Policy learning and deer co-management in New York State: Insights from newspaper coverage

Resolution of urban and suburban deer problems often depends on learning and co-management. Local newspapers may reflect the learning occurring in a community. Past authors have identified 4 primary types of learning (technical, conceptual, social, and political). We studied newspaper content related to deer management for insights about the types of learning occurring in selected regions in New York State. We analyzed 263 newspaper articles published between 2000 and 2006. We found that the majority of content related to learning focused on conceptual and technical learning, but relatively little, particularly early in the evolution of deer management issues, focused on social or political learning. Our results suggest that additional attention to social learning focusing on collaborative relationships and constructive dialogue among stakeholders by both communities and newspapers could be beneficial in the resolution of deer problems. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

Regional-Scale Assessment of Deer Impacts on Vegetation Within Western Connecticut,USA

Abstract: High densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are believed to cause broad-scale forest regeneration failure and loss of plant diversity. But, the empirical basis for such presumptions is limited. We, therefore, conducted a survey in western Connecticut, USA, woodlots to examine how spatial variation in deer densities influences variation in impacts on plant species abundance, identity and diversity, and tree regeneration. We also used a Geographic Information System to quantify trends between land-cover type and deer density. Deer density was not correlated with any vegetation or land use variable. This suggests that deer density is not a leading factor determining variation in vegetation impacts across western Connecticut.     

Does Supplemental Feed Increase Selective Foraging in a Browsing Ungulate?

ABSTRACT Provision of supplemental feed to large herbivores is a common management practice that may motivate selective foraging, thereby influencing plant community composition. Our objective was to assess the effect of a high-quality supplement on diet composition and nutritional quality for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We permanently released hand-reared deer into 4 81-ha enclosures; in 2 enclosures we provided a pelleted supplement. We conducted bite-count studies seasonally to assess diet composition and quality. Supplemented deer reduced mast (fruits and pods of woody plants and cacti) in their diets (P < 0.019) during spring and autumn compared to unsupplemented deer. Diets of deer in supplemented enclosures had 2 times greater proportion of browse during spring (P = 0.065) and 5 times greater proportion of forbs during autumn (P = 0.007). Quality of the forage portion of the diet did not vary by treatment during winter or summer. Metabolizable energy concentration was 13% greater (P = 0.054) in spring and digestible protein content was 3 times greater (P = 0.006) during autumn in diets of supplemented compared to unsupplemented deer. Our results support the selective foraging hypothesis during autumn but not during winter, spring, or summer. Furthermore, white-tailed deer did not reduce the proportion of their diet composed of browse, but did reduce consumption of mast. Supplemented deer continued to eat poor-quality, chemically defended forage, perhaps to alleviate ruminal acidosis induced by the supplement or because nutrients in the supplement increased the deer's ability to detoxify chemically defended browses. A decline in mast consumption by supplemented deer could influence plant communities, depending on the role of deer in seed dispersal and seed predation. Impacts of supplemental feed on selective foraging of white-tailed deer in shrub-dominated rangelands are more complex than suggested by previous research. Long-term studies of vegetation communities are needed before wildlife managers will be able to fully incorporate effects of supplemental feed into management decisions.     

Relationship between habitat type,fire frequency,and Amblyomma americanum populations in east‐central Alabama

Ticks were collected from 20 sites in the Calhoun, Cherokee, and Cleburne Counties in east‐central Alabama areas to determine the relationship between plant physiognomy, environmental variables, and tick populations. Sites investigated included various burning regimes, wildland‐urban–interface (WUI), a college campus, and an unmanaged area. Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) dominated the tick population while Ixodes scapularis Say was not encountered. There were complex differences in tick populations among site conditions. After prescribed burning, the tick population size was small but was larger in subsequent 2‐ and 5‐year post‐burn sites. An increase in Odocoileus virginianus foraging in recently burned sites is likely responsible for this phenomenon. WUI areas had the largest tick populations likely due to Odocoileus virginianus activity in an area that provides cover, forage, and a connection to a wildlife refuge. It is possible that the likelihood of humans coming in contact with ticks and tick‐borne diseases is greater in WUI areas than in unbroken contiguous forest. A. americanum showed a positive correlation with percent cover of grass and leaf litter mass and a negative relationship with pine sapling density. Variables expected to be strongly correlated with A. americanum populations such as soil moisture, canopy closure, and tree density were found to have weak correlations.     

Food habits of Sika deer on Mt. Goyo,northern Honshu

The food habits of Sika deer (Cervus nippon) on Mt. Goyo, northern Honshu (the main island of Japan), were studied. Among 88 plant species found in surveys, 36 species (40.9%) were eaten by the deer. The percentage frequency of feeding (F) was highest for graminoids (59.6%), followed by browses (16.6%) and ferns (7.7%) and lowest for forbs (5.4%). Though various kinds of plants were eaten, only limited species formed the bulk of the deer dietary composition.Sasa nipponica, in particular, was the most important constituent, ranking highest inF value (80.3%) and being the dominant component of feces. Fecal analyses revealed that, 1) in areas lower than 900 m in altitude,Sasa nipponica accounted for between 20 and 60% of the content and that pasture grasses were also important, and 2)S. nipponica occupied more than 50% in montane areas higher than 900 m, and even more than 80% in winter. The utilization ofS. nipponica as a forage for Sika deer was discussed. This plant can be a key forage species because it meets all the necessary conditions: abundance and stability of supply, palatability, nutritive quality and tolerance to grazing.     

Anatomy of the tongue and microstructure of the lingual papillae in the fallow deer Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758)

The function of mouth organs in ruminants is connected with the process of rumination. To study morphofunctional relations, microstructures in tongues of 4- to 5-year old adult fallow deer were examined using scanning electron microscopy.When analyzing the tongue of the fallow deer, i.e. a ruminant classified as an intermediate mixed feeder between grass and roughage eaters, two processes were taken into account: (i) foraging and forage selecting, and (ii) chewing the cud during rumination to reduce particle size and improve digestibility.Microstructural results show that the above mentioned processes in fallow deer are important selection factors, which in the anterior part of tongue led to the development of clusters of fungiform papillae connected with preselection of food as well as a specific pattern of filiform papillae promoting increased adhesion of transported food. Massive and flattened conical papillae on the torus are arranged according to sideways jaw movements and are co-localized with flattened fungiform papillae and two rows of vallate papillae. Such an arrangement of papillae on the lingual torus presumably facilities distribution of ruminated food, with simultaneous transferring of taste signals about masticated food particles.     

Assessment of Abilities of White-Tailed Deer to Jump Fences

Abstract: There is a need for insight into fence heights required for impeding white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We evaluated the ability of wild-caught deer to jump progressively taller fences and documented deterrence rates of 0% for fences ≤1.5 m followed by increasing deterrence rates of 14% at 1.8 m, 85% at 2.1 m, and 100% at 2.4 m. We documented 100% deterrence rates during 5 additional experiments with different deer and the test fence at 2.4 m, a common height of fences at captive deer facilities. Our results will be valuable to those managing spread of wildlife diseases, deer-vehicle collisions, and agricultural damage.