ceased moving, or was transported. But, not enough evidence for a conviction. It

I'm not saying that none of these deer were killed illegally,but I am also not saying they all were.This is another possibility,deer hit by vehicle at night,hunter comes along ,sees crippled up deer,puts crippled deer out of its misery,cuts off collar,loads him up,takes him home. GPS would show that deer quit moving at night next to roadway.Everybody knows somebody who has done this,Is the guy who does this a poacher or good Samaritan.I guess you could make the case that this person is a poacher,but just as many people would consider them a good samaritan

I agree with that, and considered that possibility.
However, that would still technically be illegal.

Technically,yes,but is he poacher or a good Samaritan?

Most Good Samaritans would have turned the collar in; NOT cut it off and thrown it in the woods, right?

Start a thread,see what folks think,some would want them locked up,some would want the G.W. locked up for making the case I suspect.

My only catch is that if their intentions were pure, why not turn the collar in to the Researchers?

A percentage of people would think they might get in trouble for killing a deer with a collar,and wouldn't want to find out if they are indeed in trouble or not.A percentage would just not care,A percentage would be outlaws trying to cover up a crime,What those percentages are I do not know.

Haven't read study yet so maybe it's been done, but it would be really interesting to see the movement mapped on topo map and aerial photography.
This should give good insite into the types of habitat most utilized.

Since the study wasn't about deer killed legally versus illegally, it's almost irrelevant. It was just an interesting side note. The study is certainly statistically valid.

I believe hunters were asked to report deer killed with collars. The paper said collars found by the side of the road or found in areas where no hunting was allowed, were deemed to be illegal harvests. While it's not inconclusive proof, it's not a stretch, and I don't believe it takes away from the true point of the study. The biggest point of the study, was the number of deer that survived two hunting seasons. It was well over half. Only 30 out of 79 were killed in two seasons if I remember correctly.

I agree,I don't believe the study is invalid, and legal vs illegal is a side note. In my opinion, this is a start, next study, more may survive,the one after that less may survive. One study is not a complete picture in my opinion and I don't believe concrete conclusions should be made. Not to say they can't be made, I am just person who likes to stay away from absolutes, I have learned that can be troublesome at times

Just think about all the scientific conclusions that have been made in the history of mankind,that were later overturned or redefined or further understood that changed the original conclusion

Very good read

Good read but somewhat confusing at times. One of the things I took away was what hunters already knew is that with increased pressure adds increased nocturnal movement. I am glad to see that the study seemed to show that more people are letting immature deer go to live longer.