The information on the sex ratio of roe deer, which is the most important game-management species in Slovenia, should be one of the key parameters in sustainable and adaptive population management, also in urban and other non-hunting areas. Due to the lack of relevant data on demographic structure of adult roe deer, we determined the sex ratio in the initial life periods, i.e. by analyses of: (i) foetuses from pregnant road-killed females, collected in the period 2014–2017 (primary sex ratio); (ii) data on road-killed juvenile roe deer, collected from the national hunting-information system. Sex ratio of foetuses was 1:0.9 in favour of males, and sex ratio of fawns from the same litter (shot as twins together with the doe) was 1:1.1 in favour of females. The analysis of road-killed juvenile roe deer revealed the higher percentage of females during the whole studied period (2008–2017). In 2017, for example, sex ratio of fawns was 1:1.22 (males vs. females), and sex ratio of yearlings was 1:1.10, respectively. The main conclusions regarding the sex ratio of roe deer, which suggests the slight prevalence of females also in juveniles, should be considered in the roe deer management in Slovenia.
COBISS.SI-ID: 5306022