Deer Facts

 

“Infinitely beautiful, like a note of joy in the green woodland” Audrey Tourney

 

Characteristics:

• The white tailed deer gets its name from the bright white fur under the tail used to warn or flag the herd when danger is near. Running upwards of 40mph and having the ability to jump over 9 feet high.
• A Male is called a buck and a female is called a doe, whereas young are referenced to as fawns.
• Within this species only the buck grow antlers, which are shed in the winter. These antlers are used during the “rutting” season to fight for territory and the privilege to mate.
• An approximate age can be estimated by the staining and wear on their teeth, not by counting the points or tines of their antlers.
• Know to be generally solitary during the summer months, but come winter when the snow is deep they congregate together within their favorite feeding grounds. They also become easy targets for predators during the winter months grouping together makes it more difficult for predators to select their prey.
• With an acute sense of hearing and good eyesight they mainly depend on their sense of smell.
• Deer tame very easily causing them to loose their fear of humans and vehicles. For their safety “do not feed”!

 

Diet:

• Deer are herbivores – grazing on grasses and herbs, leaves, berries and acorns. Their favorites are from Willow, Yellow Birch and Maple saplings. During the winter they consume mostly cedar and twigs and dig for grasses when possible.
• To allow deer to digest plants and woody debris they have a
  4-chambered stomach, which classifies them as a “ruminant”.
  They eat quickly with little chewing then while resting they regurgitate their food, re-chew it to continue breaking down the vegetation to increase nutrition absorption.

Habitat:

• White-Tailed deer thrive in dense mixed forests, fields and agricultural areas, which provide food and cover for them. During the winter months they can be found in thick coniferous forest where snow conditions are less and natural foods are more available.

Reproduction:

• Mating occurs late October throughout November. The young are generally born end of May through to mid June. It has been known for young to be born as late as September.
• Twins are fairly common, but anything from a single to quadruplets has been recorded.
• They are born scentless with a reddish brown coat with white spots. This helps them blend with their environment and avoid predators.
• At about 5 months they will lose these spots during the growth of their first winter coat. Fawns are often stashed for long periods of time in a secluded place, while the doe is off feeding returning to nurse every 2-3 hours during the day. This is done for the first month or so until the fawn is able to keep up with the doe and is weaned on natural vegetation.

Native Notes:

“Deer teaches us the power of using gentleness to touch the hearts and minds of ourselves, and those around us. Each person walks their own earth walk to their own rhythms and that is to be respected and treated with dignity and kindness. Use a gentle heart and approach people in a good way. Most importantly be gentle with yourself and you will remain connected to Great Mystery.”