Survival and Space Use of Fawn White-Tailed Deer in Southern Michigan (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Many members of the deer family (Cervidae) have relatively similar patterns of behavior near and following parturition. Moose (Alces alces), elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) adult females often isolate themselves from intraspecifics, the young rely on cover and cryptic coloration as their primary defenses against predation and the dam visits offspring periodically for feeding and grooming. After a certain degree of development, young cervids progressively increase activity and movements, primarily while accompanying the dam; adult male deer generally exhibit behaviors and space use independent of the young (see Franzmann, 1981; Marchinton and Hirth, 1984; Smith, 1991; Demarais and Krausman, 2000).