Hunting Season Statistics as an Index to Range Conditions and Deer Population Fluctuations in Minnesota

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Abstract
Hunting season kill data for the 1942-1949 period were used for the detn. of adult-fawn sex ratios and fall fawn survival. In protected areas where the deer population has increased beyond sustained carrying capacity adult does are greatly in excess of adult bucks, the fawn % of the population and the fawns/doe are considerably below the state avg. Heavy hunting pressure in starvation areas may result in increasing the browse supply, in bringing about a balanced sex ratio, and in increasing the fawn/doe survival. In areas of rapidly increasing deer populations which have not reached or are just reaching carrying capacity, adult does were in excess of adult bucks while the fawn % of the population and the fawn/doe figure were above the state avg. Males normally were in excess of females in both fawn and adult classes throughout the state. Based on a small sampl, potential fawn reproduction (fetuses/doe) may be quite high but fawn survival (fall fawn/doe figures) low. It was not more than 0.7 for an 8-yr. avg. A small variation in the fall fawn/doe figure greatly affects the annual huntable population. The bulk of mortality must result from range conditions and severity of winter and spring mos. and affecting the pregnancy potential of does in such a way that a large % of foetuses never become live and healthy fawns.

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