Deer production at Hopland Field Station

Authors

Guy E. Connolly
William M. Longhurst

Authors Affiliations

G. E. Connlly is Staff Research Associate, University of California, Davis; W. M. Longhurst is Wildlife Biologist and Lecturer in the Division of Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, University of California, Davis.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 29(6):8-9. DOI:10.3733/ca.v029n06p8. June 1975.

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Abstract

Hunters and research workers took 2,267 deer from the 5,000-acre Hopland Field Station in southeastern Mendocino County from 1951 through 1974. About half of the deer were bucks taken by hunters and the remainder were antlerless deer shot or trapped for various scientific studies. Compared with this harvest of 12 deer per square mile of range per year, the average hunting kill for Mendocino County during the same period was only two deer per square mile per year. The heavier removal from the Hopland Field Station had no discernible effect on deer numbers, but fawn production and survival on the station were higher than elsewhere in the county. These records show that California deer populations can produce many more deer than are currently being taken with bucks-only hunting and very limited antlerless hunting.