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USGS · 70136146

Aerial survey estimates of fallow deer abundance

Peter J. Gogan·Natalie B. Gates·Bruce C. Lubow·Suzanne Pettit
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Abstract

Reliable estimates of the distribution and abundance of an ungulate species is essential prior to establishing and implementing a management program. We used ground surveys to determine distribution and ground and aerial surveys and individually marked deer to estimate the abundance of fallow deer (Dama dama) in north-coastal California. Fallow deer had limited distribution and heterogeneous densities. Estimated post-rut densities across 4 annual surveys ranged from a low of 1.4 (SE=0.2) deer/km 2 to a high of 3.3 (se=0.5) deer/km 2 in a low density stratum and from 49.0 (SE=8.3) deer/km 2 to 111.6 deer/km 2 in a high density stratum. Sightability was positively influenced by the presence of white color-phase deer in a group and group size, and varied between airial and ground-based observers and by density strata. Our findings underscore the utility of double-observer surveys and aerial surveys with individually marked deer, both incorporating covariates to model sightability, to estimate deer abundance.

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California Fish and GameArticle
90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 37.839072305476435° to 38.29963683199303° latitude; -123.22265625000001° to -122.54425048828125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Peter J. Gogan, Natalie B. Gates, Bruce C. Lubow, Suzanne Pettit. 2012. Aerial survey estimates of fallow deer abundance. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70136146

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