Local variations of antler in Yeso Sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)

To obtain more genetic and basic information for producing velvet from farmed Yeso Sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis), at first, we statistically analyzed and compared the morphological variations of the wild deer antler among five habitats. The results will be available for selecting dominant breeding stocks with superior antlers from wild or farmed deer. Then they can be applied as scientific data to select animals for game to protect wild deer with excellent antlers. The habitats of Yeso Sika deer were selected, includeing Shiretoko Peninsula as protection area and the four habitats of Kushiro, Abashiri, Obihiro and Nemuro as liberated areas for game and extermination hunting in the northeast Hokkaido where the most wild deer are living. The results were as follows. 1) On the numerical variations of tine in Yeso Sika deer, more individuals with the multiple tine type were observed than the few tine type ; their frequencies were 3.3 and 1.74%, respectively. The multiple tine type was observed more frequently in the Shiretoko habitat. For the abnormal antler, the appearance frequencies of individuals with the small process on 1st crotch and widened antler was 6.3 and 2.3%, respectively. Process and widened antler types were observed more frequently in animals of the Shiretoko and Nemuro habitats. These variations are related to aging. 2) The total length of antlers are classified into three kinds : the long beam type over 65 cm, the middle beam type of 35 - 65 cm and the dwarf type below 35 cm. The middle type was observed up to 62.8% in Obihiro area, and it was thought that deer in the Obihiro area may have been given pressure more strongly and selectively by hunting. Deer in the Shiretoko area had the biggest antlers among the five areas, and the difference among Shiretoko or Nemuro habitats and other three areas was statistically significant. Deer in Kushiro area had antler which formed from the smallest parts of tine and segment among five habitats. 3) Very high correlations were recognized as r = 0.89 - 0.97 among measurements of total beam length, brow length, circumference of cornet and antler weight. Yeso Sika deer was a species with beautiful antler composed of good balanced parts. These measurements will be available for selective traits to produce velvet from Yeso Sika deer. Consequently, it will be proposed as ideal antler traits to produce velvet, as measurements of beam length, brow length, 2 nd segment, circumference of cornet and antler weight are more than 65 cm, 20 cm, 26 cm 13 cm and 800 g, respectively. To reserve the original breed in wild deer for producing velvet is important for the development of farming deer because deer with the biggest antler grow to attain generally big body size, and maintain the diversity of wild deer. The deer with excellent antler will decrease more and more, if animals for game are selected only by judgment of hunters. Accordingly, we can learn from the results on local variations among antler measurements that scientific data have to be used to select animals for deer hunting.