Abstract
Sika deerCervus nippon Temminck, 1838 observability and flight behaviour were studied in an area with a high level of human disturbance (Tanzawa Mts, Japan). Deer observation rate was positively affected by habitat-related food conditions, while it was negatively correlated with the number of tourists in the study area. Flight frequency in April-September was lower than in October-February. It was also influenced by period of day, behaviour of investigator and deer group size. Group composition, deer activity and habitat condition had no effect on flight frequency. Thus, only 317 (48%) of the deer groups encountered were caused to flee and among them as many as 86% fled for a distance shorter than 40 m. It was concluded that deer in Tanzawa Mts learned to tolerate people, what is known for the populations which are unhunted or under low hunting pressure.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altman M. 1958. The flight distance in free-ranging big game. The Journal of Wildlife Management 22: 207–209.
Arnold J. E. 1950. Changes in ponderosa pine bunchgrass ranges in northern Oregon resulting from pine regeneration and grazing. Journal of Forestry 48: 118–126.
Behrend D. F. and Lubeck R. A. 1968. Summer flight behavior of white-tailed deer in two Adirondack forests. The Journal of Wildlife Management 32: 615–618.
Borkowski J. 1996. The ecology of sika deer in relation to their habitat at the high altitude of Tanzawa Mts. Ph D thesis, University of Tokyo, Tokyo: 1–105.
Borkowski J. and Furubayashi K. 1998a. Seasonal changes in number and habitat use of foraging sika deer at the high altitude of Tanzawa Mountains, Japan. Acta Theriologica 43: 95–106.
Borkowski J. and Furubayashi K. 1998b. Home range size and habitat use in radio-collared female sika deer at high altitudes in the Tanzawa Mountains, Japan. Annales Zoologici Fennici 35: 181–186.
Borkowski J. and Furubayashi K. 1998c. Seasonal and diel variation in group size among Japanese sika deer in different habitats. Journal of Zoology, London 245: 29–34.
Borkowski J., Furubayashi K. and Habuto H. 1996. Effect of snow cover on the distribution of non-migratory sika deer on the top of Mt. Tanzawa, Japan. Journal of Forest Research 1:9–111.
Bubenik A. B. and Bubenikowa L. M. 1967. 24-h periodicity in red deer. [In: Proceedings of the VIIth International Congress of Game Biologists, Beograd-Ljubljana: 343–349.
Cederlund G. 1981. Daily and seasonal activity pattern of roe deer in a boreal habitat. Viltrevy 11: 315–353.
Craighead J. J., Craighead F. C., Ruff R. L. and O’Gara B. W. 1973. Home ranges and activity patterns of nonmigratory elk of the Madison Drainage herd as determined by biotelemetry. Wildlife Monographs 33: 1–50.
Douglas M. J. W. 1971. Behavior responses of red deer and chamois to cessation of hunting. New Zealand Journal of Science 14:507–5188.
Eberhardt L. E., Hanson E. E. and Cadwell L. L. 1984. Movement and activity patterns of mule deer in the sagebrush-steppe region. Journal of Mammalogy 65: 404–409.
Endo A. 1992. Spatial distribution of rutting male relevant to female home range in the sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the Nozaki Island. M Sc thesis, Kyusyu University, Fukuoka: 1–49.
Furubayashi K. 1996. [The studies on protection of sika deer in the Tanzawa Mountains]. Ph D thesis, University of Kyoto, Kyoto: 1–186. [In Japanese]
Geist V. 1963. On the behaviour of the north American moose (Alces alces andersoni Pererson 1950) in British Columbia. Behaviour 20: 377–416.
Geist V. 1971. A behavioural approach to the management of wild ungulates. [In: The scientific management of animal and plant communities for conservation. 11th Symposium of British Ecological Society. E. Duffey and A. S. Watt, eds]. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford: 413–424.
Georgii B. 1981. Activity patterns of female red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Alps. Oecologia 49: 127–136.
Grau G. A. and Grau B. L. 1980. Effects of hunting on hunter effort and white-tailed deer behaviour. Ohio Journal of Science 80: 150–156.
Green R. A. and Bear G. D. 1990. Seasonal cycles and daily activity patterns of Rocky Mountain elk. The Journal of Wildlife Management 54: 272–279.
Hirth D. H. 1977. Social behaviour of white-tailed deer in relation to habitat. Wildlife Monographs 53: 1–55.
Jackson J. 1977. When do fallow deer feed. Deer 4: 215–218.
Jeppesen J. L. 1987. Impact of human disturbance on home range, movements and activity of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in a Danish environment. Danish Review of Game Biology 13 (2): 1–38.
Kucera E. 1976. Deer flushing distance as related to observer’s mode of travel. Wildlife Society Bulletin 4: 128–129.
LaGory K. E. 1986. Habitat, group size, and the behaviour of white-tailed deer. Behaviour 98: 168–177.
LaGory K. E. 1987. The influence of habitat and group characteristics on the alarm and flight response of white-tailed deer. Animal Behaviour 35: 20–25.
MacArthur R. A., Geist V. and Johnson R. H. 1982. Cardiac and behavioural responses of mountain sheep to human disturbance. The Journal of Wildlife Management 46:351–3588.
McConnell B. R. and Smith J. G. 1971. Response of understory vegetation to ponderosa pine thinning in eastern Washington. Journal of Range Management 23: 203–212.
Meffe G. K. and Carroll C. R. 1994. Principles of conservation biology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland: 1–600.
Mitchell B. B., Staines W. and Welch D. 1977. Ecology of red deer. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Banchory: 1–74.
Moen A. N. 1976. Heart rates of white-tailed deer in winter. Ecology 57: 192–198.
Ockenfels R. A. and Brooks D. E. 1994. Summer diurnal bed sites of Coues white-tailed deer. The Journal of Wildlife Management 58: 70–75.
Pace C. P. 1958. Herbage production and composition under immature ponderosa pine stands in the Black Hills. Journal of Range Management 11: 238–243.
Reed D. F. 1981. Conflicts with civilization. [In: Mule and black-tailed deer of North America. O. C. Wallmo, ed]. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln: 509–535.
Rice W. R. 1989. Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43: 223–225.
Sage R. W., Tierson W. C., Mattfeld G. F. and Behrend D. F. 1983. White-tailed deer visibility and behaviour along forest roads. The Journal of Widlife Management 47: 940–951.
Schultz R. D. and Bailey J. A. 1978. Responses of national park elk to human activity. The Journal of Wildlife Management 42: 91–100.
Yamane M. 1999. [A study on nutritional ecology of sika deer in the eastern Tanazawa Mountains, Japan]. Ph D thesis, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology: 1–120. [In Japanese]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Borkowski, J. Flight behaviour and observability in human-disturbed sika deer. Acta Theriol 46, 195–206 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192428
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03192428