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Location
State College, PA
Start Date
5-10-2000 12:00 AM
End Date
8-10-2000 12:00 AM
Description
It was hypothesized white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) could be readily conditioned to 2 commonly used deterrents, Deer-Away® Big Game Repellent (BGR) and blood meal (BM). Plots were randomly assigned BGR, BM and control. Free-ranging deer were initially conditioned to forage for corn at each 49m 2 bare earth plots delivered at 0500 hr and 1600 hr by programmable siing-type feeders. Hoof prints were counted within a 3.7m 2 sample area of each plot to quantify activity. Following preconditioning, data were collected during 5, 5-day periods. Application of BGR and BM to their respective bare earth plots occurred during periods 2, 4 and 5. Initial exposure decreased the number of hoof-prints for BGR (P = 0.011) and BM (P = 0.033) compared to the control. Subsequent exposure to BGR during periods 4 and 5 did not differ from the control (P > 0.227). Prints counted following exposure to BM were similar to the control in period 4 (P = 0.267), but lower (P = 0.045) in period 5. Within each treatment group , prints counted were lower during period 2 compared to periods 1, 3, 4 and 5 for both BGR (P =0.001) and BM (P = 0.018). No differences (P > 0.05) were found among periods 1,3,4 and 5 within each treatment. Results support the hypothesis that white-tailed deer can readily be conditioned to these two commonly used deterrents.
Recommended Citation
Gallagher, G. R., Peacock, J. L., Garner, E. P., & Prince, R. H. (2000). Conditioning and habituation of white-tailed deer to two common deterrents. In Brittingham, M.C., Kays, J., & McPeake, R. (Eds.), The Ninth Wildlife Damage Management Conference (238-246). State College, PA: Pennsylvania State University.
Included in
Conditioning and Habituation of White-Tailed Deer to Two Common Deterrents
State College, PA
It was hypothesized white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) could be readily conditioned to 2 commonly used deterrents, Deer-Away® Big Game Repellent (BGR) and blood meal (BM). Plots were randomly assigned BGR, BM and control. Free-ranging deer were initially conditioned to forage for corn at each 49m 2 bare earth plots delivered at 0500 hr and 1600 hr by programmable siing-type feeders. Hoof prints were counted within a 3.7m 2 sample area of each plot to quantify activity. Following preconditioning, data were collected during 5, 5-day periods. Application of BGR and BM to their respective bare earth plots occurred during periods 2, 4 and 5. Initial exposure decreased the number of hoof-prints for BGR (P = 0.011) and BM (P = 0.033) compared to the control. Subsequent exposure to BGR during periods 4 and 5 did not differ from the control (P > 0.227). Prints counted following exposure to BM were similar to the control in period 4 (P = 0.267), but lower (P = 0.045) in period 5. Within each treatment group , prints counted were lower during period 2 compared to periods 1, 3, 4 and 5 for both BGR (P =0.001) and BM (P = 0.018). No differences (P > 0.05) were found among periods 1,3,4 and 5 within each treatment. Results support the hypothesis that white-tailed deer can readily be conditioned to these two commonly used deterrents.