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Deer Attributes and Behavior

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Deer Habitat

Deer live in almost all areas of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Deer are able to adapt their behavior greatly from region to region. Food is the main criteria that determines habitat. In the East and South, where food is more plentiful, they usually have a smaller home range. When food becomes scarce or the deer populations expands beyond normal proportions, it is not unusual to see them encroach upon the suburbs of cities, often making a pest of themselves by eating peoples shrubbery and small trees.

In the northern and desert states, where food is less plentiful, they will Free Travel Info a territory of 50 miles or more in

of sustenance.

Deer Predators

Deer are always on alert for predators. Deer have to rely on their keen senses of smell, sight and hearing to stay alive. A deer's main defense is to run. They are one of the fastest animals in the woods so it isdifficult to catch or corner them. When cornered, bucks try to fight predators with their antlers but no deer is a match for a wolf pack or a mountain lion or a bear.

Wolves and Coyotes
Both animals hunt in packs. Wolves hunt deer year around but the smaller coyote will only attempt to kill smaller weaker and fawn deer. Other predators are mainly bear and to a lessor degree, bobcats and in the South, alligators.

Man
Man is a most serious enemy; those who hunt for pleasure or food and farmers to protect their crops probably kill more deer than any other animal.

Deer Food

Unlike cows, sheep and goats, deer are not grazing animals. They will eat corn and clover but the bulk of their diet comes from the tender shoots of bushes, trees and some flowers, berries and ground plants. They are very adaptable in their taste and their food depends primarily on what is available in the area, consuming anything from prickly pear cactus to willow buds determining on the availability. They are also consumers of acorns and are especially fond of apples and other fruit.

Sex and the Rut

The Pre-Rut
Like most animals, the breeding season creates great changes in deer behavior. Bucks become more aggressive while the females are in estrus towards other deer. Does behavior remains relatively stable although they tend to eat more to fatten themselves in preparation for breeding.

The Rut
The rut lasts for as long as does are in estrus, which is about 2 to 4 days. Deer will mate several times during this period. If a doe does not mate during this short period, she may go into estrus again the following month and mate with younger bucks. Bucks and does do not stay together as families but for separate sexual groups.

Birthing
Does are give birth to their fawns in the spring and the buck's antlers begin to grow. The sexes live separately until the mating season begins again in the fall. After the mating season, the deer join in groups, the bucks lose their antlers and begin to rest and recover from the activity of the rut and the

for winter food begins.

Dear Seasons

Spring
As the year begins and the deer are recovering from the winter food shortage, doe are giving birth to the fawns, and the buck's antlers begin to grow for the next mating season. Spring is the start of a new year for the whitetail deer.

Summer
The hot long days of summer begin, the fawns of spring are beginning to mature, the doe are recoving from giving birth, and the bucks have selected an area to roam with their bachelor groups. All deer are looking for places to escape the heat of summer.

Fall
At this time fawns are weaned away from their mothers, the bucks' antlers are completely developed, and the rut, which holds the key to future generations of the whitetail, is not far off. It is during this time that the hunting season begins.

Winter
During the winter food is reduced, and the fight for survival begins. Deer begin to herd in groups, bucks lose their antlers and begin to rest and recover from the activity of the rut.

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