Mule Deer Condition 



Antler Characteristics 



Antler characteristics, especially of yearling males, 

 have been related to nutritional qualities of the diet and 

 physical condition in deer (French et al . 1956, McEwen et al . 

 1957, Robinette et al . 1973, and Rasmussen 1985). Generally, 

 antler size as expressed by total weight, beam diameter, 

 number of points, and beam length increases with nutritional 

 plane. 



Antler characteristics of mule deer on our study area 

 (Table 4.7) indicated that yearling males were in relatively 

 poor condition during 1961, 1970, 1984, and 1985. They also 

 may have been in relatively poor condition during 1964. 

 Better than average condition was apparent for 1963, 1974, 

 1978, 1979, and 1987. Data for other years either indicated 

 average condition or conflicting conclusions were given by 

 beam diameter and antler point measurements. 



Although antler measurements did not exactly reflect 

 overall deer herd performance in all years, they accurately 

 reflected forage conditions and fawn survival during years 

 when antler measurements were at extremes in either direction. 

 Because antler measurements may also be affected by conditions 

 prevailing at birth, genetic factors, hunter selection, and 

 stocastity, "noise" may mask changes resulting from 

 nutritional status during years of less than extreme 

 condition. 



Weights 



Relative deer weights by sex and age class have also been 

 considered an indicator of nutritional status (McEwen et al . 

 1957 and Klein 1970). Limited data on deer weights recorded 

 during some years of the study (Table 4.8) verified that all 

 deer were in relatively poor condition during 1961 and 1984. 

 During 1962, the weights of yearling and 2-year-old males as 

 well as 2-year-old-and-older females were above average 

 despite poor fawn survival. Weights of adult females were 

 probably above average that year because few females recruited 

 fawns to autumn during either 1961 or 1962 and, relieved of 

 lactation stress and with good forage conditions after June, 

 most females recovered body condition by autumn 1962. 



Weights of adult females were usually below or near 

 average during years of drought and/or during years following 

 several years of above average fawn recruitment. For example, 

 antler beam diameter (Table 4.7) and weights of yearling males 

 (Table 4.8) were above average during 1981, but weights of 

 adult females were slightly below average after having 



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