@article{karns_lancia_deperno_conner_stoskopf_2009, title={Intracranial Abscessation as a Natural Mortality Factor for Adult Male White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) in Kent County, Maryland, USA}, volume={45}, ISSN={["1943-3700"]}, DOI={10.7589/0090-3558-45.1.196}, abstractNote={Intracranial abscessation is a cause of natural mortality among free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) across portions of the United States and Canada. Intracranial abscesses caused by Arcanobacterium pyogenes disproportionately affect adult male white-tailed deer. From 2003–08, we evaluated the occurrence of intracranial abscessation among adult (≥2.5 yr) radiocollared male white-tailed deer (n=33) at a large private property in Kent County, Maryland, USA. We documented mortality and necropsied 26 (79%) of the 33 deer. In 2007, we collected swabs from the antler bases and nasopharyngeal membranes of living male white-tailed deer in Maryland, USA (n=9), and Texas, USA (n=10), and from freshly rubbed (n=7) and unrubbed (n=7) trees in Maryland, USA. Swabs were cultured for the presence or absence of A. pyogenes. In Maryland, USA, nine (35%) of the 26 necropsied radiocollared male deer had intracranial abscesses. Five (56%) of nine Maryland, USA, males, and none (0%) of 10 Texas, USA, males cultured positive for A. pyogenes. No rubbed or unrubbed trees at the Maryland site cultured positive for A. pyogenes. The rate of intracranial abscess among adult male white-tailed deer at the Maryland, USA, site (35%) exceeds reported rates for other regions of the United States (9%).}, number={1}, journal={JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES}, author={Karns, Gabriel R. and Lancia, Richard A. and DePerno, Christopher S. and Conner, Mark C. and Stoskopf, Michael K.}, year={2009}, month={Jan}, pages={196–200} }
 @article{shaw_lancia_conner_rosenberry_2006, title={Effect of population demographics and social pressures on white-tailed deer dispersal ecology}, volume={70}, ISSN={["1937-2817"]}, DOI={10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[1293:EOPDAS]2.0.CO;2}, abstractNote={Abstract Dispersal of yearling male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can have profound effects on population demographics and can adversely affect population estimates and management objectives. The relationship among population demographics, social pressures, and dispersal ecology is not clear and warrants scientific evaluation. The age structure and sex ratio of the white-tailed deer population at Chesapeake Farms, Maryland, USA, changed after implementation of quality deer management (QDM). Following Rosenberry's (1997) pre-QDM study on white-tailed deer dispersal, we conducted a post-QDM study on white-tailed deer dispersal at Chesapeake Farms. The objectives of our study were 1) to compare pre- and post-QDM emigration, immigration, survival, and behaviors of yearling males, 2) to evaluate inbreeding avoidance and sexual competition hypotheses as mechanisms of dispersal through behavioral comparisons of dispersers and nondispersers, and 3) to evaluate the maternal aggression hypothesis by comparing dispersal rates of orphan and non-orphan yearling males determined by genetic maternity analysis. Emigration probability of yearling males 8–18 months of age pre-QDM was 0.70 ± 0.07, and post-QDM was 0.54 ± 0.10 (Z = 1.39, P = 0.165). Survival probability of yearling males 8–18 months of age increased from 0.44 ± 0.07 pre-QDM to 0.72 ± 0.08 post-QDM (Z = 2.82, P = 0.005), and we attributed this increase largely to increased survival of emigrant males post-QDM. Dispersers exhibited breeding competition with other yearling males more often than nondispersers in both pre- (t19 = 3.22, P = 0.005) and post-QDM (t13 = 3.54, P = 0.004) populations. Breeding behaviors of yearling males decreased from pre- to post-QDM (t34 = 2.00, P = 0.053). Antler points of nondisperser yearlings also decreased from pre- to post-QDM (t16 = 3.29, P = 0.005). DNA maternity analysis indicated that dispersal of orphans (4 of 7) and non-orphans (7 of 10) was similar (= 0.298, P = 0.585). Our results fail to support inbreeding avoidance and support sexual competition as a cause of autumn dispersal at Chesapeake Farms. Through QDM, an older male age structure may have suppressed breeding competition in yearling males and decreased dispersal rates, increasing site-specific management efficiency}, number={5}, journal={JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT}, author={Shaw, Jonathan C. and Lancia, Richard A. and Conner, Mark C. and Rosenberry, Christopher S.}, year={2006}, month={Nov}, pages={1293–1301} }
 @article{rosenberry_conner_lancia_2001, title={Behavior and dispersal of white-tailed deer during the breeding season}, volume={79}, DOI={10.1139/z00-186}, abstractNote={ Sexual competition and aggression by adult females have been hypothesized to prompt dispersal by male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We observed behavioral interactions of 21 yearling males (14 dispersers and 7 nondispersers) at Chesapeake Farms during the early part of the breeding season prior to actual breeding. Interactions with adult males and females constituted a small portion of all interactions and yearling males were similarly subordinate to adults. Dispersers participated in breeding-season behaviors with yearling males more often than nondispersers did (P = 0.005), and tended to be more subordinate than nondispersers (P = 0.095). Behavioral differences related to sexual competition with other yearlings appeared to be correlated with dispersal by yearling males at Chesapeake Farms. We recommend that both sexual competition and aggression by adult females be considered in future attempts to understand the dispersal behavior of white-tailed deer. }, number={1}, journal={Canadian Journal of Zoology}, author={Rosenberry, C. S. and Conner, M. C. and Lancia, R. A.}, year={2001}, pages={171–174} }
 @inbook{lancia_rosenberry_conner_2000, title={Population parameters and their estimation}, booktitle={Ecology and management of large mammals in North America}, publisher={NJ: Prentice Hall}, author={Lancia, R. A. and Rosenberry, C. S. and Conner, M. C.}, editor={S. Demarais and Krausman, P. R.Editors}, year={2000}, pages={64–83} }
 @article{rosenberry_lancia_conner_1999, title={Population effects of white-tailed deer dispersal}, volume={27}, number={3}, journal={Wildlife Society Bulletin}, author={Rosenberry, C. S. and Lancia, R. A. and Conner, M. C.}, year={1999}, pages={858–864} }