White-tailed deer activity patterns: Examining seasonal variations among various habitat types

Kevin Risch

Catherine Tredick

ENVL 3121

March 5, 2019
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Introduction:

Camera trapping has been used in various studies as a means to examine activity patterns of species to

further determine favorable habitats and specifically when habitats are used throughout the day. This

allows for future conservation and management efforts to become more focused and informed. Camera

trapping is most preferred for species that are secretive and hard to keep track of, however it can be a

viable option for any species of interest (Azlan & Sharma, 2006). Theoretically an animal that is more

abundant and less secretive may provide more viable camera trap data for interpretation of activity

patterns. Time of peaks and lows in activity may give insight on species coexistence and species

interactions (predator, prey dynamics) that may not be apparent for study otherwise (Oliveria-Santos &

Tortato, 2008). Additionally, it has been noted that with rapid destruction of habitats through

development it is important to keep track of the impacts of said development on wildlife populations.

Determining behavioral changes to increased interaction in previously known habitats can be crucial in

the management of species and may pose future implications for development (Monroy-Vilchis et al.

2009).

Specifically, in this report activity patterns of White-tailed deer are examined across three different

habitat types. Data is analyzed over a two-year time-span and broken down into seasons of

spring/summer and fall/winter. The purpose of this study is to determine differences in activity patterns

and overall use of various habitat types to further understanding of deer dynamics on Stockton

University’s campus. Results can be used to understand preferred habitat use on Stockton’s campus and

can be compared to examine differences between known activity patterns of White-tailed deer in more

remote areas of the Eastern United States. Based on the knowledge obtained efforts can be

implemented to reduce negative impacts imposed upon deer that may alter behavioral traits through

campus activities and development.

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Methods:

Three camera trap locations throughout the Stockton University’s campus were examined from March

2016-May 2018 and more specifically over the course of 4 seasons, Spring/summer 2016, Fall/Winter

2016-2017, Spring/Summer 2017, and Fall/Winter 2017-2018. Camera trap locations examined included

the End Trail, Lake, and Clear-cut stations (Figure 1). At each location wildlife cameras are bolted to a

tree at waist height, cameras are motion sensing and produce a bright white flash upon taking a photo.

To obtain data researchers must access

the camera to extract the memory

card, files are then uploaded and

examined; data such as time, hour,

species, # of animals in photo, and

number of photos are then input into a

Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Upon

accessing the excel spreadsheets for

the given camera locations data was

filtered to meet the desired seasonal

time frames (Spring/Summer=March

Figure 1 Map showing all camera locations. End Trail, Clear-cut, and
Lake were examined in this study
20-September 22, Fall/Winter=September 23-

March 19). A pivot table was then used to isolate deer occurrences sorted by the hour in which the

occurrence was recorded. Based on this data bar graphs and line graphs were derived to examine

activity trends over a 24-hour time frame. Data was compared across locations and was also compared

over the course of the entire study (March 2016-May 2018).

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Results:

The number of deer occurrences varied greatly across the three locations examined with the End Trail

location showing the highest number of occurrences over the period studied (March 2016-May 2018).

Table 1 Shows total number of occurrences by location through-out the duration of the study

Location Total Occurrences (March 2016-May 2018)

End Trail 836

Lake 353

Clear-cut 254

Generally, across the three locations occurrences in the Fall/Winter season were lowest and

Spring/Summer occurrences were the highest. Overall the clear-cut location saw the largest increase in

occurrence by season from one year to the next (Spring/Summer saw an 81.03% increase, Fall/Winter

saw a 93.10% increase) (Table 2).

Table 2 Shows number of occurrences by season for each location

Location Season Year # of Season Year # of

Occurrences Occurrences

End Trail Spring/Summer 2016 202 Fall/Winter 2016-2017 239

Spring/Summer 2017 248 Fall/Winter 2017-2018 134

Lake Spring/Summer 2016 118 Fall/Winter 2016-2017 71

Spring/Summer 2017 94 Fall/Winter 2017-2018 65

Clear-cut Spring/Summer 2016 58 Fall/Winter 2016-2017 29

Spring/Summer 2017 105 Fall/Winter 2017-2018 56

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When examining activity patterns across each location two peaks were noted, primarily seen at dawn

and dusk, however exact timing of peaks varied by location. Activity significantly dipped during the

daylight hours/night time hours and was lowest in the middle of the day (10:00-14:00) and middle of the

night (21:00-4:00). There were two main discrepancies from this trend noted in both Spring/Summer

season for the End Trail location and all seasons at the Lake location. In regards to the End Trail location

peaks were still noted at dusk and dawn however, significant activity was also noted throughout the day

especially in the Spring/Summer 2017 season. This season at the End Trail location recorded the highest

number of occurrences throughout the study. The lake location had an unconventional trend of activity,

very unpredictable, and no clear peak time of activity. Through both seasons the lake location showed

the most activity through-out the night.

