L.D. Mech

Home-range formation and dispersal of deer in Northeastern Minnesota

Eleven white-tailed ( Odocoileus virginianus ) does and their offspring (10 male and 6 female fawns) were radio-tracked for up to 56 months (2,725 total deer locations) in Minnesotas Superior National Forest from November 1974 through August 1983. All fawns wintered in yards with their does and migrated in spring to their does summer ranges where they then separated from the does. By 17 months of age, seven males had established new summer ranges up to 9.6 km away, whereas the other three used the same summer ranges as their does, up to at least 29 months of age. One male established a new winter range, but six others continued to use the winter ranges of their does. The female fawns used the same summer range as their does, or areas immediately adjacent, and migrated to and from the same winter ranges, some with their does, for up to 3 years of age. The one female that we followed beyond this age migrated separately to and from the same winter yard during her fifth year. The data fit a hypothesis that non-incestuous inbreeding is common in vertebrates.

Buffer Zones of Territories of Gray Wolves as Regions of Intraspecific Strife

The locations of 22 territorial gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) killed by conspecifics in north-eastern Minnesota were analyzed in a study involving radio-telemetry from 1968 through 1992. Twenty-three percent of the wolves were killed precisely on the borders of their estimated territories; 41%, within 1.0 km (16% of the radius of their mean-estimated territory) inside or outside the estimated edge; 91%, within 3.2 km inside or outside (50% of the radius of their mean-estimated territory) of the estimated edge. This appears to be the first report of intraspecific mortality of mammals along territorial boundaries.

Effects of Maternal and Grandmaternal Nutrition on Deer Mass and Vulnerability to Wolf Predation

In a Minnesota ecosystem, mass of female white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) fawns and adults, and survival of adult females in the face of wolf ( Canis lupus ) predation, were directly related to maternal nutrition during gestation. Mass of single male fawns produced by 2-year-old females, and survival of yearlings to 2 years of age were related directly to the nutrition of their grandmothers.

Dispersal in female white-tailed deer

Seven of 35 yearling female white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in a migratory herd in northeastern Minnesota dispersed 18–168 km from natal ranges during late May through June. Dispersal as a proximate event appears voluntary and independent of deer density.

Selection of Wolf Dens in Relation to Winter Territories in Northeastern Minnesota

Locations of wolf ( Canus lupus ) dens in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota from 1969 through 1988 were analyzed in relation to winter territories. Dens situated within the central 60% of the territories were randomly located relative to territory centers. However, only 10.5% (2) of the dens were located within a 1-km-wide strip inside the territory boundaries, indicating possible avoidance of neighboring packs. A negative relationship ( r 2 = 0.27; P 1 year, and possibly the availability of a stable food source helped determine den location.

Daytime Activity of Wolves during Winter in Northeastern Minnesota

Intermittent aerial observations of 405 radiocollared wolves from November 1968 through March 1989 showed the following percentages of activity: sleeping, 34%; resting, 31%; traveling, 28%, feeding, 6%; other, 2%.

Polygyny in a wild wolf pack

Grâce au suivi dindividus de Canis lupus, par radio-telemetrie, la mise en evidence de cas de polygynie chez cette espece est revelee

Resistance of young wolf pups to inclement weather

Three observations of young wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, and two on Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, indicate that pups <33 days of age are highly resistant to inclement weather, contrary to earlier conjecture.