available on gestation period, but researchers have 

 assumed it is similar to that of the eastern white- 

 tail (210 days). In November of 1972, 1974, and 

 1975, the fawn/doe ratio was 35, 60, and 37 per 

 100, respectively Many does are observed without 

 fawns, and there are few reports of twins, both of 

 which further indicate a low survival rate for 

 fawns in the Columbia River herd, presumably 

 due to poor conditions of individuals in a popula- 

 tion at or near carrying capacity (Suring 1974). 

 Most births occur around the second week of 

 June. Female fawns are not known to breed their 

 first year. There is no information available on 

 the population dynamics of the Roseburg herd. 



MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION 



Habitat within the Columbian White-Tailed 

 Deer National Wildlife Refuge is currently pro- 

 tected, and efforts should be directed toward its 

 improvement. Originally an animal of wet prairies, 

 riparian habitat, and river bottoms, the deer on 

 the refuge feed on grazed and mowed pasture. 

 Maintaining pasture land in favorable condition 

 for deer is a primary task of refuge personnel. 

 Habitat management on Tenasillahee Island to 

 produce more dispersed cover would increase the 

 carrying capacity of this part of the refuge (Gavin 

 in press). Reducing the time spent by cattle in 

 favorable areas might increase their utilization by 

 deer (Suring 1974). But Gavin (pers. comm.) and 

 Suring and Vohs (1979) pointed out that cattle 

 grazing is a benefit in maintaining herbaceous 

 vegetation on the pastures in a short, actively 

 growing state. Timing of mowing should be tied 

 to the reproductive cycle, so as to avoid fawn 

 mortality (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1977). 

 Although the present density of deer appears to 

 have no adverse effect on the habitat (T. A. Gavin 

 pers. comm.), as Suring (1974) concludes, 'a 

 healthy population (one able to weather times of 

 stress) is to be desired, not one of maximum den- 

 sity.' Surplus animals should be used to reestab- 

 lish the species in other areas of its former range 

 that can be identified as favorable habitat (U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service 1977). 



These deer are responsible for some agricul- 

 tural damage (Scheffer 1940, U.S. Fish and Wild- 

 life Service 1977). Their current protected status 

 engenders reluctance on the part of local manage- 

 ment and agricultural agencies to establish satel- 

 lite herds, due to the difficulty in controlling 



damage to crops and orchards (U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service 1977). The policy concerning 

 management of surplus animals should be reeval- 

 uated for species demonstrated to have a high 

 intrinsic rate of increase. Loss of habitat, rather 

 than mortality, seems to be the primary reason 

 for the decline of such species. For example, it 

 has been demonstrated that reestablished herds of 

 Tule elk can grow rapidly (McCullough 1969). 

 Since conservation of the Columbian white-tailed 

 deer required maintenance of a minimum of five 

 viable subpopulations (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- 

 vice 1977), that goal should not be subverted by 

 resistance stemming from technical restrictions 

 placed on control of new populations. 



The Roseburg herd poses special management 

 problems, initially because so few data are avail- 

 able on its population size and dynamics. Studies 

 are urgently needed to determine these data prior 

 to developing a management program. Habitat 

 preservation is needed for this herd. Urbanization 

 and clearing are ongoing problems. The primary 

 range of this herd is closed to hunting. Deer dam- 

 age to ornamentals and gardens is an increasingly 

 serious problem. 



There have been repeated allegations that the 

 white-tailed deer of the Roseburg herd interbreed 

 occasionally with the sympatric black-tailed deer 

 (Gavin in press, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 1977). But in this area deer can usually be easily 

 assigned to one species or the other by field 

 observations (Gavin, personal communication). 

 Evidence indicates that hybridization between 

 these two species is possible in captive animals 

 (Gavin in press) and probably occurs in the wild. 



The Washington Department of Game is con- 

 ducting a study of the Columbia River islands as 

 potential release sites for this species. A recovery 

 team has been established and has drafted a 

 recovery plan. 



AUTHORITIES 



Thomas A. Gavin 



Department of Ecology, Fisheries and Wildlife 



Oklahoma State University 



Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074 



E. Charles Meslow 

 Oregon Cooperative Research Unit 

 Oregon State University 

 CorvaHis, Oregon 97331 



