John E. McDonald

We monitored 142 radiocollared adult (≥1.0 yr old) white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in 3 study areas of Massachusetts, USA, to estimate annual survival and mortality due to legal hunting. We then applied these rates to deer harvest information to estimate deer population trends over time, and compared these to trends derived solely from harvest data estimates. Estimated adult female survival rates were similar (0.82–0.86), and uniformly high, across 3 management zones in Massachusetts that differed in landscape composition, human density, and harvest regulations. Legal hunting accounted for 16–29% of all adult female mortality. Estimated adult male survival rates varied from 0.55 to 0.79, and legal hunting accounted for 40–75% of all mortality. Use of composite hunting mortality rates produced realistic estimates for adult deer populations in 2 zones, but not for the third, where estimation was hindered by regulatory restrictions on antlerless deer harvest. In addition, the population estimates we calculated were generally higher than those derived from population reconstruction, likely due to relatively low harvest pressure. Legal harvest may not be the dominant form of deer mortality in developed landscapes; thus, estimates of populations or trends that rely solely on harvest data will likely be underestimates. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Willis et al. (1) concluded that climate change significantly contributed to plant species decline in the Concord, MA, area. An alternative explanation is that herbivory by white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) may have been responsible for many of the decreases in species abundance that they observed, and this is a more powerful and parsimonious explanation than increased local temperatures. … 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: john\_e\_mcdonald{at}fws.gov

We surveyed 52 jurisdictions across continental North America to gather comparative information on management strategies for American black bear (Ursus americanus) for the late 1980s and the start of the 21st century. Specifically, we asked about: population estimates and targets, harvest objectives and hunting methods (spring hunt, use of bait, use of dogs), hunter and harvest data, and trends in human–bear conflicts. Most population estimates were derived through a subjective process of extrapolation and expert opinion and were used as the basis for adjusting management practices. In 17 jurisdictions that had spring hunts, estimated black bear populations increased by 6%, compared to a 51% increase in the 21 jurisdictions with fall-only seasons. Estimated populations increased by 87% in the 14 jurisdictions without hunting seasons. Another 10 jurisdictions had reports of occasional transient bears but no resident population. Jurisdictions with liberal hunting regimes tended to maintain human–be...

We investigated the role of changing abundance of spring foods on female American black bear (Ursus americanus) diet, milk composition, and cub survival in western Massachusetts. We hypothesized that diets would change, percentage milk fat would be higher, and cub survival would be higher in a year when overwintered hard mast was more abundant. We obtained paired samples of milk from 7 adult female bears across consecutive reproductive cycles during which spring diets differed; 1 year followed a bumper acorn (Quereus rubra) crop and estimated spring diets were ˃25% acorns; the other year followed an extremely poor acorn crop and spring diets were estimated to be 99% skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). Postdenning milk was higher in fat (26.7% versus 18.2%; P = 0.0557) during the spring when acorns were abundant, but we did not identify any carryover affect to cub survival. We suggest that adult female black bears compensate for changes in food availability by eating greater volumes of alternative foods, and perhaps allocate resources primarily to milk production; the bears appear to be able to produce milk of adequate quality to sustain cubs, regardless of spring diet.