TABLE OF CONTENTS 



CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND PERSPECTIVE 1 



General Theories of Population Regulation 2 



Population Regulation in Ungulates 5 



The Concept of Carrying Capacity 7 



Inadequacy of Existing Concepts 14 



An Alternative Theoretical Framework 16 



The Population-Habitat Model 17 



CHAPTER 2. APPROACH AND METHODS 23 



Early Studies 23 



Recent Studies 24 



Estimating Population Numbers 30 



CHAPTER 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY AREA 42 



Location and Physiography 42 



Climate 47 



Vegetation 52 



Forage Plant Production, Abundance, Vigor, and Use 57 



Forage Production 57 



Forage Abundance 63 



Changes in Abundance and Use of Forage Plants 66 



Land Use 73 



History of the Mule Deer Population 76 



CHAPTER 4. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 82 



Numbers and Density 1960-1987 82 



Population Growth Rates and Perspective 1930-1987 85 



Population Composition 91 



Sex Ratio 91 



Age Structure 91 



Fawns as a Proportion of the Population 91 



Adult Females 95 



Adult Males 100 



Mule Deer Condition 103 



Antler Characteristics 103 



Weights 103 



Percent Femur Marrow Fat and Kidney Fat Index 106 



Age and Condition of Coyote-killed Deer 108 



IV 



