Factors influencing individual quality indicators in male roe deer in Poland

Effective wildlife management requires understanding of environmental factors that influence, among other things, the individual quality of animals. In the case of roe deer a source of knowledge may be its monitoring, which collects information about individuals shot by hunters. This study used data from over 200,000 male roe deer hunted in Poland between 2018 and 2022, across forest and field habitats in four regions with distinct climates. After the cull, carcass mass was assessed, and following skull preparation, antler mass, antler form, and the age of males were also recorded. Carcass mass varied significantly between regions with differing climates, while antler mass showed greater variability between forest and field habitats, as well as across years. These results suggest that climate may exert long-term effects on individual quality, whereas environmental resources may influence it in the short term. Both carcass and antler mass increased with age, particularly before the beginning of reproductive activity. Higher values of both quality indicators were observed in males with more developed antlers, across all age groups. Antler type can therefore serve as a useful criterion for identifying lower-quality males during hunting. Hunters seeking males of lower individual quality may be advised to target individuals with ‘without tines’ antlers or single-tines antlers. Such selective shooting may be necessary in European countries where hunting is primarily recreational. Recreational hunting of male cervids is frequently motivated by trophy quality and is therefore not random, this practice may adversely impact the age structure and individual quality of deer.