University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1964 Mule deer of the National Bison Range: population dynamics food habits and physical condition Carl H. Nellis The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Nellis, Carl H., "Mule deer of the National Bison Range: population dynamics food habits and physical condition" (1964). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 6481. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6481 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE MULE DEER OF THE NATIONAL BISON RANGE: POPULATION DYNAMICS, FOOD HABITS, AND PHYSICAL CONDITION by CARL HANSEN NELLIS B. S., University of Idaho, 1962 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Wildlife Management MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1964 Approved by: ^ — Chairman, Board of Examiners %/ / /,/ ; Deyl, Graduate School t ■' AUG 1 ;> 1364 Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP37282 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI Dis»arUti(»i Publishing UMI EP37282 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study would not have been possible without the wholehearted cooperation of the personnel of the National Bison Range, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Moiese, Montana. A special note of thanks and gratitude is extended to Mr. C. J. Henry, Refuge Manager, whose interest, cooperation, and effort materially assisted in this study. I also extend a special note of thanks to Mr. Victor B. May for all his help, particularly with the deer collecting. I am also indebted to other Bison Range personnel — Messrs. Robert C. Fields, Jack L. Richardson, Watson E. Seed, Grant Hogge, Ernest W. Kraft, Forest L. Largent, Edward G. Krantz, and Mrs. Gladys C. Young — for their support, encouragement, and assistance. I am grateful to the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unlt^ for providing the financial assistance that made this study possible and to Dr. John J. Craighead, Unit Leader, for his advice and support. To Dr. Richard D. Taber, advisor and committee chairman, I wish to extend a special note of thanks for the time he spent planning the study, for his assistance with laboratory work, and for his many helpful suggestions throughout the study and on thesis preparation. I am grateful to Dr. W. Leslie Pengelly for his help and advice during the latter half of the study and on thesis preparation. I also thank the other members of my committee. Dr. Philip L. Wright and 1/ U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana State Department of Fish and Game, Montana State University, and The Wildlife Management Institute cooperating. PLEASE NOTE; This thesis is not a publication and no portions may be quoted without the permission of the author and the School of Forestry, Montana State University, Missoula. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. -111- Prof. Melvin S, Morris, for providing many valuable suggestions. Dr. James R. Habeck and Dr. Ludvig G. Browman also provided advice for which I am thankful. To Mr. Kenneth R. Greer and staff of the Wildlife Conservation Laboratory, State Fish and Game Department, Montana State College, Bozeman I extend my gratitude for the excellent work they did on the botanical analysis of the rumen samples. Without their help the section on food habits would have been impractical or at best incomplete. Anyone who has not attempted such analysis cannot appreciate the full value of M r . Greer’s work. I also wish to express my gratitude to the Montana Fish and Game Department for their cooperation throughout the study. For their assistance with field and/or laboratory work, I wish to thank several of my fellow students. Messrs. Harold J. Cross, Robert C. Lund, Clait E. Braun, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hannum were expecially helpful. Mrs. Hannum also provided helpful suggestions on thesis prepa­ ration for which I am grateful. Last, and most particularly, I wish to acknowledge the contribution made by my wife, Jane. Her constant encouragement, aid in manuscript preparation, and typing have made possible the completion of this study. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION . 1 PART I: PRODUCTIVITY..... 4 Introduction...... «oeottoce . 4 Corpora Lutea Counts . 5 Methods ...... 5 Results ...... 5 Discussion ... Ô Fetal Counts ...... 12 Methods .... 12 Results ....... 12 Discussion .... 14 Fawn:Doe Counts ..... 20 Methods .... 20 Results .... .. 21 Discusssion ............................................ 22 Yearling:Adult Ratio ..... 24 Methods ...... ..... 24 Results ..... 24 Discussion .......... 26 Summary ....................... «•O04000OOO 27 PART II: POPULATION DYNAMICS ........ sodoeeoa 30 Introduction ..... 30 Recruitment ................ 32 Mortality 0 * 9 9 0 6 0 9 ** 9 9 9 32 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PAGE Age Ratios in Kill .................. 34 Methods ....................... 34 Results .... 35 Discussion ............. 36 Annual Population Dynamics .............. 42 Methods .................................... 42 Results ............................ 43 Discussion ........................... 45 Life Tables and Survivorship Curves ..... 47 Methods ......................................... 47 Results ............................................ 49 Discussion .................... 50 Stunmary ...................... 58 PART III; SKELETAL SIZE ............ 61 Introduction ........ 6l Age Determination ................ 62 Methods .............................................. 62 Results ........................... 63 Discusssion ............... 63 Rmdfoot Length 64 Methods ............. 64 Results ............ 64 Discussion .................. 64 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. -VI- PAGE Cannon-bone Length ..................... 66 Methods .............................. 66 Results .............................................. 66 Discussion......... 6? Total Length ..................... 70 Methods .............................................. 70 Results .............................................. 71 Discussion ........................................... 71 Jaw Length ................................................ 71 Methods ....................... 71 Results .............................................. 71 Discussion ........................................... 73 Antler Measurements ....................................... 75 Methods ........................................... 75 Results .............................................. 76 Discussion ........................................... 76 Summary ................................................... 79 PART IV: FOOD HABITS ............................................ 82 Introduction .............................................. 82 Methods ..................................... 85 Results ................................................... 87 Discussion ................................................ 90 Summary ................................................... 97 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. -Vll- PAGE PART V: PHYSICAL CONDITION ..........____ .... 99 Introduction....... 99 Methods ........... 100 Results ................... 100 Discussion................... 102 Summary ............................ 104 PART VI: GENERAL.................... 106 Abstract ................ 106 Recommendations .............. 109 REFERENCES CITED ...................... 112 APPENDIX ................ 123 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. Corpora lutea counts for the Bison Range mule deer, 1954 and 1963 .................... 6 2. Variation in ovulation rate of the Bison Range mule deer due to maternal age ........................... 6 3 . Corrected corpora lutea count for the Bison Range mule deer ... 7 4 . Measurements taken on Graafian follicles found in the ovaries of pregnant does, March 22 to May 18, 1963 .... 8 5. A review of some literature on corpora lutea counts in mule and black-tailed deer .....................