White-tail Deer Facts

The white-tailed deer are known to be natives of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Amazingly, New Jersey is home to a large number of a growing herd of white-tailed deer with a number ranging from 120,000 to as much as 180,000. As the number of predators decreases, the herds of white-tailed deer have markedly increased. But as it stands, there aren’t enough predators to sufficiently affect the white-tailed deer population. The only real predators of the white-tailed deer community in New Jersey are, Humans, motorists, and domestic dogs.

A male deer is referred to as a “BUCK” or stag while a female deer is a “DOE”. A young deer is a “FAWN” and a group of deer is a “HERD”.

Here are some exciting White-tailed deer facts:

• A deer can spend close to 90% of its time within 5-mile radius.
• A deer consumes about 2000 pounds by weight of food on the average each year.
• A deer can jump a height of about 21/2 meters, which is around 6 to 8 feet high.
• At as early as six months of age, a well-nourished doe (female deer) can begin reproduction.
• A healthy mature doe can reproduce between 1-3 fawns (young ones) in a year, this is perfectly normal.
• Wastes from a deer can cause a serious disease known as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This disease affects the neurology of a deer causing behavioral abnormalities and a physical appearance that poses to be malnourished.
• It can be said that with the growing deer population, you can find over a hundred deer per square mile.
• White-tailed Deer have their habitats in areas along streams and rivers, mixed woodlands, farms, forests, and burned shrub fields. Only when thick shrubs or forest are nearby, are open areas used.
• White-tailed deer wave their tails characteristically from side to side when they are startled. They are very agile and may bound at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour through the forest.
• Most white-tailed deer live about 2 to 3 years. The maximum life span in the wild is 20 years, but few deer live past 10 years old.
• White tail deer are generally solitary (they live alone), especially in summer. The basic social unit is a female and her fawns, although they have been observed to graze together in large herds.

More Intriguing white-tailed deer facts

Did you know?

• White-tailed deer forage for food mainly at dawn and dusk.
• White-tailed deer are known to have outstanding eyesight and hearing.
• Only male deer grow antlers, which are shed each year.
• White-tail deer are good swimmers. This comes in handy when they have to escape predators. They typically use large streams and lakes to escape predators.
• A young deer is called a fawn. An adult male deer is called a buck. The female is called a doe.
• White-tailed deer are the most popular large game animal in the USA.

How to Identify A White-Tailed Deer

Identifying a white-tailed deer by its weight; a female white-tailed deer weigh between 90 – 211 pounds while the males weigh between 150 – 310 pounds.

This category of deer often have a reddish brown fur, particularly in the summer and a grayish brown fur during winter, having an average height of 3.5 feet. Each strand of hair on a white-tailed deer is hollow, acting as an insulator to trap body heat generated by the deer, and also helps the deer to float in water. White-tailed deer literally have a tail that is white, “White-tailed” refers to the white underside of the deer’s tail, which it displays and wags when it senses danger. They are also known to have large eyes and an outstretched ear. Male deer, called bucks, are easily distinguished in the summer and fall by their large set of antlers. New antlers are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Listed above are some of the most important white-tailed deer facts that you should know.

The Look of a Young Deer

One can identify a Fawn (young deer) by the spots found on their furs which aids their blending in with their environment. The male fawns only grow a single spike antler in their first year and up to eight points on their antler by the time they are three.

You should know that only a male deer or buck grow antlers. This antler is shed every year. The antlers begin to grow at the start of summer, during which it is covered within a thin layer of skin with fur or velvet attached which embodies thin blood cells that are able to nourish the antlers while in development. The antlers are often mature by late summer. At this point, the velvet peels off, making way for the bony antler to fully emerge.

Antlers do not primarily serve as a weapon against predators but are mainly used during the mating season – when the males fight to breed with females. Deer antler is very rich in calcium. Whenever they fall off, smaller animals craving for a calcium rich meal feast on them.

Reasons Why New Jersey Has Such A Large Deer Population

After the deer population suffered a low in the United States by the late 19th century due to overharvesting, efforts were put in place to boost their population and the enactment of several protective measures were also made. Measures such as game laws and restrictions on seasonal hunting. This in turn rapidly helped to increase the deer population. However, this isn’t the only reason why the deer population is on the rise again. By the beginning of the 20th century, combined effects of a number of factors, in addition to agricultural and horticultural practices, provided a steady supply of high quality food resources for deer. Therefore, the deer population increased exponentially. Predators such as wolves and cougars were extirpated, and this drastically reduced the deer mortality rate. Coincidentally, in hunting areas, hunters preferred to go after deer with antlers (which is a featured possessed by the male deer) thereby favoring the continued survival of the female deer and ultimately helping the population growth. Given that New Jersey has a well-developed landscape, safety regulations have denied hunters easy access to deer. This is among many key reasons why New Jersey has a very large deer population.