Gary L. Doster

Endogenous Fat As An Indicator Of Physical Condition Of Southeastern White-Tailed Deer

Data were collected from 440 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) throughout much of the southeastern United States in order to determine relationships between specific fat indices and overall physical condition. Specific criteria were presented for evaluating physical condition of white-tailed deer. An improved method for measuring the amount of bone marrow fat was described. The employment of various fat reserves as indicators of physical condition indicated that kidney fat was superior to other indices. Heart and pericardial fat were found to be nearly as favorable as kidney fat...

Nasal Bots of White-Tailed Deer in the Southeastern United States

Nasal bots (Cephenemyw sp.) were found in 107 (4.4 percent) of 2,423 white-tailed deer (Odocoueus virginianus) examined from the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Infected deer were not found in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The parasite was most prevalent in the winter and summer. There were no significant differences in infestations between sexes or age groupings. The average infestation was 9 larvae per infested deer and only 5 deer harbored more...