Factors in the mass mortality of a herd of sika deer,Cervus nippon

A six year population study on sika deer,Cervus nippon, introduced in 1916 on James Island in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, provided unique results because of the unusual completeness of the data due to an islandic situation. A density of one deer per acre was reached in 1955. In 1958, 60 percent of the population, mainly young and females, died during January and February. Gross and microscopic studies were made on 18 deer, shot and autopsied in 1955, 1957–60, plus one recently dead at the time of the die-off.