Influence of various meteorological conditions on the movement of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at the Taylor Fork Ecological Area, Madison County, Kentucky.

Author

Brian Hoover, Eastern Kentucky UniversityFollow

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Creation Date

Fall 2022

Major

Wildlife Management

Department

Biological Sciences

Degree

Undergraduate

Mentor

Donald M. Yow

Mentor Department

Geosciences

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess how white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) activity is affected by multiple meteorological variables. Six wildlife camera traps were deployed at Taylor Fork Ecological Area (TFEA) in August 2022. Photographs captured between field installation and November 30, 2022, were analyzed to identify movement of deer. Deer activity was compared with data from the weather station at TFEA to explore how meteorological conditions might affect wildlife activity. Deer activity was related to wind speed, barometric pressure, and normalized time. These relationships agree with majority of the scientific literature that notes increased deer activity with low wind speeds, high barometric pressure, and increased activity between sunset and sunrise. Variables that did not appear to affect deer activity consistently during this study include daily synoptic classification, moon phase, precipitation, humidity, and air temperature.