*2.1. Study Area*

The study was conducted approximately 50 km southeast of Oslo, Norway, (N 59◦36 55", E 11◦36 45") in the municipalities of Spydeberg, Enebakk, Hobøl and Aurskog-Høland in Viken county (formerly Østfold and Akershus counties). The area consists of rolling hills with residential and agricultural areas (25%) surrounded by forest (75%) dominated by Norway spruce (*Picea abies*) and Scots pine (*Pinus sylvestris*) mixed with downy birch (*Betula pubescens*), mainly used for timber production. During the growing season, the agricultural fields are used for the production of cereals and fodder grass. The main ungulate species were roe deer and moose (*Alces alces*). The main predators of ungulates were lynx, which were present throughout the landscape, and individual transient wolves (*Canis lupus*). Important scavengers were pine martens (*Martes martes*), red foxes (*Vulpes vulpes*), Eurasian badgers (*Meles meles*), domestic cats (*Felis domesticus*), ravens (*Corvus corax*), hooded crows (*Corvus cornix*), magpies (*Pica pica*) and Eurasian jays (*Garrulus glandarius*), as found from video observation (unpublished data).
