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- Title
AN EVALUATION OF FOUR MINERAL FORMULATIONS TO ATTRACT DEER TO CAMERA SURVEY SITES.
- Authors
Shaw, Christopher E.; Harper, Craig A.; Black, Michael W.; Houston, Allan E.
- Abstract
Estimating local deer populations is an important consideration for deer managers. Shelled corn is commonly used to attract white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to infrared-triggered camera survey sites. The addition of mineral formulations may increase deer visitation. We evaluated the effect of four mineral formulations on deer visitation at two study areas in Tennessee. Mineral formulations differed in ingredients and amount of sodium (Na) supplied. Type of mineral formulation affected total deer use of baited sites, with a high salt formulation receiving over four times the amount of daily visits (9.86) as other formulations. Depending on the study area, crepuscular and nocturnal time periods accounted for 19-28% and 47-63%, respectively, of daily use by all deer. Average daily visits by bucks to high salt formulation sites (2.10) was also more than four times the amount of other formulations, and peak daily use by bucks across minerals occurred during the crepuscular (28-33%) and nocturnal (51-52%) time periods. Doe use was highest (6.13 visits per day) at high salt formulation sites. Peak daily use by does primarily occurred during the crepuscular (19-28%) and nocturnal (49-66%) time periods. There was relatively little use of mineral sites by fawns and no differences in mineral formulation use were observed. While we do not suggest using minerals alone, where legal, we do recommend a high salt mineral formulation to increase deer attraction to sites baited with corn for the purpose of surveying deer populations.
- Subjects
TENNESSEE; WHITE-tailed deer; SODIUM; NIGHT-flowering plants; SALT; NOCTURNAL animals; ANIMAL behavior; MINERALS; SURVEYS; DEER
- Publication
Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, 2007, Vol 82, Issue 3/4, p83
- ISSN
0040-313X
- Publication type
Abstract