Category: Red Deer

Could sexual size dimorphism be preventing red deer males from greater parental investment?

As I have been observing deer behaviour (although I mostly get to observe roe deer and not red deer due to their distribution in our region), I often observe attentiveness to females and also the their young (as well as respect by younger stags toward older hinds) and I sometimes wonder why stags rarely join … Continue reading Could sexual size dimorphism be preventing red deer males from greater parental investment? →

Red deer observations (Sep, 2023) – implications for social dynamics, colonization, habitat exploration

There is a moderate-sized red deer population living outside of our town. The red deer venture closer to the town limits more rarely than, for example, the wild boar that also inhabit the rural regions (especially, riparian regions). However, I have seen a herd of red deer approach the highway on the south side of … Continue reading Red deer observations (Sep, 2023) – implications for social dynamics, colonization, habitat exploration →

Raising aggression levels through ‘performance art’ to increase testosterone in males

Often when I read about animals, I find it difficult to believe that the aggression that is observed (at least in some instances), is truly felt and stems from some deep motivation. For example, I have watched videos of red deer bachelor herds where the males hang out without much tension although some displays, of … Continue reading Raising aggression levels through ‘performance art’ to increase testosterone in males →

The effects of population density on red deer stag quality and behaviour

Recently I read the publication 'Individual differences, density dependence and offspring birth traits in a population of red deer' by Stopher, K.V. et al., 2008 where it was estimated that high-quality females gave birth to slightly heavier males at high population densities while moderate-quality females gave birth to considerably lighter males at high population densities … Continue reading The effects of population density on red deer stag quality and behaviour →

Can social instability in wolf populations lead to reduced deer refugia habitats?

Many studies have researched the effects of wolf distribution on local deer populations. Even in areas that are occupied by wolf packs in a rather contiguous manner (territories are adjacent or slightly overlapping), deer would find refugia ('safer habitats') near the territorial boundaries of the wolf packs (the so-called bufferzones where neighbouring packs tend to … Continue reading Can social instability in wolf populations lead to reduced deer refugia habitats? →

Reintroducing wolves to areas of ungulate overabundance – potential wolf health effects

While I wholly support the reintroduction of large predators to maintain natural control of prey populations, I have begun wondering how the initial recolonization (and in less natural systems - the future interactions) might bear impact on large predator health. I started contemplating this issue while reading the Yellowstone Wolf Project reports and following the … Continue reading Reintroducing wolves to areas of ungulate overabundance – potential wolf health effects →

Deer herding – an alternative, non-lethal, landscape-of-disturbance method to manage deer in urban and semi-urban areas

I have been considering non-lethal deer (ungulate) management methods in urban and semi-urban areas. While in most places the overabundance of deer is related to land management practices (clear-cuts, the elongation of forest edges due to forest fragmentation, intensive agriculture etc.) as well as lack of large predators, there is still the issue of regulating … Continue reading Deer herding – an alternative, non-lethal, landscape-of-disturbance method to manage deer in urban and semi-urban areas →