Antietam's diverse landscape provides a noteworthy habitat for wildlife observation. During a typical day at the battlefield, visitors are most likely to see woodchucks and white-tailed deer. With a closer look and a little patience, many other types of wildlife can be spotted. The open fields provide great habitat for a range of birds, namely, Eastern Bluebirds, Horned Larks and Grasshopper Sparrows. Small stands of trees and wooded areas attract a different group, such as the Pileated Woodpecker, various owls and even the majestic Red-Tailed Hawk. Within these same fields and woods, there are frequent sightings of raccoons, red foxes, striped skunks and eastern cottontails.

In 2003, the Battlefields Division of Natural Resources Management, in cooperation with Smithsonian Institute, Maryland DNR and Shepherd University, began work on a Deer Movement Study. This long-term study will help us learn more about the local deer herd dynamics and health