Discussion:

Data derived and examined within this study showed some interesting findings. Of the three camera

station the End Trail location was the most secluded out of all three, there is limited development and

contact with humans. The area is densely vegetated and provides the most “wild” habitat. Therefore,

data derived from this location seems to show the most viable trends of deer activity in the most

favorable habitat. It is inferred that the End Trail habitat is most favorable by the lopsided number of

total occurrences over the course of the study as seen in Table 1. However, this is a suggestion,

confirmation of the claim can be corroborated by further studies examining quality of vegetation,

population density, and population dynamics within the area. Over the Spring/Summer seasons deer

seemed to show peaks of activity around 06:00-08:00 and 16:00-18:00 while showing significant

intermittent activity during the day. This may be explained by improved cover providing protection from

predation as well as limited contact with humans which reduces wariness of diurnal activity.
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End Trail Spring/Summer End Trail Fall/Winter

30 50
25 40
# of occurances

# of occurances
20
30
15
20
10
5 10

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hours Hours

SS16 SS 17 FW 16-17 FW 17-18

Lake Spring/Summer Lake Fall/Winter

14 14
12 12
# of occurances
# of occurances

10 10
8 8
6 6
4 4
2 2
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hours Hours

SS16 SS 17 FW 16-17 FW 17-18

Clear-cut Spring/Summer Clear-cut Fall/Winter

20 10
# of occurances
# of occurances

15 8
6
10
4
5 2
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hours Hours

SS 16 SS 17 FW16-17 FW 17-18

Figure 2 Graphs showing differences in activity patterns in the same season for each location examined in the study
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Temperatures during the day may be favorable to the health of fawns that were birthed in early spring,

extra time may be spent foraging for fawns to grow strong to withstand the cold demanding winters.

There was limited nocturnal activity at this location which also could be a result of preferred habitat and

limited interaction with humans or other predators causing the shift in overall activity. When examining

the Fall/Winter seasons for the End Trail location peak activity times were not as spaced out as the

Spring/Summer season, 07:00-09:00 and 15:00-17:00, likely due to reduced amount of sunlight in the

Fall and Winter seasons. In both years examined there was not significant activity apparent during the

day, suggesting that deer were spending the most time at dawn/dusk obtaining energy while spending

most of the day conserving that energy due to demanding environmental conditions (Moen, 1976).

Again, limited nocturnal activity was noted in the Fall/Winter seasons as well (Ozoga & Gysel, 1972).

The lake location showed very interesting results, especially in the Spring/Summer seasons.

There was no clearly defined peak of activity or period of limited activity, but rather it was very

intermittent throughout the day, including the night. Of the tree locations examined the Lake showed

highest levels of nocturnal activity. This may be a result of increased human activity throughout the day

and can be seen as a form of avoidance and self-preservation. As seen in Figure 1 the Lake camera is

located very close to a common roadway. Road activity is highest when the deer typically show peaks in

activity, which may force them to alter their behavior and spend more time obtaining energy and

interacting at night when the roads are not as active (Carbaugh et al. 1975).

The Clear-cut location stayed consistent with trends seen at the End Trail location however

activity was very limited during the middle of the day in both seasons examined. This can be due to

vulnerability and limited cover offered by the clear-cut. Peak activity times were noted around 05:00-

07:00 and 18:00-20:00 during the Spring/Summer seasons and 06:00-08:00 and 16:00-18:00 during the
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Fall/Winter seasons. Over the three locations examined the clear-cut had the lowest number of total

occurrences. Deer may associate risk and identify limited foraging opportunity (lack of preferred

vegetation) which explains relatively low activity in this area (Williamson & Hirth, 1985). Additionally,

this may be due to the amount of development/human interaction associated with the area. Before the

Forest Management Plan was put into effect in 2013 this area was untouched. On-going forest

management activities may cause the deer populations to search elsewhere for food even though the

clear-cut creates an edge, in which deer in theory should prefer given they are edge specialist

(Crimmons et al. 2010). Further studies examining activity in the Clear-cut compared to the open field

location can be examined to determine if the high amount of activity and development in the may be a

reason for limited number of occurrences within the Clear-cut location.

While slight differences can be analyzed and examined when the data is broken up by each specific

season, on a broad scale examination of data across the entire time series studied a primarily

crepuscular activity pattern can be seen across all three locations. This supports findings and general

knowledge of white-tailed deer preferred activity (Figure 3).

