White-Tailed Deer Habitats in the Central Black Hills

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis Zimm.) numbers in the central Black Hills have declined since the middle 1970s. Population status has been documented by a decline in hunter success, deer reproductive success, and fawn survival. Most management agencies believe habitat deterioration is the primary cause of population decline in the Black Hills. We evaluated habitat selection for a white-tailed deer herd in the central Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. From July 1993July 1996, 73 adult and yearling doe and 12 adult and yearling buck white-tailed deer were radiocollared and visually monitored. Habitat information was collected at 4,662 white-tailed deer locations and 1,087 random locations. During winter, whitetailed deer selected ponderosa pine(Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson) deciduous and burned pine cover types. Overstoryunderstory habitats selected included pine/grass-forb, pine/bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.), pine/snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus L.), burned pine/grass-forb, and pine/shrub habitats. Structural stages selected included saplingpole pine stands with > 70% canopy cover, burned pine saplingpole and saw-timber stands with < 40% canopy cover. During summer, white-tailed deer selected pine-deciduous, aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), aspen-coniferous, spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), and spruce-deciduous cover types. Overstory-understory habitats selected included pine/juniper (Juniperus communis L.), aspen/shrubs, spruce/juniper, and spruce/shrub habitats. Structural stages selected included pine, aspen, and spruce sapling pole stands with all levels (0-40%, 41-70%, 71-100%) of canopy cover. Results supported low habitat quality as a factor involved with the decline of the deer population. We recommend that habitat management techniques, such as aspen regeneration and prescribed burns, be used to improve the habitat base in the central Black Hills. This study was supported by Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Fund, Project W-75-R through the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (Study Numbers 7563 and 7564). D. Flory, J. McCormick, D. Knowlton, S. Clark, B. Bol, D. Beck, and B. A. Hippensteel provided field assistance. We thank L. D. Flake, M. K. Johnson, G. E. Larson, and J. Vandever for their review of this manuscript. T. Klinkner and J. Giudice provided editorial assistance. We wish to thank the USDA, Forest Service, Pactola and Harney Ranger Districts and all landowners that allowed access to their property throughout this study. Manuscript accepted 7 Sep. 01. Resumen El numero de venados cola blanca (Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis Zimm.) del area central de Black Hills ha disminuido desde mediados de la decada de los 70's. El estado de la poblacion ha sido documentado por una reduccion en el exito de la caceria, la reproduccion exitosa del venado y la sobrevivencia de los cervatos. La mayoria de las agencias de manejo creen que el deterioro del habitat es la causa principal de la disminucion de la poblacion en Black Hill. Evaluamos la seleccion de habitat por un hato de venados cola blanca en la region central de Black Hill en South Dakota y Wyoming. De Julio de 1993 a Julio de 1996, a 73 hembras adultas y juveniles y 12 machos adultos y juveniles de venado cola blanca se les coloco un radiotransmisor y se monitorearon visualmente. La informacion del habitat se colecto en 4,662 localidades de venado cola blanca y 1,078 localidades aleatorias. Durante el invierno, el venado cola blanca seleccion6 los tipos de cobertura de pino ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson) deciduo y quemados. Los haibitats con cobertura superior/inferior seleccionados incluyeron pino/zacate-hierba, pino/ "Bearberry"(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.), pino/ "Snowberry" (Symphoricarpos albus L.), pino quemado/zacatehierba y pino/arbusto. Las etapas estructurales seleccionados incluyeron poblaciones de plkantulas de pino con una cobertura de copa mayor al 70%, poblaciones de plantulas de pino quemado y poblaciones de pino aserrado con menos del 40% de cobertura. Durante el verano, el venado cola blanca selecciono coberturas del tipo pino-deciduo, alamo (Populus tremuloides Michx.), ailamo-coniferas, picea (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) y piceadeciduo. Los haibitats de cobertura alta-baja seleccionados incluyeron haibitats de pino/enebro (Juniperus communis L.), ailamo/arbustos, picea/enebro y picea/arbustos. Los niveles estructurales seleccionados incluyeron poblaciones de plantulas de pino, ailamo y picea con todos los niveles (0-40%, 41-70%, 71-100%) de cobertura de copa. Los resultados apoyan la baja calidad del habitat como un factor involucrado en la disminucion de la poblaci6n de venados. Recomendamos que tecnicas de manejo del haibitat, tales como la regeneracion del alamo y los fuegos prescritos, sean utilizadas para mejorar el habitat base en la regi6n central de Black Hills.