White-tailed Deer Presented by: Ms. Ryan Adapted From: Mrs. Reeves

Always be safe!

Objectives: List terms associated with white- tailed deer. Discuss the description and characteristics of white-tailed deer. Analyze whitetail populations and reproduction. Discuss the diet of white-tailed deer.

Terms:  Buck:  Male deer  Doe:  Female deer  Fawn:  Less than one year old  Spike:  An unbranched antler of a male deer  Attributed to genetics, nutrition, age

Terms:  Tine:  A pointed branch of an antler  Antler:  A solid bony process that arises from the frontal bone on the head of a deer  Velvet:  A soft, vascular tissue found on developing antlers  Rut:  Annual period of reproductive activity

Description / Characteristics  Odocoileus virginianus  Also known as:  Whitetail deer  Virginia deer  Texas population: 4 million  Annual Harvest: 400,000  Ruminants and chew their cud

Ruminant  Four compartment stomach  Just like what other animals??

Description / Characteristics  Sharp eyes  Communication:  Snorting, stomping feet, smell raise the tail "flagging", voice call  Top speed: mph  Death usually 10 years or younger

Description  Small to medium hoofed mammal with reddish to blue-gray or tan colorings  Underside of tail is white  Antlers on male consist mainly of main beam with tines growing from it

Antlers  Made of bone material  Start developing in April  Nourished by blood vessels called "velvet"  Velvet shed: September  Antlers shed: February  Prime antler development: o 5 ½ to 6 ½ years old

Diet  Consists of 3-7 pounds of dry matter per day  14 to 18% protein  Woody plants, forbs or weeds, grasses  May include: peanuts, corn, peas, clover, oats, ryegrass, wheat, etc.  Example: food plots

Diet (cont.)  Increased eating of grass may indicate: – Over population – Poor conditions – Too much competition  Cover 40-50% of an area  Need woody cover  ½ to 1 gallon of water per day  Need water within 1 to 3 miles

Range  Texas has most white-tailed deer of any state  Buck’s range is 2-4 times larger than does  Texas hill country is most densely populated area in the country  West Texas and the Panhandle are the only spotty areas with whitetails

Habitat / Habits  Inhabits forest, swamps, open brushy areas, foothill plains, and river bottoms  Herbivorous – browser, eats forbs, twigs, shrubs, acorns, fungi and some grasses  Limited movement – Rarely more than one to two miles

Habitat / Reproduction  Lives to 16 years in the wild  Male is polygamous – Breeds more than one female  Rut starts in October through December – Spotted twin fawns are normal

Reproduction  Both bucks and does normally reach maturity at 15 to 20 months old  Does can have 3 estrus cycles per year  Doe receptive to buck about 28 hrs. – back in heat 28 days later  Gestation period: 200 days  Fawns weaned at about 4 months

White-tailed Deer

Population  Ideal is 1:1 ratio  Healthy herd can withstand 30% harvest  A lot of spikes indicate a management problem – Example: poor nutrition like we talked about earlier

Overpopulation??