Observing The Whitetail Deer

The large population sizes of ungulates limit much of the genetic issues associated with selective harvest. However, due to the common hunting strategies individuals, often males, with high reproductive value are removed. Pairing this with the issue of the ‘tragity of the commons’ management of commonly harvested populations is imperative.

Mule deer and Whitetail deer share many similarities and differences. The first similarity between them is that males are called bucks and the females are called does. Secondly, they are both hunted a lot, for both their meat and their antlers. On the other hand Mule deer and Whitetail deer have many differences.

They do this to adapt to the colour of the current season they are in. This can benefit in many ways such as camouflage or hide from predators. The White-tails deer is an important part of the environment as it is a good food source for bobcats, panthers, and coyotes. Another extremely important role in the environment they play is eating invasive plant species since they are herbivores. If the White-tail deer was to be taken out of the ecosystem, a lot of these plants would invade or

Over just a century ago the whitetail deer population became nearly extinct, mostly due to a rapid expansion in the railroad system. At this same time market hunting, weak enforcement of game laws, and habitat loss contributed to the dangerously low deer populations in the late 1800’s. In states like Kansas and Indiana deer were completely extinct, being endangered in many others. With the whitetail deer population doubling every two years there is an estimated thirty million deer in the United States (Rooney, 2012). Although with these over-abundant populations comes the destruction of natural resources along with diseases and other factors that can tremendously affect the population. While there are many factors that play an active role in the declination of Whitetail deer populations, chronic wasting disease is just one of them.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of the largest spread mammals in the North region of America. White-tailed deer are grayish brown in the winter and red-brown in the summer (Curtis and Sullivan 2001). Compared to female deer (does), male deer (buck) have antlers and they weigh between 125-200 pounds. Female deer weigh less than male deer. (Curtis and Sullivan 2001). White-tailed deer are opportunistic animals that take advantage of unexploited areas. They are mostly found on the edge of the forest, shrub lands, agricultural fields, open grasslands, and suburban areas (Curtis and Sullivan 2001).

When you think of a mammal who regularly kills humans, the white-tailed deer does not come to mind. Unfortunately, the white-tailed deer often jumps in front of vehicles, causing more than one million collisions resulting in over two hundred deaths a year. In James Gorman’s article, he persuaded me that by bringing the eastern cougar back to its original home, the number of deaths would significantly reduce. He explains both the benefits and downsides of cougars returning to their natural habitat.

When the white-tailed deer show up in my backyard, it's like witnessing a direct link to an age almost forgotten. I freeze in my tracks, and I can't help but think about their unbroken chain of ancestors going back into the ancient past. These animals were here long before any settlers arrived from Europe. They were the hunted long before rifles replaced bows and arrows. They knew these lands when the waters were still clean and the air was still fresh. They knew these lands when there were no cars and no railroads. They were here before horses were brought to this continent from Europe. In their majestic silence, the deer have witnessed footpaths become trails, trails become roads, and roads become interstates. Their resilience is remarkable.

With an estimated 19,520 deer maimed, dying gruesome, inhumane deaths at the hands of British Columbia drivers every year a solution needs to be found (“The Facts”). With the over population of deer in Victoria, a sight becoming more common, is the carcass of a deer which has been impaled by the bumper of an unfortunate motorist. These deaths are not only cruel and inhumane for the deer but also pose a danger to the motorist’s. The danger which deer pose to cyclists is one that cannot be overlooked. Cyclists do not have the added protection that motorist’s enjoy and are at higher risk of serious injury when a collision occurs. The menace rutting deer expose children and pets to is a

Although there are often comments in the media about the over abundant deer population, the historical analysis summarized in the figure above shows the population of white-tailed deer returned to about pre-European settlement numbers by the year 2000. Data for the trend in the white-tailed deer population from 2000 and earlier is based on Kert VerCauteren in The Deer Boom and the Wildlife Management Institute's 1984 book "Whitetail Deer Ecology and Management", updated using current harvest data and state population estimates. A summary of historic mule and black-tail population estimates. Read a peer reviewed research article demonstrating how public management decisions in California have contributed to the long term decine of the

It is impossible to discuss deer at all without talking about deer management, because there is there hardly a deer alive in America today that is not directly influenced by man. We control the water the deer drinks, the food that it eats, and the land that it lives on, and we regulate the manner, sex, and amount of deer harvested. The problem lies in the way we manage the deer herd. The time has come to practice Quality Deer Management.

Deer are normally browsing on similar food throughout the seasons, but it depends if the food is available. During majority of the seasons white-tailed deer are getting food from hard mast, these hard mast consists of acorns, beech nuts, and hickory nuts. Since their diet mainly consists of

Many people have misconceptions about hunting. One such misconception is that hunting is easy and any person can go sit in the woods and wait for an animal to cross the hunter’s path. However, people who believe this are sorely mistaken. Hunting is not just sitting in the woods with a rifle; there are many other aspects that must be considered. An individual must have all preparations complete, purchase or gather the equipment needed, and know what to listen for while in the woods.

It was my favorite time of the year again, deer hunting season. Going to my cabin up in northern Minnesota and doing what I love was never a let down. The peacefulness, liveliness, and belongingness of being in the woods made deer hunting the most enjoyable part of the year.

Would you ever want to kill someone because they are valuable and famous? No right? Well that's what is happening to animals and some people are just having to pay $500, don’t you think there should be more? According to Star Tribune the only punishment for killing deer when it is not deer season is only $500. That's not enough for killing animals and making the become endangered. Therefore, there should be a bigger consequence for poaching for because it leads to endangerment of animals and animals should not be used to make things that we want.

Sophy: Long ago, the immortal of dear took form of an unusual looking deer in the human world. The villagers called him “The Nine-Colored Deer” for his fur was composited by nine colors. He was the most beautiful creature then, however, he was rarely seen by human and so the villagers thought his existence was a mystery.