Influence of Age and Sex on Dressed-Whole Body Weight Relationships in Black-Tailed Deer

Abstract

Relationships of dressed and whole body weights were evaluated among age-sex categories in 54 female and 46 male black-tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. Using model selection techniques we found that regressions between dressed and whole body weight differed between the sexes and among age categories. Dressed-whole body weight relationships varied among female and male age categories and between the sexes. Dressed-whole body weight relationships should be site- and season-specific to obtain unbiased estimates of whole body weight because of season, geographic variation in morphology, and nutritional state.