Dr. Hannan's Answers

This is direct from Dr. Hannan in response to my queries about the hoof prints in our yard:

Looks like deer, and here in California that means
Mule Deer not Whitetail (which only enter the extreme
NE part of Calif). The animal was walking. Putting
the hind foot into the forefoot is common. The
advantage is that it halves the probability of braking
a twig as there is only one footprint for two feet.

There is a term for this, but I can't remember it.

Big means buck.

The Sierra deer spend the summer in the high country
and then migrate down the canyons to winter pasture in
the lowlands. This produces an hour glass range. You
are probably at the neck of the hour glass, although
with development of the lowlands, the deer have had to
stop further uphill.

Eddie,

Have Scott ask about deer trails. In some herds (each
hour glass is a herd) the paths are dramatic. Often a
foot wide and six inches deep. The deer follow the
same paths year after year.

DFG in Sacramento produces a pamphlet on each deer
herd. You should be able to get the right one from
the local DFG game biologist. Find out who it is and
ask. It should be free and have all kinds of great
info in it. Could lead to some great fall sights as
puma converge on these trails for obvious reasons.

I should have thought of this earlier. Look up the
local game biologist. There maybe two, one for game
and the other for endangered species. Both will be
fun to talk to.

Doc


So there you have it. I have yet to come up with a biology related question that Jim can't answer!