March 2016-May 2018

120
Number of occurances

100

80

60 Lake

40 End Trail

20 Clearcut

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Hours

Figure 3 Activity patterns of White-Tailed Deer throughout the course of the study

Data and inferences found within this study have shown that habitat types such as the End Trail

location are preferred for deer on Stockton University’s campus. Development and increased human
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interaction may have an effect on deer behavior and habitat preference/selection patterns. The End

Trail location may see higher numbers of occurrences as a result of the population concentrating into

the most preferred area of campus. Further studies should be conducted to examine the large number

of occurrences in the area and the effect on the surrounding vegetation. If the deer population is

overgrazing the area management practices to spread out the population may be considered. However,

this may have implications on behavior by promoting habitat use in areas of higher potential for human

interaction/development. Overall this study gives a perspective of White-tailed deer activity by season,

which may be beneficial in developing future studies or management plans on Stockton University’s

campus.
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References

Azlan, J. M., & Sharma, D. S. (2006). The diversity and activity patterns of wild felids in a secondary

forest in Peninsular Malaysia. Oryx,40(1), 1-6. doi:10.1017/S0030605306000147

Caurbaugh, B., Vaughan, J. P., Bellis, E. D., & Graves, H. B. (1975). DISTRIBUTION AND ACTIVITY OF

WHITE-TAILED DEER ALONG AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. Journal of Wildlife Management,39(3),

570-581.

Crimmins, S. M., Edwards, J. W., Ford, W. M., Keyser, P. D., & Crum, J. M. (2010). Browsing Patterns of

White-Tailed Deer Following Increased Timber Harvest and a Decline in Population

Density. International Journal of Forestry Research,1-7. doi:10.1155/2010/592034

Moen, A. M. (1976). Energy Conservation by White‐Tailed Deer in the Winter. Ecology,57(1).

doi:10.2307/1936411

Monroy-Vilchis, O., Urios, V., Zarco-González, M., & Rodríguez-Soto, C. (2009). Cougar and jaguar habitat

use and activity patterns in central Mexico. Animal Biology,59(2), 145-157.

doi:10.1163/157075609x437673

Oliveira-Santos, L. R., Tortato, M. A., & Graipel, M. E. (n.d.). Activity pattern of Atlantic Forest small

arboreal mammals as revealed by camera trap. Journal of Tropical Ecology,24, 563-567.

doi:10.1017/S0266467408005324

Ozoga, J. J., & Gysel, L. W. (1972). Response of White-Tailed Deer to Winter Weather. The Journal of

Wildlife Management,36(3), 892. doi:10.2307/3799445

Williamson, S. J., & Hirth, D. H. (1985). AN EVALUATION OF EDGE USE BY WHITE-TAILED DEER. Wildlife

Society Bulletin,13(3), 252-257.

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Appendix
30
Spring/Summer 2016
25

20
Number of occurances

15

10

0
Hours

-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Lake 1 9 2 6 1 7 10 5 2 0 3 3 4 2 1 6 5 3 12 6 9 3 5 13
End Trail 3 2 3 1 7 16 20 15 7 6 7 9 9 9 14 9 8 10 24 6 2 4 6 5
Clearcut 4 3 0 1 4 6 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 4 7 9 3 2 4 2

50
Fall/Winter 16-17
45

40

35

30
# of occurances

25

20

15

10

0
Hours
-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Lake 3 4 4 4 2 5 4 6 12 4 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 2 5 3 4
End Trail 0 1 4 2 0 6 14 32 43 34 4 5 7 5 9 16 37 14 1 0 2 0 1 2
Clearcut 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 5 2 0 2 1 0 0
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30
Spring/Summer 2017
25 Lake

End
20 Trail
Number of occurances

15

10

-5 Hours
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Lake 0 2 4 1 2 5 4 8 5 5 3 2 2 3 3 5 1 6 6 7 4 3 8 5
End Trail 0 1 0 1 2 17 17 14 27 11 18 14 12 15 13 14 25 23 10 7 1 1 1 4
Clearcut 6 2 1 1 3 8 12 16 4 2 0 1 0 0 3 1 3 4 12 12 8 0 2 4

Fall/Winter 2017-2018
25

20

15
# of occurances

10

Hours
-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Lake 2 4 1 3 1 5 3 6 4 3 3 2 0 1 1 0 2 3 6 1 2 4 5 3
End Trail 0 0 1 0 0 2 4 7 19 11 9 5 10 3 9 11 19 18 4 0 0 0 0 2
Clearcut 2 0 1 1 3 1 3 1 8 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 9 2 4 1 3 6