An important segment of outdoor recreational activity in eastern Oregon is based on the harvest of deer. The deer population can be altered in two ways. Rangeland, which provides feed and cover for deer, can be improved through public or private investments or hunting regulations can be changed. This study dealt with the economic impact that changes in deer population through changes in range forage and/or deer hunting regulations might have upon a rural community. A computer simulation model of important components and interactions of the bio-economic system was developed. The biological components consist of a deer population, a cattle population, and a range resource. The economic component consists of economic activities within a rural community. It is based on an input-output model with trading patterns among sectors assumed to remain relatively constant. The model can be characterized as a density dependent system with deer and cattle interrelated through the use of available forage. The model can be used for a comparison of two different sets of natural resource management strategies. A set of natural resource management strategies consists of deer hunting patterns, cattle sales patterns, and expected range forage production. The benefits and/or costs resulting from this comparison are divided into rancher benefits, resident benefits, and hunter benefits. Resident benefits are separated into resident income and local government revenue. Experiments using the model indicated that the amount and distribution of benefits from changes in range forage availability were dependent upon the relative levels of production in each of the range forage categories. Deer hunting regulations also affected the amount and distribution of benefits. For the alternatives considered, hunter benefits were affected most and rancher income was affected least by changes in range forage production. Conclusions from the study indicated that information on forage availability as well as the relationship between the use of a range area by either deer or cattle and forage availability would substantially increase accuracy in measurement of the magnitude and distribution of benefits and costs to a community from changes in natural resource management strategies. / Graduation date: 1974

A wildfire burned over 40,000 ha of conifer and mixed conifer-hardwood forest in the Silver Creek drainage of southwestern Oregon in the fall of 1987 allowing me to assess big game use of a large natural burn. I used fecal pellet group counts to estimate habitat use and effects of forest management activities on Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) and black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) within the Silver Fire Recovery Project Area (SFRPA) of the Siskiyou National Forest. Pellet decay rate and differences in observers' abilities to detect deer and elk pellet groups (interobserver variability) were estimated to test validity of pellet group counts. Pellet group persistence was estimated during a 10-month period. There were no differences in pellet group persistence between elk and deer (P < 0.05). Observers differed in ability to detect elk (F = 2.7; df = 4, 530; P = 0.03) and deer (F = 10.7; df = 4, 883; P < 0.0001) pellet groups. Interobserver variability related to elk pellet groups was low and was attributed to differences in numbers of transects searched by each observer. Two observers detected greater mean numbers of deer pellet groups than did other observers. I counted 775 elk pellet groups and 3,888 deer pellet groups on four study areas within the SFRPA. I analyzed habitat use for two periods: June to mid-October (summer-fall), and mid- October through May (fall-spring). I used stepwise logistic regression to create models predicting categories of habitat use during each period. Management variables were added to the habitat models to estimate effect of management on predicted categories of habitat use. Total overstory canopy cover was negatively related to deer use during both use periods. Distance to road was the only significant management variable affecting deer habitat use during the fall-spring period (P = 0.03). Slash cover had a negative effect on probability of habitat use by deer during the summer-fall period (P = 0.02). Elk use was negatively affected by steep slopes and hardwood canopies during both periods, while grass seeding positively affected elk use during both summer-fall (P = 0.05) and fall-spring (P = 0.03) use periods. Clearcutting had a negative effect on probability of elk use during the fall-spring period (P = 0.04). / Graduation date: 1995

Road-kill of wildlife is common on Portland, Oregon's suburban fringe where development has increased road densities and traffic volume in rural areas. I identify the spatial and temporal patterns of black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) deer-vehicle accidents (DVA) at the suburban/rural interface of developing northwest Clackamas County using deer carcass pickup reports for county maintained roads for 1997-2004 and Oregon Department of Transportation deer-vehicle accident reports for 1996-2004. No black-tailed deer DVA models exist in the literature. DVA increased 121% from 1997 to 1999 followed by a 26% decline by 2004. The initial DVA increase appears related to population growth and development into rural areas, an increase in the average daily vehicle-trip distance, and deer immigration from public lands. The subsequent decline appears related to DVA-induced decreases in deer populations, year-around hunting permits, growing predator populations, and fawning habitat loss. Temporal OVA patterns for black-tailed deer show a minor peak in June-July and a major peak in October-November. Forty-two percent of DVA occur during the rut/hunt months of September, October, and November. This pattern corresponds to the black-tail's annual cycle and resembles patterns reported for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus). Weekly DVA increased from a low on Sunday to a high on Friday and Saturday. DVA showed two daily peaks at 0500-0700 and 1800-2200, corresponding to dawn and dusk when deer activity is highest. I identified 19 DVA hotspots with 16-27 DVA using CrimeStat III statistical clustering software. Hotspots occurring in rut/hunt months were separate from hotspots occurring in nonrut/nonhunt months. Similar to white-tailed and mule deer, black-tailed DVA hotspots commonly occurred where roads intersect or parallel water features, large forest blocks, and other areas of cover, or separate food sources from cover. Sixty-five percent of DVA occurred outside of hotspots with ≥ 10 DVA. Deer-vehicle accidents have important ecological and economic costs and are frequent on northwest Clackamas County roads. Additional research supported by multi-agency carcass pickup repo1ting and the acquisition of precise DV A locations using a Global Positioning System (GPS) is needed to better identify wildlife movement corridors.