Self -distribution of hunters seldom helps solve game damage 

 problems until extreme levels are reached. Early prevention 

 of game damage is certainly not achieved by free-choice 

 distribution of hunting effort. 



Our studies have shown that varied and specialized 

 movement and home range strategies are necessary if habitat 

 fill is to occur in complex, diverse, and variable 

 environments. On our study area, autumn and winter migratory 

 movements were necessary if deer were to successfully occupy 

 shallow relief areas from late spring through autumn. 

 Similarly, mule deer populations in mountainous areas also 

 have migratory segments . Some of these may be long-distance 

 migrants, occupying summer range far from the nearest winter 

 range. Significant numbers of these migratory deer are often 

 necessary to achieve habitat fill and maximize population 

 level on many areas . 



Long-distance migratory segments often move to winter 

 range earlier than other deer; thus, it is possible for 

 various regulations and/or non-directed distribution of hunter 

 kill to impact some segments longer than and more than others. 

 This learned migratory behavior, passed from mother to 

 daughter, may take some time to re-establish if excessive 

 harvests remove significant numbers of these long-distance 

 migrants. This problem may be especially important in 

 mountain deer populations where low recruitment rates prevail. 

 It is possible that very heavy harvests of antlerless deer 

 from some western Montana populations in the late 1950s and 

 early 1960s almost entirely removed early migratory segments 

 with traditions of long-distance migration. Thus, some summer 

 range at long distances from winter range remains unfilled, 

 and total population size has never recovered. 



For riverbreaks and prairie populations that move to 

 "winter range" only during very severe winters, excessive 

 antlerless harvest during the intervening years may result in 

 little "population memory" of wintering areas. Although the 

 remaining deer may eventually find these areas by wandering 

 during subseguent severe winters, additional mortality may 

 result because few deer remain that remember the appropriate 

 immediate response. 



In many cases, population managers may determine that 

 changes in regulations affecting distribution of kill in time 

 and/or space are impractical or undesirable. However, they 

 should at least be aware that broadbrush approaches to 

 management can affect subtle changes which may have long- 

 lasting impacts on the population. 



Our findings also had some implications with respect to 

 the current concern of some segments of the public for 



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