Integration of archery white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvest data into a sex-age-kill population model

Archery hunting for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has gained popularity in Michigan over the past thirty years. Historically, few hunters participated in the archery hunting season, but Michigan has had a dramatic increase in archery license sales, hunter-days, and harvest since the 1960s. With an increasing proportion of the deer harvest coming from archery hunting season, harvest statistics were studied to determine if biological data from archery harvested deer should be included in a sex-age-kill (SAK) population model. It was determined that there were significant differences between firearm and archery harvest biological data. Firearm harvest biological data were incorporated both independently and combined with archery harvest biological data into the SAK model. Population estimates for years 1987-1996 for five geographic areas in Michigan were determined. Population estimates from the SAK model were plotted with annual deer-vehicle accident rates by year to detect trends. Results indicated that the SAK model appeared to be a reliable index of the size of the deer herd at various geographic scales. Variation among geographic areas appeared to be the result of density independent factors and regulation processes in each area. Further studies are needed to determine if the SAK model can be used as a reliable population estimator in Michigan.