productive females. Females with fawns aggressively chased 

 males, as well as other adults, during the fawn-rearing period 

 and most mature males were distributed in aggregations away 

 from productive females during summer and early autumn. 

 Additionally, data from marked deer indicated that most mature 

 males and females were not associated during winter and 

 spring. 



The relatively larger home range size of males compared 

 to females is probably explained by 2 factors; breeding 

 strategy and movement during the rest of the year among widely 

 separated patches of habitat not occupied by many productive 

 females. The greatest portion of the explanation for larger 

 home range size of males may be related to breeding strategy. 

 Because males do not face lactation stress during summer, 

 their nutritional requirements during summer are probably less 

 than that for productive females. They also do not require 

 habitat with adequate hiding cover from predators that females 

 protecting young fawns require. Rather than concentrate 

 resources on raising a single litter of fawns per year, the 

 reproductive strategy of the mature male is to have access to 

 and breed as many females as possible each breeding season. 

 A large home range results in access to more females (Fig. 

 8.11) . 



Many other unmarked males and females used the area 

 presented in Figure 8.11, so that plot does not represent the 

 home range of one male and all of his exclusively available 

 females. The data do illustrate the relative degree of access 

 of the male to different females compared to the potential for 

 female interaction with each other. The home range of the 

 male encompassed at least 3 subpopulations of females that had 

 little or no interaction with each other. Familiarity with a 

 large area provided the male with maximum potential breeding 

 opportunities. Relocations made during the breeding season 

 (Fig. 8.11) indicated that he moved throughout his entire home 

 range during that period. 



Home range size, shape, and pattern of use for both 

 females and males evolved as that which when used, resulted in 

 the greatest number of recruited offspring. Females probably 

 use the smallest home range that supplies all their needs. 

 The matrilineal social structure, parturition territoriality, 

 and changes in deer density all interact to determine whether 

 a particular female can establish a home range that is optimal 

 or marginal in its amenities. Males attempt to have access to 

 many females during the breeding season, while using areas 

 where they do not compete with their offspring for forage or 

 space during the rest of the year. 



236 



