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Appendix A. A method to estimate the number of reproductive females in the population and neonatal survival rates from count data.

To determine the number of reproductive females in the current population, we multiplied the number of juveniles from the classification survey in the prior year (N_J(t-1)) by the proportion of fawns that are female (J_F) to estimate the number of juvenile females in the prior year (N_JF(t-1)). Next, we multiplied N_JF(t-1) by the juvenile overwinter survival rate (S_J) to estimate the number of juvenile females recruited into the population as yearlings in the current year (N_Y(t)). We subtracted N_Y(t) from the total number of females recorded in the classification survey in the current year (N_F(t)) to determine the number of reproductive (i.e., adult) females in the population (N_AF(t)). Thus, the estimated number of reproductive females in the current year was

Next, we multiplied N_AF(t) by the adult fertility rate (F_A; Note that F_A has previously been divided by two to reflect an assumed even sex ratio) to estimate the number of female neonates produced in the current year (N_NF(t)). Finally, we multiplied the actual number of juveniles recorded in the classification survey in the current year (N_J(t)) by J_F to estimate the number of juvenile females in the current year (N_JF(t)), then divided this number by N_NF(t) to determine S_N(t). Thus, estimated neonatal survival for the current year was