Quantifying how physiographic region affects age-related physical developme
nt of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) will aid in understanding
land management and harvest regulation impacts. We analyzed 1991-98 harvest
data from Mississippi's Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) and wild
life management areas consisting of 247,051 deer from 5 physiographic regio
ns in Mississippi. Sex, age, and region affected eviscerated body mass (P <
0.001). Age and region affected an antler size index (P ( 0.001). However,
significant interactions between age and regions and differences in the sl
opes of growth rates for body mass and an antler size index indicated these
variables develop differently across the physiographic regions for each se
x. Managers should use caution when grouping body mass samples for 2.5-, 3.
5-, and <greater than or equal to>4.5-year-old deer, as changes in age comp
osition with limited sample size could bias mass results. Soil fertility sh
ould be considered when designing age-based selective harvest programs when
management goals include maximizing antler size at harvest.