Harvest intensity, habitat configuration, and environmental effects on white-tailed deer morphometrics and reproduction

Most white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are managed under a density-dependent paradigm whereby temporal variation in population morphometrics and reproduction are assumed to indicate change in population density. However, stochastic climatic events may have the same impact on deer population phenotype and cause deer herd managers to implement the wrong harvesting strategy. Understanding spatial variation in deer population phenotype also is important. Soil, vegetation, and deer harvest characteristics have all been hypothesized to affect population dynamics and phenotype, yet no study has evaluated their simultaneous effects at large spatial scales. The objective of this study was to determine which density-dependent and -independent factors explain temporal, intra-population variation and spatial, inter-population variation in body mass, antler size, and reproduction of white-tailed deer populations in Mississippi.; The State Soil Geographic Data Base (STATSGO) did not explain site-specific variation in population morphometrics, but regional differences in soil properties explained some variation at greater spatial scales. Inter-population differences in body mass and antler size were best explained by vegetation composition. Vegetation types associated with production of high-quality deer forages, like agriculture and bottomland hardwoods, were related to greater body mass and antler size. Alternatively, vegetation types associated with decreased production of deer forages, like high-density pine plantations, were related to smaller body mass and antler size.; Intra-population, temporal variation in body mass, antler size, and reproduction was best explained by a combination of prior deer harvest and stochastic climatic events. Precipitation, temperature, and flooding affected deer cohorts. Deer harvest from one to 4 years prior also was important, especially in high-quality habitats. Deer population morphometrics can be improved with techniques that increase production of high-quality forages, but biologists must be cognizant of the negative effects of climatic events on populations when designing management strategies.