EFFECTS OF SNOWMOBILES ON WHITE-TAILED DEER

The effects of snowmobiles on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were studied in Minnesota during 1973 and 1974. Study areas were in St. Croix State Park where numbers of snowmobiles per day averaged 10 on weekdays and 195 on weekends, and in Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area, where snowmobiling was prohibited except by project personnel. Home range size, movement, and distance from radio-collared deer to the nearest trail increased with snowmobile activity at Mille Lacs, but remained unchanged at St. Croix. Numbers of deer along a 10-km trail decreased as snowmobile traffic increased at St. Croix. Light snowmobile traffic caused the displacement of deer from areas immediately adjacent to trails at St. Croix; thereafter, increased snowmobile traffic caused no additional response. Deer returned to areas along trails within hours after snowmobiling ceased at St. Croix. Deer responded to very low intensities of intrusion by man and vehicles. /Author/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0022541X
• Corporate Authors:

  Wildlife Society

  5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200
  Bethesda, MD  United States  20814-2144
• Authors:
  • Doorance, M J
  • Savage, P J
  • Huff, D E
• Publication Date: 1975-7

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 563-569
• Serial:
  • Journal of Wildlife Management
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Wildlife Society
  • ISSN: 0022-541X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Deer; Environmental impacts; Parks; Snowmobiles; Traffic volume; Trails
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00126308
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 3 1975 12:00AM