The North Kings Deer Herd has declined from an estimated 17,000 animals in the late 1940's to a recent estimate of 3400. Simulation modeling indicates a current net loss of 2.4 percent per year. The primary problem is a lack of recruitment due to an estimated loss of 61 percent of the fawns in the first three months of life. Fourteen newborn fawns were tagged with mortality sensing transmitters during 1978 and 1979. The total fawn loss from this sample approximated the estimated losses from the herd based on composition counts. Six (43 percent) of the tagged fawns were killed by predators, four (29 percent) by mountain lions alone. Based on these data, simulation modeling indicates that mountain lion predation alone could be preventing an increase in the North Kings Deer Herd. We recommend further study of the mountain lion in the area where fawns are currently being studied.
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