Blood samples from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) were taken in three locations in south Texas to establish metabolic profiles and nutritional status and to determine the correlations of body condition, location, season, sex, age, reproductive status, stress and hemolysis with hematological values for this species. The parameters we measured included glucose, prorein, albumin, globulin, AIG ratio, creatinine, cholesterol, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, uric acid, urea (BUN), total lipids, free fatty acids, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, red blood cells and white blood cells. The means of these parameters were related to 17 factors which we felt might have some correlation with the values. Two of the most important factors affecting normal blood values were hemolysis and stress. Many of the blood parameters for struggling and especially drugged animals were highly significant (P < 0.01). Certain parameters as cholesterol, free fatty acids and BUN show promise as predictive measures for deer body and range habitat condition.
