ROE-DEER CENSUS AND POPULATION ANALYSIS 



BY MEANS OF MODIFIED MARKING RELEASE 



TECHNIQUE* 



JoHS. Andersen 



Vildtbiologisk Station, Kal0, Denmark 



INTRODUCTION 



As in most European countries, the roe-deer {Capreolus capreolus (L.)) is a 

 widely distributed and popular animal in Denmark although it causes 

 considerable damage to forestry. Fairly reliable official bag records show that 

 about 25,000 roe-deer are killed each year in Denmark by more than 100,000 

 licensed sportsmen : the animal is a much-coveted bag and the heads are very 

 popular trophies. Deer management and shooting policy are founded on a 

 large number of currently accepted rules which, unfortunately, often seem 

 to be erroneous or of limited value since they are based on an insufficient 

 knowledge of roe-deer biology. 



Roe-deer density reaches its maximum in mixed woodland consisting of 

 broad-leaved trees (especially beech) and conifers, and small plantings 

 surrounded by arable land seem to be the preferred habitat. The largest bags 

 are obtained in districts which also show the highest agricultural yield. 



The Kalo estate was made an experimental game farm in 1949. Forested 

 land makes up about one-third of the 1,000 ha, divided almost equally 

 between two highly productive woods, Ringelmosen (164 ha) and Heste- 

 haven (176 ha) (Fig. i). The roe-deer population is large — about 70 deer 

 per 100 ha of forest — a situation which sportsmen, especially from abroad, 

 fmd it difficult to believe. 



INITIAL CENSUS OF DEER 



As has already been described (Andersen, 1953), in the autumn of 1950 we 

 made an estimate, to the best of our ability, of the roe-deer population 

 inhabiting the two forests, and concluded that seventy deer were present. 

 During the subsequent three months we managed to kill the entire herd 

 which proved to number 213. Without experience of such a campaign it is 



* Communication No. 27 from Vildtbiologisk Station, Kalo, Denmark. 



