Influence of age and environment on antler traits in Spanish red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

We measured antlers of 484 red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) aged between 1.5 and 13.5 years, from Sierra Morena (Southeast Spain) between 1992 and 1998. We determined the effect of year of birth, season of hunting, age group and farm size on the number of tips, the length, the width and the qual...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEuropean journal of wildlife research Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 137 - 144
Main Authors Azorit, Concepcion, Analla, M., Carrasco, R., Muñoz-Cobo, J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2002
Subjects
Animal populations
Animals
Deer
Drought
Environmental conditions
Harvesting
Hunting
Population density
Seasons
Wildlife management
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Summary:We measured antlers of 484 red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) aged between 1.5 and 13.5 years, from Sierra Morena (Southeast Spain) between 1992 and 1998. We determined the effect of year of birth, season of hunting, age group and farm size on the number of tips, the length, the width and the quality of the antlers. The number of harvested animals, an indicator of population density, was included as a covariable. Highest antler quality is obtained in animals at least seven years old. The lowest quality animals were obtained during the hunting season from October 1995 to February 1996, which coincided with the end of an extended period of drought. The best trophies were harvested during the 1996-1997 season, the period of highest rainfall during the study. Thus environmental conditions have a major influence on antler size. However, animal density had a strong negative effect on certain types of farms, emphasizing the importance of population management.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0044-2887
1612-4642
1439-0574
DOI:10.1007/BF02189987