Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/47115

KEYWORDS : male;migration;range;rutting season;sika deer

We examined the ranging behaviors of three male Japanese sika deer Cervus nippon yesoensis in western Hokkaido (42°N, 141°E), Japan, from 2003 to 2009. All three deer exhibited similar patterns of long-distance movements in the autumn. They left residence areas between 17 September and 16 October during the rutting season. Their direction of movement appeared to be eastward, and total movement distances ranged from 7 to 26 km. The males tended to return to their residence areas between 10 November and 27 January.