Whitetail Deer

Water  Deer require water. Despite common belief, deer cannot manufacture water from the food they eat. Many factors come into consideration when calculating the amount of water deer require. However, most studies have shown that deer require 1-4 quarts of water daily per 100 pounds of body weight. Additionally, studies have shown that deer are found less than 1 mile from water when it is a limiting factor. Cover Deer seek cover for several reasons: shelter from the elements, escape from predators and fostering a sense of security. Cover is provided in the form of vegetation, such as trees, shrubs and brush as well as topographic features such as draws, rock outcroppings and the lee side of hills and ridges. During hot days, deer will seek out shade where temperatures may range from 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. During extremely cold weather, deer seek shelter in heavy cover such as conifers on the lee side of ridges. So long as temperatures remain 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above deer will continue to gain weight given adequate food. At temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, however, deer will continue to lose weight regardless of the quantity or quality of food. The need for thermal cover thus becomes apparent at low temperatures. Thermal cover is also important in fawning periods. Camouflage and thermal cover are necessary for high fawn success. Deer feel most secure when cover is within a few hundred yards when feeding. This shows the whitetail's affinity for edges. Regions with patchwork patterns, lots of edge, support the highest number of whitetails. Conversely, large unbroken tracts support fewer deer. The size of the patches is debatable but some deer have shown preferences of cover patches less than 200 yards in diameter.  Reproduction Breeding occurs in the fall. The change in photo-period stimulates the release of hormones that regulate the behavior of both bucks and does. Does will come into heat 3 times: once around mid-October, another in mid-November and a third and final time in mid-December. The "rut" is another name for the breeding period. The "peak" of the rut varies from region to region and is defined as the time when the greatest number of does are in heat. During this time, bucks mark out their territory via rubs and scrapes. A rub is a tree or other form of vegetation where a buck has rubbed his antlers against it to de-bark the tree, which is usually aromatic, in order to deposit his personal scent. Many researchers suggest that bucks rub to remove velvet from their antlers. While there is some evidence of this, it is hard to determine why since there aren't any neurons active in the antlers at the time velvet sheds. This dispells the myth of "itchy" antlers needing to be rubbed. Scrapes are bare patches of earth that have been scraped away usually under an overhanging branch. Typically, a buck will paw out a scrape, urinate in it, mark the overhanging branch with his scent and check the scrapes periodically for signs of does. Does will deposit their scent as well thus acting as a "calling card" for the buck. Once the buck notices this he will go off in pursuit of the doe. Once bred, gestation lasts from 204-210 days and does usually average around 2 fawns under good habitat conditions. More or less fawns may be born depending on the quality of the home range. . Mortality Most populations of deer have relatively few means of mortality. Deer have been shown to reach ages from 19 - 22 years in captivity, but this is relatively rare in wild populations. In fact, 10 years has typically been the maximum age most whitetails can attain in the wild. Other forms of mortality are relatively rare for the most part. Predation is probably the largest cause of mortality among whitetail deer. Predators include bear, mountain lion, wild dogs, coyotes, wolves, and fox. The biggest predator of whitetail deer is man either through direct means such as hunting or through indirect means such as road kills and habitat change. Home Range and Travel Habits Whitetails travel to meet their basic needs of food, water, cover, and reproduction. This largely determines when and how far they will travel. In areas where all their needs can be met in a relatively small area, they will not move very far. In other areas, they may travel considerable distances to meet all their basic needs. Other determinants of deer travel include weather and predators. Obviously, deer will move to maximize their protection. This could result in some of their habits becoming nocturnal as is the case with many experienced older deer that feel safer moving at night than during the day. Most studies show that whitetails have major movements every 4-6 hours. Typically, and most studies agree, deer spend their lives within a 1 square mile area (640 acres).