Report Nr. 2888 Deer Checking Station Data - 1980

For a number of years, the Department has been recording certain measurements from hunter-killed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). These measurements are believed to reflect the physical condition of the deer herd. This report intends to summarize the deer physical data collected this year and to encourage their comparison with like data from past years. Much of the data presented in this report were collected at the roadside check stations set up on various major north-south highways across the state. However, a great number of deer were also checked at field stations throughout the state. The fact that these data are collected from deer voluntarily brought to the check stations probably means that larger and/or older animals are more likely to be examined. Assuming that these data have a similar bias in most years, it is still possible to use the data for comparing years. The report includes data on beam diameters, antler points, sex and age, and breaks the data down by region.