英国惠普斯耐德獐的育幼行为

1993年5-8月在英国惠普斯耐德野生动物园半自然条件下研究了獐（）的单亲育幼行为。描述了母幼獐建立关系,母獐的探访和育幼行为,授幼行为,舔犊行为以及母幼间距离等。研究结果表明,母獐昼夜间仅探访幼兽4-5次。初生獐寻找乳头时往往寻错位置,找向母獐的前胸和颈区。在幼獐出生后的早期,哺乳行为的启动是由母獐启动的,但幼獐一周龄后即为启动者。平均哺乳时段为48.2±10.2s.母獐的舔犊行为常与哺乳同时发生,舔犊的位置最常见于幼獐的头部（62.7%）,其次是肛殖区（13.9%）,再是背部（8.4%）,肋部（7.2%）,胸部（5.6%）和颈部（2.1%）。此外,还讨论了母兽对不同性别的幼獐的投资的差异及其生物学意义。     

饲养林麝的种群特征和幼麝的存活研究

对饲养在上海崇明岛东平林场的林麝种群特征以及1998～2000 年间该种群所出生的74 只幼麝存活情况进行分析研究。结果表明: 该林麝种群中能繁殖的个体占51.1 % , 种群数量逐渐增长。种群存活率曲线呈C 型,说明林麝的死亡主要发生在幼麝时期。从不同年龄段性比变化来看, 初生幼麝的性比接近1∶1 , 由于雌幼麝比雄幼麝具有更高的存活率( P < 0.05) , 进入亚成体以后雄性比例逐渐下降, 显示幼麝时期存在偏雄性死亡。早出生幼麝的存活率明显高于晚出生幼麝( P < 0.05) 。引起幼麝死亡的主要原因是疾病(45. 9 %) 。     

Long-Lasting Effects of Maternal Condition in Free-Ranging Cervids

Causes of phenotypic variation are fundamental to evolutionary ecology because they influence the traits acted upon by natural selection. One such cause of phenotypic variation is a maternal effect, which is the influence of the environment experienced by a female (and her corresponding phenotype) on the phenotype of her offspring (independent of the offspring’s genotype). While maternal effects are well documented, the longevity and fitness impact of these effects remains unclear because it is difficult to follow free-living individuals through their reproductive lifetimes. For long-lived species, it has been suggested that maternal effects are masked by environmental variables acting on offspring in years following the period of dependence. Our objective was to use indirect measures of maternal condition to determine if maternal effects have long-lasting influences on male offspring in two species of cervid. Because antlers are sexually selected, we used measures of antler size at time of death, 1.5–21.5 years after gestation to investigate maternal effects. We quantified antler size of 11,000 male elk and mule deer born throughout the intermountain western US (6 states) over nearly 30 years. Maternal condition during development was estimated indirectly using a suite of abiotic variables known to influence condition of cervids (i.e., winter severity, spring and summer temperature, and spring and summer precipitation). Antler size of male cervids was significantly associated with our indirect measure of maternal condition during gestation and lactation. Assuming the correctness of our indirect measure, our findings demonstrate that antler size is a sexually selected trait that is influenced–into adulthood–by maternal condition. This link emphasizes the importance of considering inherited environmental effects when interpreting population dynamics or examining reproductive success of long-lived organisms.     

Attainment of early puberty in female black-tailed deer. (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus).

Female black-tailed deer fawns were hand-raised until four months of age and bred to bucks in their first fall. Over 50% conceived and subsequently gave birth to single fawns. Conceptions occurred later than for wild adults but at weights which equalled the weights of the heaviest wild fawns. A high proportion of the fawns born to fawn does died due to presumed lactation failure. Further work is continuing on the factors governing puberty attainment in this species.     

Contrasting the Effects of Maternal and Behavioral Characteristics on Fawn Birth Mass in White-Tailed Deer

Maternal care influences offspring quality and can improve a mother’s inclusive fitness. However, improved fitness may only occur when offspring quality (i.e., offspring birth mass) persists throughout life and enhances survival and/or reproductive success. Although maternal body mass, age, and social rank have been shown to influence offspring birth mass, the inter-dependence among these variables makes identifying causation problematic. We established that fawn birth mass was related to adult body mass for captive male and female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), thus maternal care should improve offspring fitness. We then used path analysis to identify which maternal characteristic(s) most influenced fawn birth mass of captive female white-tailed deer. Maternal age, body mass and social rank had varying effects on fawn birth mass. Maternal body mass displayed the strongest direct effect on fawn birth mass, followed by maternal age and social rank. Maternal body mass had a greater effect on social rank than age. The direct path between social rank and fawn birth mass may indicate dominance as an underlying mechanism. Our results suggest that heavier mothers could use dominance to improve access to resources, resulting in increased fitness through production of heavier offspring.     

