Breeding of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in Fenced Controlled Condition of epre hat

The controlled breeding of wild game has been carried out for many years as part of hunting management programs for commercially important game species. The controlled breeding of red deer in the epre hat polygon is the result of long-term game management in open hunting grounds, scientific research, monitoring the state of game in hunting grounds, and supply and demand.One of the reasons for controlled breeding of red deer in Croatia is certainly the reduction in population abundance of this species in the majority of hunting grounds after the Homeland War. The second reason was the intended aim of increasing the trophy quality of deer game, due to devastation of the gene fund.Issues such as the appearance of disease and parasites (giant liver fluke) demand controlled breeding and production of a healthy population that will replace the loss of the natural population.Research to monitoring growth intervals, body and trophy development, breeding technology and the justification of this type of breeding and protection of red deer was carried out in parallel with the targeted breeding of red deer.The primary objective of management at the epre hat polygon is the breeding of high quality Baranja red deer, with the possibility of distributing high quality breeding stock to other hunting grounds in the Republic of Croatia. The population of red deer in Baranja has very high genetic potential, and for this reason, it was used earlier in relocations to other parts of Croatia, the neighboring countries, and even to New Zealand.Researching the controlled breeding of red deer was carried out in the period 2005–2009 at the epre hat polygon. The epre hat polygon is part of the state-owned Podunavlje-Podravlje hunting ground in Baranja. Breeding of game in this polygon began in 2001, for the purpose of studying and preserving the gene fund of the red deer. The polygon originally had only 53 ha, but was gradually expanded with the addition of two fields. Therefore, in 2002, it was expanded to 58 hectares and to 66 ha in 2003. Today, the breeding grounds cover an area of 88 ha, additional areas of 56 ha, and in the most recent expansion of an area for the maturation of trophy red deer of 237 ha, resulting in a total area of 380 ha.The analysis of results of the five-year study of controlled game breeding in the epre hat polygon proves that the establishment of breeding grounds was made, given the population dynamics, growth intervals and potential for the sale of live game, as well as the commercial hunting of high quality trophy heads.It should be stressed that t