Chronic wasting disease influences activity and behavior in white‐tailed deer

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious and fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of members of the family Cervidae. Although CWD has been a serious concern among wildlife managers in several states in the United States and 2 Canadian provinces for over a decade, it is not known how CWD affects movement of hosts during the preclinical and clinical phases of disease. We hypothesized that normal movement patterns are altered by CWD. We evaluated migratory status, migration corridors, dispersal behavior, hourly activity patterns, home range areas, and resource selection for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of known CWD status as a means of understanding how CWD infection influenced habitat use and disease spread. We captured deer, tested for CWD by tonsil biopsy, marked deer with radio-transmitters (2003-2010) or global positioning system collars (2006-2010), and recaptured individuals annually for CWD testing. The proportion of CWD-positive females that migrated was significantly less than CWD-positive males. All deer that were CWD-negative were more active than their CWD-positive cohabitants, which was most pronounced in fall for males when CWD-positive deer were significantly less active throughout the day. Home range areas were small (=1.99 km(2)) and were larger for CWD-negative females than CWD-positive females. Resource selection analyses indicated that all deer, regardless of CWD status, sex, or migratory status selected riparian habitats. Riparian habitats represent high CWD risk areas that should be targeted for potential disease management actions (e.g., surveillance, culling, environmental treatments). (c) 2017 The Wildlife Society.