Red deer (red deer) is today one of the most common species of large game in Slovenia, although it was exterminated on our soil at the end of the 19th century. With its settlement and subsequent expansion, the species has also reestablished itself in Pohorje, where it today plays an important ecological and economic role. The research focused on the spatial distribution of red deer in the Pohorje LUO area in the period 2005–2023, with an emphasis on predation, relative population densities, changes in the size of the central and peripheral areas, and the influence of sex-specific dispersion. The analysis of predation showed a distinct trend of increasing the number of predation individuals, which also indicates population growth. The area of the central areas with the highest density of red deer increased by more than six times in 19 years, which confirms the process of population expansion and stabilization in the central part of Pohorje. A higher proportion of older males (2+ deer) were observed in peripheral areas, which confirms the theory of sex-specific dispersion and larger habitats of deer 2+. The harvest density was highest in the central area, where it has recently been above 3 individuals per 100 ha per year, while it was much lower on the outskirts. By analyzing the data, we obtained a starting point for further monitoring of population dynamics and future planning, and showed the futility of covering the shooting of 2+ red deer in marginal areas and areas of undesirable deer presence.
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