Febrile response and decrease in circulating lymphocytes following acute infection of white-tailed deer fawns with either a BVDV1 or a BVDV2 strain

Although commonly associated with infection in cattle, bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) also replicate in many domestic and wildlife species, including cervids. Bovine viral diarrhea viruses have been isolated from a number of cervids, including mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus), but little information is available regarding clinical presentation and progression of infection in these species. In preliminary studies of experimental infection of deer with BVDV, researchers noted seroconversion but no clinical signs. In this study, we infected white-tailed deer fawns that were negative for BVDV and for antibodies against BVDV, with either a type 1 or a type 2 BVDV that had been isolated from white-tailed deer. Fawns were monitored for changes in basal temperature, circulating lymphocytes, and platelets. The clinical progression following inoculation in these fawns was similar to that seen with BVDV infections in cattle and included fever and depletion of circulating lymphocytes. Because free-ranging cervid populations are frequently in contact with domestic cattle in the United States, possible transfer of BVDV between cattle and cervids has significant implications for proposed BVDV control programs.     

Phenotypic and reproductive variation in female white-tailed deer: The role of harvest and environment

Animal density and stochastic environmental events affect physical development and recruitment of cervids. Biologists who manage cervid populations based on a density-dependent paradigm may need to also consider environmental effects. We analyzed 12- to 25-year time series of 3 harvested white-tailed deer populations in Mississippi to determine the relative influence of harvest and environmental factors on female reproduction and phenotypic quality. Using simple and multiple linear regression, we related body mass of 1.5-, 2.5-, and ≥3.5-year females, and 2.5- and ≥3.5-year percent lactation to variables representing deer harvest, growing season precipitation and temperatures, high-quality agronomic plantings, and flooding events. Response across populations varied greatly, with harvest variables explaining most, some, or no variation in body mass and percent lactation. Biologists should consider the potential influence of environmental factors on phenotypic and reproductive variation when making management decisions. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality of Neonatal Mule Deer Fawns,North-Central New Mexico

Abstract: Because of significant declines in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations across New Mexico, USA, we investigated survival of fawns in north-central New Mexico, USA. We captured 19 fawns, 34 fawns, and 47 fawns in 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively, and used fawn morphological measurements, habitat characteristics, and adult female (hereafter “female”) condition to model preweaning fawn survival. Survival was 0.0, 0.12, 0.52 for 2002, 2003, and 2004, respectively, and was related to birth mass (χ₁² = 9.5, P = 0.002), birth date (χ₁²= 8.4, P = 0.004), litter size (χ₂² = 9.4, P = 0.009), female body fat (χ₁² = 40.9, P < 0.001), annual precipitation (χ₁² = 35.0, P < 0.001), summer precipitation (χ₁²= 37.5, P < 0.001), and winter precipitation (χ₁² = 32.0, P < 0.001). Total ingesta-free body fat of females (β = 3.01, SE = 0.75; odds ratio = 20.19, 95% CI = 4.64-87.91) and birth mass of fawns (β = 1.188, SE = 0.428; odds ratio = 3.38, 95% CI = 1.42-7.59) were the best predictors of survival of individual fawns, although few of the logistic models differed in model selection criteria. Fawn survival in north-central New Mexico was driven by an interaction of total and seasonal precipitation and its effect on plant production, consequential effects on female nutrition, and ultimately, fawn birth attributes. Habitat conditions were so poor throughout north-central New Mexico during 2002 and 2003 (and likely during other drought yr) that, based upon birth attributes, few fawns could have survived regardless of proximate causes of mortality. In 2004, precipitation enhanced security cover, maternal body condition, birth attributes and, thus, survival of fawns. However, more habitat enhancements are needed to improve the nutritional quality of mule deer habitats in north-central New Mexico and further enhance maternal and fawn condition to recover mule deer populations in this region.     

