干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Information about the ecology of Sympatric male deer is limited, which may influence management strategies for these Species. We estimated home-range and core-area sizes and overlap, and survival of sympatric male desert rude deer (Odocoileus hemionus eremicus) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in west central Texas. We captured 18 males of each species, fitted them with radio-collars, and monitored them for mortality from 2000 through 2003. We calculated home ranges for 7 males of each species in 2001. and 2002. Home-range sizes of mule deer (8.8 km(2)) and white-tailed deer (7.4 km(2)) were similar. Interspecific home-range overlap was less common than intraspecific overlap. Mean annual survival was 0.76 (s(g) = 0.04) for mule deer and 0.80 (s((x) over bar) = 0.06) for white-tailed deer, The high degree of home-range overlap aid similar survival between the 2 deer species suggest that management targeting only I species may be unfeasible.