Nancy Mathews Quotations

Based on the behavior of these deer, we cannot account for the distribution of CWD on the landscape,

They always come back and the females never leave, so it is unlikely they are contributing to large-scale transmission of CWD. A big key for understanding transmission is young bucks. They are the only segment of the population that makes permanent movement out of their home ranges.

Adult does and their female fawns establish home ranges in the same location where they were born and stay there for their entire life. Once young bucks have dispersed, they too establish small home ranges and rarely leave them, even during the rut. Deer are not moving long distances, except for young bucks.

They are using small home ranges and not traveling long distances, ... The only dispersers are young males, and they only go five to seven miles before setting up a new home range.

They are using small home ranges and not traveling long distances. The only dispersers are young males, and they only go five to seven miles before setting up a new home range.

The key for understanding transmission across the landscape is the bucks. We really need the males, so if people can refrain from shooting them it will help us continue an important study aimed at understanding how deer behavior affects the transmission of this disease.