Activities and social relationships of red deer at pasture

Abstract

Aim. To provide baseline data for research into behaviourally appropriate management systems for deer.

Methods. Activities and their relationships with weather conditions, and social interactions both at pasture and during yarding, were investigated in two groups of yearling stags over summer in Otago, New Zealand. Over 8 weeks from November to January, activities, individual distances, weather conditions and use of shade from trees and shelter from windbreak cloth were recorded at Sminute intervals for 4-hour periods at dawn, noon, and dusk. Over 2 further weeks, inter-individual distances and aggressive behaviours were recorded for each group over two 3-hour periods in both the home pasture and yard pen environments.

Results. Days were classified as being predominantly “dry” or “wet”, and use of shade and shelter and activity patterns differed between dry and wet days (p < 0.05), with grazing and sitting cycles being disrupted on wet days. Fenceline pacing, a possible indication of motivation to escape, was observed most frequently at dusk on wet days (14.8 % of observations compared with 5.6 % for dry days, s.e.d. 4.1 %; p < 0.05). There was significant evidence (p < 0.001) for close association between specific pairs of deer. More aggression was observed in the yard pen than in the paddock (p < 0.05). Aggressive interactions showed a linear dominance hierarchy in one group, and a near- linear hierarchy in the other group. Relationships between distance scores, both at pasture and in the yard pen, and aggression hierarchy rankings were found, with lower-ranking stags maintaining greater distances from their neighbours (p < 0.05).

Conclusions. It was concluded that as the use of shade and windbreak cloth shelter was related to weather conditions, these amenities probably assisted with thermoregulation. A need for shelter from the rain was indicated by disrupted activity cycles and fenceline pacing on wet days. Further work into the needs of deer for protection from the weather is warranted. Evidence of association between individual deer within groups, and avoidance of social contact by some individuals within groups, indicated that research into the social effects of different handling and management techniques for established groups of deer is also warranted.

Keywords:

• Red deer
• farming
• weather
• activities
• dominance hierarchy
• aggression