Forage intake rates of mule deer estimated with fallout cesium-137

Forage intake rates of 87 wild, Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) collected over a 2-year period from the Cache la Poudre Drainage, Colorado, were estimated utilizing available data on fallout cesium-137 concentrations in the deer and their inferred diet. The method employed involved the convolution of an intake function and a retention function. Ingestion rates are reported and analyzed by sex, season, and age class. An overall mean forage intake of 21.9 grams air dry forage/kg carcass weight/day was calculated. Adult animals consumed significantly (less than 0.01) more than adults throughout the year. (U.S.)