T- 



— r— — i 1 1 1 1 ' 1 i 



100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 



Number of Females 



Figure 5.15 



Fawn-at-heel ratio during June plotted against 

 number of adult females in the population 

 during June. 



expected to be less sensitive than survival to density. Thus, 

 it is likely that initial production remains relatively stable 

 except during very extreme conditions, such as the drought 

 from late summer 1983 through 1985. 



Per capita fawn recruitment rate to December for 

 breeding-age females was not statistically significantly 

 related to the number of breeding-age females (r = -0.171, P 

 > 0.05, Fig. 5.16). Although highest per capita recruitment 

 rates occurred at low to moderate densities, low recruitment 

 rates occurred at all densities. Recruitment deviated most 

 from density-dependent expectations during 1973-1977 (furthest 

 lower left points, Fig. 5.16). When data from those years 

 were excluded, a more general decline in recruitment with 

 density was apparent. However, fawn recruitment was 

 substantially below expectations during some years of moderate 

 density and above expectations during some years of high 

 density. Overall, recruitment during almost half of all years 

 deviated considerably from levels expected for the most 

 extremely direct density-dependent linear relationship (Fig. 

 5.16) . 



150 