Effects of chronic wasting disease on reproduction and fawn harvest vulnerability in Wisconsin white-tailed deer

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy that affects free-ranging and captive North American cervids. Although the impacts of CWD on cervid survival have been documented, little is known about the disease impacts on reproduction and recruitment. We used genetic methods and harvest data (2002-04) to reconstruct parentage for a cohort of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns born in spring 2002 and evaluate the effects of CWD infection on reproduction and fawn harvest vulnerability. There was no difference between CWD-positive and CWD-negative male deer in the probability of being a parent. However, CWD-positive females were more likely to be parents than CWD-negative females. Because our results are based on harvested animals, we evaluated the hypothesis that higher parentage rates occurred because fawns with CWD-positive mothers were more vulnerable to harvest. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were harvested earlier (>1 mo relative to their mother's date of harvest) and farther away from their mothers than male fawns with CWD-negative mothers. Male fawns with CWD-positive mothers were also harvested much earlier and farther away than female fawns from CWD-positive mothers. Most female fawns (86%) with CWD-positive mothers were harvested from the same section as their mothers, while almost half of male and female fawns with CWD-negative mothers were farther away. We conclude that preclinical stages of CWD infection do not prohibit white-tailed deer from successfully reproducing. However, apparently higher harvest vulnerability of male fawns with CWD-positive mothers suggests that CWD infection may make females less capable of providing adequate parental care to ensure the survival and recruitment of their fawns.     

Maternal behavior and early development of pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) fawns in a semi-captive environment

Maternal–infant interaction and behaviors are adapted to reduce the risk of predation and increase the probability of survival of the species. We determined how mother–young encounters and communication change by the development of the fawn (locomotion and feeding) throughout lactation in pampas deer (Ozotocerus bezoarticus). We registered the behavior of mother–fawn dyads for the first 60 postnatal days. Our results revealed three main developmental stages in the fawn, hiding (~0–19 days), active (~20–39 days), and adult-like (~40–60 days). In the hiding stage, the fawn stayed hidden, closer to the mother, and spent less time active, the mothers vocalized more often than the fawn, licked the fawns intensively while nursing, and were responsible for initiating nursing. In the active stage, licking behavior and vocalizations of the mother decreased while the fawns ate solid food, initiated nursing bouts, and displayed bursts of running activity. Finally, in the adult-like stage, the fawn showed many signs of nutritional weaning, and similar patterns of activity to their mothers. However, the duration and frequency of nursing bouts were unchanged during the study. We described mother–fawn interaction in pampas deer for the first time, and found that increased running activity in fawns anticipates nutritional weaning. Our results also suggest that to adapt to the development of the fawn, mothers only modify the dynamics of interaction and encounters rather than the time invested in nursing, an activity that also plays a role in maintaining mother–young affiliation.     

Spatial variation in springtime food resources influences the winter body mass of roe deer fawns

It is well established that the dynamics of mammalian populations vary in time, in relation to density and weather, and often in interaction with phenotypic differences (sex, age and social status). Habitat quality has recently been identified as another significant source of individual variability in vital rates of deer, including roe deer where spatial variations in fawn body mass were found to be only about a tenth of temporal variations. The approach used was to classify the habitat into blocks a priori, and to analyse variation in animal performance among the predefined areas. In a fine-grained approach, here we use data collected over 24 years on 1,235 roe deer fawns captured at known locations and the plant species composition sampled in 2001 at 578 sites in the Chizé forest to determine the spatial structure at a fine scale of both vegetation and winter body mass of fawns, and then to determine links between the two. Space and time played a nearly equal role in determining fawn body masses of both sexes, each accounting for about 20% of variance and without any interaction between them. The spatial distribution of fawn body mass was perennial over the 24 years considered and predicted values showed a 2 kg range according to location in the reserve, which is much greater than suggested in previous work and is enough to have strong effects on fawn survival. The spatial distribution and the range of predicted body masses were closely similar in males and females. The result of this study is therefore consistent with the view that the life history traits of roe deer are only weakly influenced by sexual selection. The occurrence of three plant species that are known to be important food items in spring/summer roe deer diets, hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), bluebell (Hyacinthoides sp.) and Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum sp.) was positively related to winter fawn body mass. The occurrence of species known to be avoided in spring/summer roe deer diets [e.g. butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) and beech (Fagus sylvatica)], was negatively related to fawn body mass. We conclude that the spatial variation in the body mass of fawns in winter in this forest is as important as the temporal variation, and that the distribution of plant species that are actively selected during spring and summer is an important determinant of spatial variation in winter fawn body mass. The availability of these plants is therefore likely to be a key factor in the dynamics of roe deer populations.     

