Abstract
Mapping habitats suitable for deer yards using Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) digital data has proven to be a valuable tool in New Hampshire. By knowing the requirements for deer yards in conjunction with the forest types of an area, considerable time and money can be saved by the game biologist locating deer yards. The procedure used is a relatively simple one. Landsat classification maps are generated for various towns using softwood, hardwood, mixed wood, open, and water categories. The maps are then used by the biologists to field check every softwood area on the classification map, softwood areas being important to the deer for protection from heavy snow. Having located the deer yards, efforts can commence to protect them through various methods insuring a healthy deer population with budget cuts effecting all sectors of the economy, time saving procedures will have to be implemented. A healthy deer herd has implications that benefit the State financially as well as aesthetically. The technique of mapping forest types is not a new one, however, using this information and applying it to related areas can save considerable time and money.
Date of this Version
1981