White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer photographed on a trail camera

NPS Photo

Odocoileus virginianus

White-tailed deer are found throughout most of the continental United States and are one of the most common ungulates (hoofed mammals) in North America. White-tailed deer are herbivorous, meaning their diet is almost entirely made up of plants. They eat a huge variety of plants from acorns to poison ivy! They can also eat some mushrooms which are poisonous to people.

Coyotes, bobcats, alligators, and cougars have all been known to kill and eat deer, particularly preying on young fawns and old or sick deer.

Female deer live in large groups and have established hierarchies within groups with some deer being dominant over others. Male deer regrow their antlers every year. Deer can weigh up to four hundred pounds (males tend to be larger than females), and there are records of deer weighing more.

Did You Know?

• White-tailed deer have dichromatic vision which means they see colors in the spectrum of two of the primary colors (blue and yellow) but cannot easily differentiate different shades of colors like red or orange. This is why orange is a popular bright color worn by hunters, so they are easily spotted by people (who have trichromatic vision, meaning they see all three primary colors easily) but not easily spotted by deer.
• When deer feel threatened, they breath heavily (which is called blowing) before fleeing. This alerts nearby deer that there is a threat present.
• Deer will rise up on their back legs and strike at each other like they are boxing.

 

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Female white-tailed deer

NPS Photo / Soren George-Nichol

 

Sources

Behrend, D. F., & Lubeck, R. A. (1968). Summer flight behavior of white-tailed deer in two Adirondack forests. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 615-618.

Sotala, D. J., & Kirkpatrick, C. M. (1973). Foods of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, in Martin County, Indiana. American Midland Naturalist, 281-286.

VerCauteren, K. C., & Pipas, M. J. (2003). A review of color vision in white-tailed deer. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 684-691.