Correlation of Sex, Age, and Body Mass with Hoof Size in White-Tailed Deer from the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge, Georgia

Authors

Ben Batchelor
Alfred J. Mead, Georgia College and State UniversityFollow

Abstract

The distal forelimbs and mandibles of 157 white-tailed deer (Odo­coileus virginianus) harvested during the 2001 fall hunting season on the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia, were used to explore the osteometric correlation of sex, age, and body mass with hoof size. The width of the right front, medial unguis and the linear distance from the tip of the dew-claw to the tip of the medial unguis were used as measures of hoof size. Linear regressions were calcu­lated for each osteometric parameter for each sex individually and for the sexes combined. Regression R²-values suggest that hoof width may be useful in estimating body mass, but not age. However, due to nearly complete range overlap, male white-tailed deer cannot be distinguished from females on the basis of hoof width or length.

Recommended Citation

Batchelor, Ben and Mead, Alfred J. (2007) "Correlation of Sex, Age, and Body Mass with Hoof Size in White-Tailed Deer from the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge, Georgia," Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 65, No. 2, Article 6.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol65/iss2/6