growth phase of populations. Our results are mainly concerned 

 with the fluctuations of an established population. 



Population Composition 

 Sex Ratio 



Three separate data sets, each collected over periods of 

 7-12 years, provided estimates of sex ratio among fawns from 

 birth through 6-9 months of age. A ratio of 110 males: 100 

 females was indicated by a combined sample of 218 newborn 

 fawns captured and marked during mid-June. Ratios of 93 and 

 106 males: 100 females were indicated by samples of 145 fawns 

 killed by hunters and 74 fawns captured and marked during 

 winter, respectively. Those ratios were not significantly 

 different from each other or from a 1:1 ratio (chi square 

 tests, all P > 0.50). The overall average (103 males: 100 

 females, n=437) indicated that sex ratios were nearly equal or 

 slightly favored males during the first year of life as 

 generally reported in the literature. Sample sizes were 

 inadequate to detect possible differences among years. 



Among adults, females always outnumbered males (Tables 

 4.1 and 4.2). Classification in autumn, prior to the hunting 

 season, averaged 42 males:100 females (range, 20-64:100). 

 Early winter (post-season) ratios averaged 31 males: 100 

 females and ranged from 13 to 50:100. The decline in 

 proportion of males to females after the first year is not 

 surprising in a population where males are harvested more 

 heavily than females; though other factors may also have been 

 involved. Martinka (1978) found adult females to outnumber 

 adult males by more than 2:1 in an unhunted mule deer 

 population. Gavin et al . (1984) reported 3 females per male 

 and Kie and White (1985) 2.6 females per male in unhunted 

 populations of white-tailed deer. 



Sex ratios fluctuated widely among years as a result of 

 variable and selective hunting pressure and variable fawn 

 recruitment. Because of the relatively smaller numbers of 

 adult males compared to females, the annual cohort of 

 yearlings made up a larger portion of the male population than 

 the female population. Population estimates indicated that 

 yearlings comprised an average of 18% (3-30%) of the female 

 population and 43% (10-66%) of the male population. 



Age Structure 



Fawns As A Proportion Of The Population 



At birth pulse, newborn fawns comprised up to 55% of the 

 population. Because fawns experienced higher mortality rates 

 than adults, the proportion of fawns declined from June 



91 



