Influence of managed pine stands and mixed pine/hardwood stands on well being of deer

Abstract

A 172-acre enclosure where all the hardwood trees were removed or deadened and a 167 -acre enclosure where hardwoods comprised 25 percent of the tree basal area were each stocked in 1965 with 3 white-tailed deer (1 buck and 2 does). In 1963, before any timber cutting practices were imposed, tree basal area averaged 111 sq. ft. per acre and forage yields averaged 260 lbs. per acre. As a result of hardwood removal, timber thinnings and prescribed burns, the forage yields increased to 1,300 lbs. per acre in the pine enclosure and 870 lbs. per acre in the pine-hardwood enclosure. Timber stands were neither thinned nor prescribed burned after 1972 and forage yields decreased to 350 lbs per acre by 1978. No deer were harvested through 1966. Overwinter populations were kept to 10 per enclosure ( 1 deer per 17 acres) from 1967 through 1969 and 15 (1 deer per 11 acres) from 1970 through 1972 by harvesting surplus animals. From 1973 through 1976, deer were not harvested and the overwinter population leveled off at approximately 21 deer per enclosure (1 deer per 8 acres). Hunting and other losses reduced deer populations to 5 per enclosure by 1979. The weight, condition and productivity of deer were essentially the same in both enclosures. Fawn/doe ratios were 1.44 from 1966-1969, 1.17 from 1970-1972 and 0.88 from 1973-1976. Average live weight of harvested bucks (>=2 1/2 years) was 128 lbs. from 1967 through 1972 and 90 lbs. in 1979.

Citation

Halls, Lowell K.; Boyd, Charles E. 1982. Influence of managed pine stands and mixed pine/hardwood stands on well being of deer. Research Paper SO-183. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 18 p.