Desert Mule Deer Response to Aircraft
Krausman PR, Leopold BD, Scarbrough DL. 1986. Desert Mule Deer Response to Aircraft. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 14(1):68-70
This paper presents the results of a study conducted to examine whether animal habitat use is altered by light aircraft. The response of mule deer to aircraft was evaluated weekly from May-September 1984 in the Picacho Mountains of south-central Arizona. Mountain sheep were studied in the Harquahala Mountains which receive less air traffic than the Picacho Mountains. The authors concluded that desert mule deer in south-central Arizona appear to have habituated to low-flying aircraft and that mountain sheep were less tolerant of low-flying aircraft than deer. The authors proposed the difference in tolerance may have been due to the sheep, by virtue of them living in a more remote area, were less habituated to aircraft. Also, since the sheep live in larger herds than deer, there may be a greater inclination for flight among a herd of animals rather than 1-3 individuals.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Krausman, Paul; Leopold, Bruce; Scarbrough, David
- Units
- MOJA
- Keywords
- Aircraft Noise, Artiodactyla (Even-Toed Ungulates), Bovidae (Bovids), Cervidae (Caribou Deer Moose Wapiti), Mammalia (Mammals), Noise, Odocoileus hemionus (Mule Deer), Ovis canadensis (Bighorn Sheep), Sound, Taxa Links To References, Vertebrates