ELK CALF SURVIVAL, MORTALITY, AND NEONATAL HABITAT USE IN EASTERN KENTUCKY

摘要: OF THESIS ELK CALF SURVIVAL, MORTALITY, AND NEONATAL HABITAT USE IN EASTERN KENTUCKY I estimated survival, cause-specific mortality, and neonatal habitat use of elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) calves in eastern Kentucky. also measured characteristics parturition sites annual calf production . Radio-collared females were fitted with vaginalimplant transmitters monitored for behavior to locate, capture, radio-collar during the springs 2001 2002. Thirty-seven adult implant translocated from Logan, Utah, Addington Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Additional previous releases 1997 1998 behavior. Mean all (n=77) was 66.2%. Parturition (n=10) typically closed-canopy hardwood forest within 152 m a forest/grassland interface. Female selected more boulders, < 20° slope, higher percentage woody saplings, thicker vegetation between 1.0 – 2.25 height compared random sites. Twenty-seven radio-collared intensively by ground aerial telemetry. survival 0.766 (± 0.103). Coyote (Canis latrans) predation, meningeal worm (Parelaphostongylus tenuis), human-caused mortality may slow population growth. Retention 40 cows ranged 1 276 days (61.6 ± 3.0). Only 2 worked as designed led captures. had better success (n=25) capturing monitoring searching areas where pregnant suspected have given birth.