Spatio-temporal movements among red deer males, Cervus elaphus, introduced to Patagonia

FLUCK, WT

International Union Game Biologists

K. Pohlmeyer (ed.), DSV Verlag

Lugar: Hamburg, Germany; Año: 2005; p. 330 - 332

Spatio-temporal movements of adult red deer males are described for heterogeneous mountain habitats in Patagonia. Overall mortality has not prevented high densities and food limitation. There are no anthropogenic barriers, elevations range from 765-2000 m, and habitat changes from closed forests to tree-less grasslands. The rut takes place March-April and occurs at all elevations.     Wet meadows are attractive to females during the rut such that hundreds of deer may be present. Many females remain in such meadows all day, whereas other groups come and go by as much as 5 km, creating diverse opportunities for male behavior. Some males remain in bedding areas of females which daily go to wet meadows. Other males use a waiting strategy at the interface of hill brush/forest areas and meadows, as females typically feed there before moving on. Smaller meadows or riparian crossings also delay females while feeding there, and some males stay there. Females spend most time in larger meadows, and males typically keep territories for many days.    Marked males include none-migratory, one who switched to migratory at about 6-7 years old, and several migratory ones. Of these, some migrated to high elevation mountains, whereas others migrated to areas even lower than the rutting areas. Such completely different behavior may stem from the exposure to different seasonal migratory patterns of the mothers.     Areas used pre- and post rut by given males are used to rut by other males, presenting a challenge to managers as migratory males can be subjected to hunting several times: early hunting season before they leave their non-rut home range, intermediate staging areas, the actual rut, late hunting season when they have returned to their non-rut home range.    Breeding strategies around a given rutting area can be expected to vary greatly among males from heterogenous environment and differing greatly in body mass and antler growth. During the main rut, large males have territories in central parts of meadows, they do not follow leaving females. Before and after they occupy these sites, other types of males occupy the same place. They are younger, over-mature or of smaller body size.     Although non-prime males also remain continuously in these rutting areas, in early and late rut they follow females as they enter or leave meadows. During the main rut, less dominant males establish territories in parts of meadows with transient females. Such males often move to central areas once dominant males have left. More subordinate males will move loosely in forested and brushy areas surrounding meadows, following females as they move in and out of the meadows. However, many females do not use wet meadows during the rut, rather they remain in alpine, forested or brushy habitat. Some males rut in such environments with single females or small groups, and may be undetected by ranch people and hunters for years.    Whereas large males can monopolize large female groups in open meadows, smaller males can avoid confrontation by focusing on closed habitats where female groups are small and dispersed. In some years, climatic conditions result in increased foraging below canopy, where shade allowed better forage conditions than some meadow areas, and large males returning to their meadow territories encounter few females. Thus, in heterogeneous habitats with annually variable climatic conditions, large body size might not always present a special advantage as breeding success in closed habitat might also be quite high for males successful at locating dispersed females.