The Role of Sight, Scent, and Sound by the White-tailed Deer

I followed my dad through the tall grass in the field to reach my deer. Excitement entered my body as I thought about how big the deer was that I had just shot. The deer would have had to have been at least an eight-pointer, maybe even bigger, I thought. The distance between me and my deer began to shrink. I could not wait to see how big my deer actually was. As I approached the deer, my heart sank a little. My deer was an eight-pointer but had a body that resembled a large-sized dog.

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.

The ultimate dream of nearly all outdoorsmen in the United States of America today is to kill a mature old whitetail buck, and these chances have been very few and far between in the state of Tennessee in the past. In order for a male whitetail deer to grow into, what some might call, a trophy buck, it will take a

In the late winter season, bucks are all about keeping their bellies full, so you only have to find a good food on your property to locate the antlers. What are some good food sources for deer? Anything from corn to soybeans to

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.

The white tailed deer is one of the most popular deer in South Carolina. This deer can be found in southern Canada and most of the United States except for Alaska and Hawaii. They are also herbivores, meaning they feed on only plants. They can grow up to 7.2 feet long and 3.3 feet tall and a minimum of 3.1 feet long and 2.6 feet tall. Their gestation period is about 201 days. They can run up to 30 miles per hour and can weigh anywhere between 100 pounds to 150 pounds. Lastly they can live for around two to three years. But coyote are the predators for the white tailed deer. They can weigh anywhere from 15 to 46 pounds. They are about 1.9 to 2.2 feet tall. They can run about 43 miles per hour. They are also carnivores which means they feed on meat and

People often think that deer are the kind of animal that will try to avoid humans, staying as far away from us as possible. Although the deer are often afraid of humans, they do not always do well in the deep forest setting. The deer are not like most animals that are found in the forest; they actually do very well in a relatively rural setting. Unlike the grizzly bear which prefers to be alone, and really can not survive with humans, the deer has survived and is growing in numbers because of the human. Although the food is generally unwillingly taken, man has been feeding the deer for years. Deer love to eat farmers’ crops, vegetable gardens, and any landscaping flowers they can find. Not only has man been feeding the deer, but we have also eliminated almost all of their predators. The population of wolves and coyotes are gone in most regions. Hunting is strictly controlled by officials, and cannot really guarantee anything as far as population control. Therefore, there is no good way to control the population.

Van der Hoek D, Knapp AK, Briggs JM, and Bokdam J. 2002. White-tailed deer browsing on six shrub species of tallgrass prairie Great Plains Res 1:141.

Columbian White-tailed deer are distinguishable because they have a long black tail on the outside, and the male's antlers point all rise from the one main beam. The Columbian white-tail is one of the large subspecies with "antlers narrowly spreading and curving steeply upward” Columbian white-tailed deer's diets consist of young willow, cottonwood, alder and other deciduous trees in riverbanks and the surrounding area. This is where they can usually be found. Male Columbian white-tailed deer are bigger than females, they have large antlers and they shed them every winter and regrow them in spring. Both sexes have a white underneath their tail which is why they got the name.

Motion activated and infrared cameras were used to monitor deer activity in the areas of high or low wolf presence. Three images per trigger of each camera was taken. This information was gathered over a three-week period during deer season in June-August. The information recorded was compared with other studies including a trophic cascades study in the Rocky Mountains area.

The risk that deer present to motorist when driving and also the emergency personnel responding to emergency calls is unacceptable. Also the consideration of the potential health hazards, due to the parasites and diseases carried by deer, to our children as well as adults needs to be added to the call for a deer cull. The financial barriers to using and installing deer friendly preventative measures are impractical and with a cost effective way of managing urban deer population numbers, in the form of a cull, there are few other options which will be as effective and with minimal cost. With all of these considerations taken it is hard not to advocate and press for a deer management plan with the focus on reducing urban deer numbers by means of a

A young deer is walking through the woods. All of the sudden its mother is shot. Many people know the story of the fawn named Bambi. However, many don't know much about his kind, the whitetail deer. Many people only think of deer as an animal to hunt and eat its meat, but it’s much more. In order to fully understand the whitetail deer, one must understand its complex anatomy, its interesting way of mating, and its simple diet.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have historical significance throughout the state of Ohio. Ohio’s ancient civilizations relied heavily on white-tailed deer for food, tools, and clothing. Deer were attracted to the region because of the agricultural practices of Native Americans such as growing corn and the prevalence of hard mast . The population of white-tailed deer was healthy prior to European settlement, as predators such as the North American cougar (Puma concolor), eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon), and native americans kept the population under control. There are an estimated 500,000 white-tailed deer in Ohio, the species can be found in all 88 counties. Populations today are managed by a regulated hunting season. (Hulbert 1910) The objective of the study is to determine the age, sex, and distinguishing characteristics of white-tailed deer that are in both areas

White tailed deer have a very strong sense of smell. Their smell is one of the most important senses that guides them through their life. They rely

As the morning wore on I began to get anxious and fidgety feeling that no deer were going to come. As I was contemplating whether to leave my stand in the field, I recognized two deer grazing peacefully in the middle of the field. I quickly pulled up and looked through my scope and saw nothing but green fuzz. I was so nervous that I had forgotten to readjust the focus on my scope. As I did, the deer saw me move and began to trot away from me and into the protection of the forest. I managed to get my scope in focus in time to see that there was a buck and a doe. My chance had finally come. I was going to get my first Vermont buck. I immediately stood up from my stand and jogged over to where they had entered the woods. Once in the woods, I evaluated the surroundings and had a good