PRESENTATION NAME

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 andcharacteristics of white-tailed deer.

Analyze whitetail populations andreproduction.

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 fromthe frontal bone on the head of a deer

Velvet:

A soft, vascular tissue found ondeveloping 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 thetail "flagging", voice call

Top speed: 30-35 mph

Death usually 10 years or younger

Description

Small to medium hoofed mammalwith reddish to blue-gray or tancolorings

Underside of tail is white

Antlers on male consist mainly ofmain beam with tines growing fromit

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Antlers

Made of bone material

Start developing in April

Nourished by blood vesselscalled "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 matterper day

14 to 18% protein

Woody plants, forbs or weeds,grasses

May include: peanuts, corn, peas,clover, oats, ryegrass, wheat, etc.

Example: food plots

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Diet (cont.)

Increased eating of grass mayindicate:

–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 ofany state

Buck’s range is 2-4 times largerthan does

Texas hill country is most denselypopulated area in the country

West Texas and the Panhandle arethe only spotty areas with whitetails

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Habitat / Habits

Inhabits forest, swamps, openbrushy areas, foothill plains, andriver bottoms

Herbivorous – browser, eats forbs,twigs, shrubs, acorns, fungi andsome 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 throughDecember

–Spotted twin

fawns are

normal

Reproduction

Both bucks and does normally reachmaturity at 15 to 20 months old

Does can have 3 estrus cycles peryear

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

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Population

Ideal is 1:1 ratio

Healthy herd can withstand 30%harvest

A lot of spikes indicate a managementproblem

–Example: poor nutrition like we talkedabout earlier

Overpopulation??