Thursday, July 30, 2009

Multi-generational Whitetailed Doe Home Range

Recently, I queried a question to my blog readers to see if they may have seen a behavior that I have observed here . That of the returning year after year of a whitetailed doe to the same place to birth and raise her fawns. It took a little phrase manipulation in my GOOGLE searches to find exactly what I needed. Using the phrase "Whitetailed Doe Matriarchal Home Range" brought me to the pages that seemed to read my mind and provide the answers I sought. One site in particular that I came across gave a twenty year time-line. Researchers Michael E. Nelson and L. David Mech of the Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 - 37th St. SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, U.S.A., provided in-depth generational dispersions. Table of Contents Introduction Methods Results Capture and Demography Home-range Dynamics Matriarch (M112) Daughter (D106) Granddaughters (G6381 and G6996) Great-Granddaughters (GG6974 and GG7000) Summer Range Relationships Table 1 -- Location data for six deer from the Gabbro Lake matriline. Discussion Acknowledgments References Figures Fig. 1 -- Genetic relationships, ages and years of first capture and end of radio-tracking interval for a 20-year white-tailed deer matriline. Fig. 2 -- Locations of M112 during March-November 1977 and D106 during April-June 1976. Fig. 3 -- Locations of M112 and D106 during April-November 1979. Fig. 4 -- Locations of D106, G6381, and GG6974 during (A) April-May; and (B) June-August 1988. Fig. 5 -- Locations of G6996 and GG7000 in April-August 1988. Fig. 6 -- Locations of G6996 and GG7000 in April-October 1990. If you happen to be interested in knowing the home-range tendencies of the whitetail doe, clicking on the whitetailed doe link will open up the documented findings of Researchers Michael E. Nelson and L. David Mech at the United States Geological Survey website. I found at that point going down to the links in the lower left corner right under the discussion article would get you back to the research. Another link I tried to provide has not been recently updated so it isn't available to get you directly to each segement. In my opinion to use a coined phrase "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" would absolutely fit the behaviors of the does. They may move a little further out with each generation. However, matriarchal bloodlines are still found within a defined area. As I reflect on the information it supports my own observations. Certainly I won't be going out and putting tracking collars on the does, or getting blood samples to verify relationships but I could get some pictures from year to year. The question has been adequately answered in my estimation and will go on from now into eternity...;)

12 comments:

SimplyOutdoors said...

It is pretty cool that the does, and then their offspring, tend to stay within the same areas in order to produce the "grandchildren".

Interesting fact, and one I didn't know. Thanks for sharing.

CDGardens said...

Simply Outdoors - It is fun to have some documentation behind behaviors that I have observed. ;)

Anonymous said...

Very interesting, I am going to look into that further.

CDGardens said...

Rick Kratzke - I am sure you will find some interesting reading when you look into the habits of the whitetail doe and kin.

The Hunter's Wife said...

I have no idea what any of that means. lol

CDGardens said...

The Hunter's Wife - Lol, that's ok. I just found out some info on the yearly habits of the doe I scared the snort out of when I was berry picking. ;)

Mold Damage Baltimore, MD said...

Great blog!

<3 Lindsay

CDGardens said...

Mold Damage Baltimore,MD -

Thank you ! ;)

Marian Ann Love said...

Very interesting CDgardens...never gave it a thought...thanks for sharing with us.

CDGardens said...

Marian Love Phillips - I found it very interesting that they could follow great-grandaughters of the original doe they began tracking. ;)

Hugh said...

Great information and thanks for sharing.

CDGardens said...

Hugh - Thanks...This information certainly was an eye opener to me. Especially when it came to identifying the direct relationship out to the greatgrandaughters still living within a defined home-range.