Behavior of mule deer on the Keating Winter Range.

W.B. Fowler; J.E. Dealy

doi:10.2737/PNW-RP-373

Treesearch

Behavior of mule deer on the Keating Winter Range.

Informally Refereed

Authors:

W.B. Fowler, J.E. Dealy

Year:

1987

Type:

Research Paper

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/PNW-RP-373

Source:

Res. Pap. PNW-RP-373. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 25 p

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Abstract

Observations are presented from 4 years of record, 1976 to 1979, on behavior of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in relation to site variables on the Keating Winter Range in northeastern Oregon. Analyses of animal use per unit area showed that the preferential selection of cells was related primarily to static site variables and secondarily to weather. The most regularly selected and strongest predictive variable was distance from the valley bottom, a variable generally associated with elevation. Only during the midafternoon hours of 1400 to 1600 did dynamic weather variables contribute substantially to the variance explained by the regression equations. For individual cells, animal use was controlled by snow depth and temperature.

Keywords

Animal behavior, winter range, deer (mule)

Citation

Fowler, W.B.; Dealy, J.E. 1987. Behavior of mule deer on the Keating Winter Range. Res. Pap. PNW-RP-373. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 25 p