Habitat Use and Activity of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) in Eastern Croatia

Sa？etak The activity of roe deer was surveyed in five habitats in the Haljevo Forest (Baranja Region, Eastern Croatia), during the 1965/1966 hunting season. The aim was to compare the habitat preferences and to determine differences in the number of animals observed in the study period, by taking into account: period of the year, height of understory layer in forest stands and weight of fat deposit around kidney. The animals caught by net were marked and their activities have been observed. A total of 532 sightings of individuals were noted on all five habitats, and the abundance of roe deer was 228 individuals. During the fawning period in the spring, the highest number of animals (n=55) was recorded in black locust stand, followed by oak stands with thick understory layer (n=61) and hornbeam stands with oak (n=51). Regarding the quality of habitat as a food source, the highest number (n=196) was in the hornbeam stand with oak, compared to black locust stand (n=59) and oak stand with thick understory layer (n=20). Fitness of roe deer is estimated by measuring kidney fat from 96 culled individuals. Mean weight of kidney fat was significantly higher in the oak stand with thick understory layer (104.71 g) than in young oak stand (55.83 g). In comparison to black locust stand (81 g) and hornbeam stand with oak (96.46 g), the value was higher but not significantly higher, indicating the importance of the oak acorn in roe deer diet