Effects of drop net and helicopter net-gun capture on movement, space use, and survival of white-tailed deer.

ABSTRACT: Wildlife professionals strive to minimize the impact of capture and handling on animal welfare and behavior. Drop net and helicopter net-gun methods are commonly used to capture large mammals; however, comparative evaluations of mortality and post-capture behavioral disruption are needed. Therefore, we conducted a study to compare the effects of drop net, single helicopter, and tandem helicopter capture methods on movement, space use, and survival of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for 30 days following capture. We fitted 149 deer (68 F; 81 M) with GPS collars, which collected or were resampled to 1 location every 30 minutes from 2011 to 2015. We estimated daily range size and overlap using 99% range isopleths, calculated daily distance traveled and displacement, and fitted Cox

SUBMITTER: Stewart DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12798857 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature