Telemetry studies of deer movements and habitat utilization at Acadia National Park

Allen, Thomas

From the abstract: "Deer movements and habitat utilization were studied by telemetry at Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, from September, 1967 to June, 1970. The objectives of the project were to examine the home ranges of deer with emphasis on daily movement patterns and habitat utilization. A total of 8 deer were radio-equipped during the winters 1967-68 and 1968-69. Of these animals, 4 were monitored for periods exceeding 6 months. Home ranges were oblong in shape and averaged 556 acres. Winter ranges averaged 171 acres, while the summer ranges averaged 310 acres. Mixed softwood stands of spruce and cedar were the primary type utilized by deer in winter, while hardwoods and meadows were used extensively during the summer. Movements from summer to winter ranges varied from 0.4 to 1.7 miles. Use of habitat types was influenced by meteorological conditions especially during winter months. Deer movements were greatly restricted on cold, windy days, and sheltered habitats were selected on leeward mountain slopes. Daily movement patterns varied from a minimum of 0.4 miles during the winter to a maximum of 1.5 miles in the summer. A browse survey of a heavily used wintering area along West Sargent Mountain indicated little available browse for deer resulting from continual overusage. The most abundant species present was balsam fir, a nonpreferred food, composing 84.4 percent of the total. Blueberry, and sweetfern comprised 10.4 percent of the remaining species. Sweetfern showed the highest utilization followed by blueberry and balsam fir."