Date of Award:

5-1956

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Department name when degree awarded

Wildlife Management

Committee Chair(s)

Jessop B. Low

Committee

Jessop B. Low

Abstract

The prairie deer region of South Dakota extends west from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. The region borders the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, and is approximately 40,000 square miles in extent. Biologists believe that present deer numbers on these prairies are similar to those of pre-homestead days. The present large numbers of deer in certain counties have given many prairie ranchers and farmers cause for concern. The region's first deer season (bucks only) in 1952 resulted from earlier increases in mule and whitetail herds. After a closed season in 1953, a hunter's choice of "any deer" for 9 days was in force in 1954, and nearly 5,000 deer were killed throughout the region. This type of hunt was charged to bucks only in 1955 for the same length season. The 3 recent harvests on the prairies increased South Dakota's big-game hunting area from about 3,500 square miles in the Black Hills to nearly 30,000 square miles. Some counties had no open season during the 3 previous harvests.

Annual or frequent harvests should be predicted in deer management plans for the prairie region. The frequency of such harvests will depend upon knowledge of deer numbers and their distribution in the area. The need of former harvests was initially based upon rancher reports, several horseback drives, and an aerial survey.

The need of a better deer inventory method for the region was expressed by the Big-Game Survey, a Pittman-Robertson project of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks. The airplane as a census tool appeared most applicable to prairie terrain. Its use in an intensive study was necessarily restricted to a representative study area in the region. Of many possible areas in South Dakota, Harding County was selected as the study area which would typify the prairies. This county not only contained the major deer habitat types characteristic of the region, but also it was known to have a high mule deer population. This paper describes the initial effectiveness of the airplane as a census technique for mule deer in Harding County, South Dakota.

The study began July 1, 1954, and terminated December 14, 1955. A Piper Cub and an automobile were necessary equipment for the project. Other equipment included binoculars, rope, spotlight, and miscellaneous articles. Horses were used in some census trials. The scientific names of plants mentioned throughout this paper are included in Appendix Table 1. A partial list of mammals found in Harding County is presented in Appendix Table 2.

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