Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Demarais, Steve
Committee Member
Strickland, Bronson
Committee Member
Gee, Ken
Date of Degree
8-7-2010
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Degree Name
Master of Science
College
College of Forest Resources
Department
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Abstract
Objective and accurate techniques are needed to estimate age and antler size of live white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), because these parameters are essential to many white-tailed deer management strategies. I developed and evaluated accuracy of methods for estimating age and antler size from photographs of live, male white-tailed deer using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I estimated size of photographed, known-score mounted antlers accurately using a fixed-scale object and photographed, live deer using anatomical features. I determined if a series of morphometric ratios could be used to predict age of deer from photographs using a dichotomous key procedure. Mean percentage error for gross antler score was < 6% using a single photograph at 0° or 45°. The dichotomous key procedure effectively separated age classes of photographed, live white-tailed deer. When grouping deer into 1, 2, 3, 4, or ≥ 5 year age classes, the methodology respectively.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/15391
Recommended Citation
Flinn, Jeremy J., "Accuracy of estimating age and antler size of photographed deer" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 359.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/359
