Home range estimation and analysis
Deer utilized wetland-herb, block-1, and low-dev in similar proportions to the amount these habitats were available in the study area. In contrast, deer used forests in higher proportion to the amount available and used med-hi-development and block-2 in lower proportions to the habitat available (Figure 2a). Deer more frequently used urban landcovers at night and occupied wetland-herb and forested landcovers with higher frequency during the day (Figure 2a). The 95% male HRs ranged from 30 hectares (ha) to 1,049 ha with an average size of 170 ha. Female HRs varied from 24 ha to 79 ha with an average of 50 ha. As HR size increased, the percent natural (forest and wetland-herb) landcover decreased while the percent urban (low-dev, block-1, med-high-dev, and block-2) landcover within the HR increased with habitat diversity (Figure S4). Male HRs on average were comprised of 33% natural landcover and 66% urban landcover whereas female HRs averaged 43% natural and 56% urban landcover. Across deer, we observed HRs with high landcover diversity as well as HRs dominated by few landcover types (Figures 2b, S5).