Daily Activity, Sex- and Age-Structure of the Herds of Ungulate Species (Artiodactyla): a Case Study in the Rositsa State Hunting Enterprise, Stara Planina Mountain, Bulgaria

The present study aimed to elucidate patterns of the daily activity, sex and age structure of the herds of red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) registered by camera traps on the territory of the Rositsa State Hunting Enterprise in Central Stara Planina Mountain. The study is carried out between July 2017 and June 2019. We used 38 camera traps, which stayed in the field for 5279 days. From the collected photos and videos, 5001 independent registrations were identified: 2551 for red deer, 1266 for roe deer and 1184 for wild boar. We defined five groups to study the sex and age structure of the herds: F – female adult individuals; M – male adults individuals; S – young up to 2 years; FJS – females with offspring and young and mixed – individuals by both sex and different age. We found that all three species are more active at night in autumn. We observed higher daytime activity for red deer in spring, for roe deer in winter, and for wild boar in summer. The overlap of their daily activities is greatest in summer and least in spring. A different frequency of occurrence of the five types of herds was found in the studied ungulates during the various seasons, as well as a difference in diurnal activity mainly between the herds with females and the other herds. The lowest percentage of mixed herds in winter we registered in herds of red deer compared to those of roe deer and wild boar. This study shows that the activity patterns of the three ungulates are significantly influenced by species-specific features, season and anthropogenic activity. The greater nocturnal activity of the studied ungulates in autumn is due to the hunting season and the accompanying increased restlessness of the animals. The present research may benefit the sustainable management and protection of game populations in the future.