Suckling behavior in goitered gazelle: do females invest more in twins or singletons?

The mother–offspring social unit is a universal feature in the social life of all mammals and nursing is the most direct and vital component of maternal investment in young. Living in diverse environments, various ungulate species have different strategies for rearing offspring, from bearing a single, relatively large newborn and supplying only limited amounts of milk, to bearing several relatively small newborns with intensive post-partum lactation. In this paper, we consider the rearing strategy of goitered gazelle with a focus on suckling behavior, which, until now, has never been a subject of special investigation. Adult females of this species in their reproductive prime typically bear twins when environmental conditions are favorable, but the proportion of singletons increases when conditions are unfavorable. We expected that in goitered gazelles suckling intensity would be maximal during the first weeks after birth, and then decrease with the growth of the young; we also expected that twins would demand more energy, but receive significantly less maternal investment per young than singletons. We found that, indeed, suckling behavior had similar dynamics as typical of all bovid species, but our expectation for less maternal investment in twins vs. singletons was wrong. In reality, female goitered gazelles suckled twins significantly more intensively and terminated suckling less often compared to singletons. We concluded that in favorable situations females of high quality have the ability to show significantly more maternal investment in each twin, while singletons are typically born to weaker females. This ability of females to produce mostly twins allows goitered gazelles to take advantage of any favorable opportunity to quickly increase their population in an environment with unpredictable and abrupt yearly changes typical of the arid regions of Central Asia.     

Early survival in roe deer: causes and consequences of cohort variation in two contrasted populations

Time- and sex-specific summer survival of roe deer fawns was estimated using capture-mark-recapture methods in two enclosed populations living in contrasting conditions. The population of Trois Fontaines (eastern France) was roughly constant in size throughout the study period, while in Chizé (western France), the population experienced frequent summer droughts and numbers decreased continuously during the study. Early survival of fawns was low and highly variable over the years at both Chizé and Trois Fontaines, and demonstrated marked variations between cohorts that need to be taken into account when modelling roe deer population dynamics. In Trois Fontaines, fawn survival was positively correlated with early body growth and total rainfall in May and June. In Chizé, fawn survival decreased with increasing density and tended to increase with increasing rainfall in May and June and adult female body mass. These factors explained more than 75% of the variability in early survival observed in both populations. Variation between cohorts had different consequences for the two populations. At Trois Fontaines, cohort variation was limited to a numerical effect on early survival. However at Chizé, cohort variation was long-lasting and affected the phenotypic quality of survivors at later ages, and thereby future survival and breeding abilities (both numerical and quality effects). Male and female fawns had similar survival over their first summer in both populations. This result contrasts with the lower survival of young males often observed in ungulates. Two ultimate causes can be proposed to account for the low and variable survival of roe deer fawns over the first summer: the high energy expenditures incurred by does during each breeding attempt and/or the low absolute body size of newborn roe deer fawns. Received: 28 April 1997 / Accepted: 14 July 1997     

Predator densities and white-tailed deer fawn survival

Predation is the dominant source of mortality for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) <6 months old throughout North America. Yet, few white-tailed deer fawn survival studies have occurred in areas with 4 predator species or have considered concurrent densities of deer and predator species. We monitored survival and cause-specific mortality from birth to 6 months for 100 neonatal fawns during 2013–2015 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, while simultaneously estimating population densities of deer, American black bear (Ursus americanus), coyote (Canis latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and gray wolf (Canis lupus). We estimated fawn predation risk in response to sex, birth mass, and date of birth. Six-month fawn survival pooled among years was 36%, and fawn mortality risk was not related to birth mass, date of birth, or sex. Estimated mean annual deer and predator densities were 334 fawns/100 km², 25.9 black bear/100 km², 23.8 coyotes/100 km², 3.8 bobcat/100 km², and 2.8 wolves/100 km². Despite lower estimated per-individual kill rates, coyotes and black bears were the leading sources of fawn mortality because they had greater densities relative to bobcats and wolves. Our results indicate that the presence of more predator species in a system is not entirely additive in its effect on fawn survival. © The Wildlife Society, 2019     

