Chat GPT Summary of shorter paper:
Adult white‐tailed deer survival in hunted
populations on public and private lands
Study Area Summary
Locations
The study was conducted in four areas of Alabama, USA:
Barbour Wildlife Management Area (WMA): 114 km²
Oakmulgee WMA: 180 km²
Marengo: 31 km² (combination of privately owned and leased land)
Pickens: 49 km² (leased by a private timber company to hunting clubs)
Terrain and Habitat
Barbour WMA and Marengo: Located in the northern portion of Alabama's lower coastal plain with gently rolling terrain.
Oakmulgee WMA and Pickens: Located in the southern foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, characterized by rugged terrain with steep to moderate slopes.
Public-use Areas: Dominated by mixed pine-hardwood stands managed on a 3-5 year prescribed burn rotation.
Private-land Areas: Managed primarily for timber production, with varying stages of loblolly and shortleaf pine regeneration and hardwoods restricted to streamside zones.
Climate
Precipitation: Mean annual precipitation was 147 cm.
Temperature: Winter temperatures ranged from -1 to 20°C, and summer temperatures ranged from 18 to 34°C.
Deer Hunting Regulations
Hunting Season: Each area had a 109-day hunting season with dates varying to align with local deer breeding times:
Oakmulgee WMA and Pickens: 15 October – 31 January
Barbour WMA and Marengo: 25 October – 10 February
Harvest Limits: Statewide regulations allowed one antlerless and one antlered deer per hunter per day, with a maximum of three antlered deer per season.
Antler Point Restriction (APR): Applied variably across areas:
On private properties, one of the antlered deer had to have ≥4 antler points on one side.
Self-imposed restrictions on private lands required all antlered deer to be at least 3.5 years old.
Barbour WMA required each harvested antlered deer to have ≥3 antler points on one side.
In 2015-2016, Oakmulgee WMA was split into two management zones with different antler point restrictions.
Hunting Effort
Public Lands: Higher hunting effort was observed, especially on Saturdays with an average of 0.72 hunters/km²/day.
Private Lands: Lower hunting effort with an average of 0.013 hunter hours/ha/day.
Methods
Deer Capture and Monitoring
Capture Period: October 2013 to March 2014, and May-September of 2014 and 2015.
Techniques: Deer were immobilized and fitted with VHF radiocollars and ear tags. Age was estimated using tooth replacement and wear, and live body characteristics.
Monitoring Period: 15 February 2014 to 14 February 2016.
Public Outreach: Hunters were informed to treat collared deer the same as uncollared ones regarding harvest decisions.
Data Analysis
Survival and Mortality Rates: Estimated using Program MARK with a known fate model.
Seasons Defined: Post-breeding (15 Feb–14 Jun), parturition (15 Jun–14 Oct), and breeding (15 Oct–14 Feb).
Age Classes: Deer were grouped into <3.5 years (immature) and ≥3.5 years (mature) for survival estimates.
Modeling: Two sets of models were developed to assess survival and probability of hunter harvest, considering factors like sex, age, and landownership.
Results
Sample Size: Monitored 79 radio-collared deer (33 males, 46 females), resulting in 141 deer-years.
Mortalities: 30 documented mortalities (77% harvest-related, 17% natural, 6% unknown).
Key Findings:
Mortality was primarily driven by hunter harvest.
Mature males had significantly higher mortality rates than immature males.
No significant variation in survival between public and private lands.
Landownership did not significantly affect survival rates.
Discussion
Primary Driver: Hunter harvest was the main factor affecting deer survival.
Comparison with Other Studies: Contrary to some studies, no significant differences in survival rates between public and private lands were found, likely due to self-imposed restrictions on private lands and state-mandated regulations on public lands.
Management Implications: Findings highlight the importance of hunter regulations and selective harvest practices in managing deer populations.
