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ŠUMARSKI LIST 5-6/2009 str. 57     <-- 57 -->        PDF

D. Degmečić, K. Krapinec, T. Florijančić: ČIMBENICI KOJI UTJEČU NA SPOL TELADI JELENA OBIČNOG ... Šumarski list br. 5–6, CXXXIII (2009), 279-287
tion during winter (November-January), are definitely factors that influence
the amount of food available (the first is negatively dependant, whereas the
other two factors have a positive dependency on food availability), i.e. on the
nourishment of the hinds. According to Flint et al. (1997) and Enright et al.
(2001), the hinds that are better nourished give birth to a higher percentage of
male calves, regardless if we are talking about red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) or
fallow deer (Dama dama L.). Kojola’s research (1997) has confirmed similar
results for reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.), and Wauters et al. (1995) for roe
deer (Capreolus capreolus L.).


The research of the factors that may influence the sex of a red deer calf
(Cervus elaphus L.) has been conducted in the State hunting ground number
XIV/9 “PODUNAVLJE – PODRAVLJE”. The hunting ground is situated in
Baranja alongside the rivers Danube and Drava. The hunting ground is managed
by the company Hrvatske šume d.o.o. Zagreb, Uprava šuma podružnica
Osijek. This paper is based on the cull data of the hinds in the hunting ground
during the hunting seasons 2007/2008 (42 head) and 2008/2009 (23 head).
The following data has been recorded and analyzed: net body weight of the
hinds (body weight of eviscerated head with skin, without head and feet (carpal
and tarsal parts of the extremities)); also during evisceration, embryos or
foetuses were removed from uterus, weighed on a gram scale and their sex
was determined in utero (Figure 2. and 3.).


The research did not find differences that would point to this particular
factor, although there is a change in ratio of male and female foetuses. For the
hunting season 2007/2008 sex ratio was 1:21 (45:55 %) for the female foetuses,
and a year after 1,09:1 (52:48 %) for the male foetuses (Table 1.). The
cause of the irregular sex ratio in the hunting season 2007/2008 could be an
extremely hot and very dry summer in 2007, or the difference could simply be
caused by the sample examined. It was found that the sex ratio of the culled
hinds in two consecutive hunting seasons (2007/2008 and 2008/2009) was different
(1:21, and 1.09:1 respectively). The results of the net body weight tests
for the hinds, as one of the key parameters for the population, did not show a
significant relevance for determining the sex of future calves. However, although
statistically insignificant, a climate difference in the summers of the
two hunting seasons was recorded.


Key words: red deer, Cervus elaphus, hind body weight, sex of the foetus,
in utero