Increased brown bear predation on sika deer fawns following a deer population irruption in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

By the 1970s, brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, were opportunistic omnivores that mainly depended on plant materials. Because the sika deer (Cervus nippon) population irrupted in eastern Hokkaido in the 1990s, we expected that brown bears might prey on sika deer fawns. First, we developed a simple and cost-effective method of monitoring possible bear predation on deer fawns by analyzing the widths of deer hairs remained in bear scats. Based on hair thickness standards, we distinguished the brown bear consumption of deer fawns from adults by analyzing bear scats (n?=?108) collected during the deer birthing season (late May?Clate July) in 1999?C2008. To evaluate the importance of fawns to bears, we compared the occurrence of fawn and adult deer hairs in bear scats among three periods (I, 1999?C2000; II, 2003?C2005; III, 2006?C2008) in eastern Hokkaido. The occurrence of fawn hairs in bear scats increased from 12.5 to 27.3?% in volume and from 6.3 to 33.6?% in frequency from period I to period III, whereas adult hairs in scats decreased from 42.8 to 26.1?% in volume and from 34.4 to 22.7?% in frequency during the same time. These data suggest that bears increasingly preyed on deer fawns after the deer population irruption and decreasingly used adult carcasses because of the enforcement of deer carcass treatment by the Hokkaido government.     

Effects of cohort,sex, and birth date on body development of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) fawns

We investigated the effects of the year of birth (cohort effect), sex and birth date on the variations observed in birth weight and postnatal growth rate in 209 newborn fawns marked during eight consecutive fawning seasons from a highly productive roe deer population under good nutritional conditions. Roe deer exhibited a fast body development with a birth weight of 1628 g and a postnatal growth rate of 139 g/day constant over the first 20 days of their life. As previously reported for dimorphic and polygynous ungulates, there was a marked cohort effect on the rate of body development. This variability was partly explained by climatic conditions during late gestation. When fewer than 5 days with rainfall over 5 mm occurred in April, fawns were heavier. High temperatures during April and during the winter could also be involved in fast body development of roe deer fawns. Sex of fawn did not affect roe deer growth pattern. This was expected on the basis of low sexual dimorphism in size and low polygyny level characteristic of roe deer. Lastly, the date of birth did not affect the body development of roe deer fawns. High constancy of mean birth dates and high synchrony of births observed in this population could account for this result.     

Estimating chronic wasting disease effects on mule deer recruitment and population growth

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), accelerates mortality and in so doing has the potential to influence population dynamics. Although effects on mule deer survival are clear, how CWD affects recruitment is less certain. We studied how prion infection influenced the number of offspring raised to weaning per adult (≥2 yr old) female mule deer and subsequently the estimated growth rate (λ) of an infected deer herd. Infected and presumably uninfected radio-collared female deer were observed with their fawns in late summer (August-September) during three consecutive years (2006-2008) in the Table Mesa area of Boulder, Colorado, USA. We counted the number of fawns accompanying each female, then used a fully Bayesian model to estimate recruitment by infected and uninfected females and the effect of the disease on λ. On average, infected females weaned 0.95 fawns (95% credible interval=0.56-1.43) whereas uninfected females weaned 1.34 fawns (95% credible interval=1.09-1.61); the probability that uninfected females weaned more fawns than infected females was 0.93). We used estimates of prevalence to weight recruitment and survival parameters in the transition matrix of a three-age, single-sex matrix model and then used the matrix to calculate effects of CWD on λ. When effects of CWD on both survival and recruitment were included, the modeled λ was 0.97 (95% credible interval = 0.82-1.09). Effects of disease on λ were mediated almost entirely by elevated mortality of infected animals. We conclude that although CWD may affect mule deer recruitment, these effects seem to be sufficiently small that they can be omitted in estimating the influences of CWD on population growth rate.     

