One had weaned fawns during the year of her death and for at 

 least 1 of 2 prior years. 



Although mortality of adult females was unusually high 

 for 6 year old females in our sample, reproductive history 

 rather than age, per se, may be the operative factor in 

 reproductive "burnout". Marked females of all ages that died 

 from non-hunting causes during the study had been much more 

 (X 2 =26.1, 1 d.f., P>0.001) productive prior to their death 

 than marked females that did not die, or died from hunter 

 harvest. Twenty-eight 2+ year old females that died of non- 

 hunting causes recruited fawns to weaning age during 76 (89%) 

 of 85 observed opportunities prior to their death. Marked 

 females that did not die, or were harvested, recruited fawns 

 to weaning age during only 57 (55%) of 103 observed 

 opportunities . 



On an individual basis, the relationship of high 

 productivity and relatively early mortality is not perfect. 

 At least some females were very productive for 5-6 years and 

 have not yet died. On the average however, high productivity 

 appeared to place the female at greater risk of death. 

 Circumstances during the period the female is highly 

 productive probably influence the outcome. Females productive 

 during favorable summer and winter conditions were probably 

 less vulnerable than those that recruited their last fawn(s) 

 substantially on body reserves during a dry summer followed by 

 a severe winter. Clutton-Brock et al. (1982) also noted that 

 for red deer females, mortality rates for productive females 

 of all ages were higher than for non-productive females, 

 especially after 10 years of age. 



Hunting mortality rates were highest for females between 

 1 and 2 years of age and those 9+ years of age. No 

 age-specific differences were apparent for females aged 3-8 

 years. Females with fawns generally occupied the most secure 

 habitat. Yearlings, until they rejoined their mother's social 

 group in late autumn or winter, were most likely to occupy 

 areas on the fringes of their natal range or entirely new and 

 unfamiliar home ranges. Thus, they were more likely to occupy 

 relatively more open habitats where they were vulnerable to 

 hunting. They also may be less wary than older deer. 



The relatively high mortality of 9+-year-old females as 

 a result of hunting was not expected. Limited evidence, based 

 on a few marked animals, suggested that older females without 

 fawns may have lost secure fawn-rearing habitat to younger, 

 productive females. This placed them, like yearlings, in more 

 open habitats where they were vulnerable to hunters . A 

 combination of additional factors also may help explain the 

 relatively high hunting mortality for older females. After 7 

 years of age, females may undergo an alternating cycle of fawn 



164 



