White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation: 1980 status report

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5037176

Story, J D; Kitchings, J T

Ninety-eight white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were killed by vehicles on the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation during 1980, an increase of twenty-five over 1979. Both spatial and temporal patterns of mortality were similar to those reported previously. November and December were the months when the highest numbers of deer were killed. The sex ratio of road-kills was about 1.1 from January through October but shifted to a high male kill (4.8:1) during November and December, presumably the result of the rutting season. Reproductive data collected from does indicated that breeding occurred as early as October 20 and as late as December 21. Records kept on rutting condition in bucks indicated a breeding season from October through January; antlers were shed from January through April with the peak of shedding activity occurring in March. Postmortem examination of deer revealed a good general condition of the animals with only a few abnormalities or indications of sickness or disease. Abomasal parasite counts indicate that Reservation deer population has reached optimum density. Other parasites found include brainworms, body worms, and botfly larvae; papillomas were observed in two deer during 1980. Data from heart girth and weight measurements were presented and compared to similar data from elsewhere in the Southeastern United States.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5037176
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-6803/S3; ON: DE82020479
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DEER
DISEASES
PARASITES
POPULATIONS
REPRODUCTION
OAK RIDGE
ACCIDENTS
DATA COMPILATION
MORTALITY
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SEX DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
RUMINANTS
TENNESSEE
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
510100* - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (-1989)