Winter fawn survival in black-tailed deer populations affected by hair loss syndrome

Overwinter fawn mortality associated with hair loss syndrome (HLS) is anecdotally thought to be important in declines of Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) populations in Washington and Oregon (USA). We determined prevalence of HLS in black-tailed deer, September and April fawn:doe ratios, and minimum overwinter survival rates of fawns for selected game management units (GMUs) in western Washington from 1999 to 2001. Prevalence of HLS ranged from 6% to 74% in fawns and 4% to 33% in does. Minimum fawn survival ranged from 0.56 to 0.83 and was unrelated to prevalence of HLS in either does (r=0.005, P=0.991) or fawns (r=-0.215, P=0.608). The prevalence of HLS in either does or fawns was also unrelated to either fall fawn:doe ratios (HLS does: r=-0.132, P=0.779; HLS fawns: r=0.130, P=0.760) or spring fawn:doe ratios (HLS does: r=-0.173, P=0.711; HLS fawns: r=-0.020, P=0.963). However, the prevalence of HLS in does and fawns was strongly related (r=0.942, P=0.002), and GMUs with high prevalence of HLS had lower deer population densities (fawns: r=-0.752, P=0.031; does: r=-0.813, P=0.026). Increased overwinter mortality of fawns because of HLS was not supported by our data. Decreased production of fawns, increased summer mortality of fawns, or both were seen in six of eight study GMU-year combinations. Observed rates of productivity and minimum fawn survival were inadequate to maintain population size in five of eight study GMU-year combinations, assuming an annual doe survival rate of 0.75. The influence of deer condition and population health on adult survival, fawn production, preweaning fawn survival, parasitism, and prevalence of HLS in both fawns and adults need to be clarified to identify what factors are limiting black-tailed deer productivity.     

Mass changes of grey seal Halichoerus grypus pups on Sable Island: differential maternal investment reconsidered

Theory predicts that where variance in reproductive success differs between sexes, as in many sexually dimorphic species, mothers should invest more in male than in female offspring. In pinnipeds, parental investment is the sole responsibility of the mother. Both size at birth and subsequent mass gain during lactation are measures of that investment. We studied mass gain of grey seal pups, a sexually dimorphic species, during lactation and mass loss during the first 13 days of the postweaning fast using longitudinal data obtained on Sable Island, Canada. A mixed-effects repeated measures model was used to account for the serial correlation in these longitudinal data. We found no significant difference in the birth mass of male (16.6 ± 0.45 kg) and female (15.6 ±0.74 kg) pups. Rate of mass gain by males (3.0 ± 0.13 kg/d) and females (2.7 ± 0.12 kg/d) also did not differ significantly during the lactation period. Grey seal pups on Sable Island tended to be larger at birth and gain mass more rapidly (70%–100%) during lactation than those in the United Kingdom. Mass loss of weaned pups was curvilinear over time. Over the first 10 days of the fast, pups lost 22% of their weaning mass. In both males and females, large pups lost mass more slowly than small ones during the postweaning fast. Based on our results and a review of previous studies, we found little evidence of differential maternal investment in male and female grey seal pups.     

Population-level response of coyotes to a pulsed resource event

From foraging theory, generalist predators should increase consumption of prey if prey availability increases. Pulsed resource events introduce a large influx of prey to predators that may exhibit a functional response of increased consumption rate on, or specialization to, this abundant food resource. We predicted that coyotes (Canis latrans) would respond functionally to numerical increases of neonate white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during the pulsed resource event of parturition. We used howl surveys and deer camera surveys with occupancy modeling to estimate densities for coyotes, adult deer, and fawns, respectively, in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, 2009–2011. We estimated biomass of adult and fawn deer consumed by coyotes during 2 periods [fawn limited mobility period (LMP) and social mobility period (SMP)] in May–August each year. Coyote densities were 0.32 and 0.37/km² for 2010–2011, respectively. Adult deer densities (3.7–3.9/km²) and fawn densities (0.6–1.3/km²) were similar across years. Overall, fawn hair occurrence in coyote scats was 2.3 times greater in LMP than SMP. Estimated consumption of fawns between periods (n = 157–880) by coyotes varied, suggesting a functional response, with increasing consumption of fawns relative to their availability. Coyotes, on average, consumed 2.2 times greater biomass of fawns than adults across years, and consumed 1.5 times greater fawn biomass, on average, during LMP than SMP. We suggest that consumption rates of coyotes is associated positively with increases in fawn density, and fawn consumption by coyotes follows predictions of optimal foraging theory during this pulsed resource event.