Mobility of South Dakota Deer Between Badlands National Park and Surrounding Areas, 1970-79

Carter, Arthur

"Deer concentrate heavily within the Badlands National Park and adjacent areas. In 1970, a trapping and tagging project was initiated to gather information on movement of deer in and out of the Park, to determine origin of deer causing local crop-depredation, and to determine effects of hunting season regulations upon local deer herds. Trapping and tagging operations were terminated after the 1972-73 winter since the desired number of deer (134) had been marked. A radio telemetry study was initiated in 1974. Nineteen animals were radio-equipped. Data show deer moved in and out of the Park, both on a daily and seasonal basis. Movement of 2 miles or less out of the Park to adjacent alfalfa and winter wheat fields or to stacked alfalfa hay was recorded. Travel, especially by bucks, to nearby juniper breaks located on National Grasslands was also noted. Deer concentrated in and along drainages and woody draws near Park boundary. This facilitated access to private lands. Data from hunter recoveries show deer trapped outside the Park were not significantly more vulnerable to the gun than those trapped within the Park (Chi-square P>0.05). Returns also show deer dispersed from the area. Most dispersal was by deer collared as 6-8 month-old fawns. Approximately 50 and 75 percent of the females and males, respectively, marked as fawns dispersed. Data show dispersal ocurred by the males and none by adult females. Dispersal averaged 43 miles with a range of 5-112. Males had larger home ranges than females. Sage Creek females had smaller ranges than Big Buffalo Creek females. Riparian habitats, collectively, were to most important cover type followed by juniper slope. Use of agricultural crops were relatively small, receiving only 0.4 and 5.8 percent use, respectively, in the Sage Creek and Big Buffalo Creek areas." (from document Abstract)