The present study was undertaken in order to examine environmental pre
ferences and social aggregations of red deer in an alpine valley. From
March 1994 to February 1995, 72 hours of observations were carried ou
t at dawn and at dusk for two days/month from two different fixed site
s. A certain degree of altitudinal and spatial overlapping with roe de
er and chamois was observed. Males used the higher part of the valley
more frequently than females Most of our results about group compositi
on (sexual segregation, presence of isolated individuals) are in agree
ment with those reported by other authors in different environments. N
evertheless, in alpine environment red deer showed some differences as
to group size and its seasonal variations compared to the results of
studies carried out in different areas, underlining the importance of
specific investigations in different environments.