White Tailed Deer

White tailed deer are the smallest members of the North American deer family. They are found from southern Canada to South America.  In the peak of summer they live in the fields and meadows using clumps of broad leaf and coniferous trees for shade. During the winter they mainly stay in the forests.

Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in the summer which fade to grey in the winter. Male deer called bucks are easily recognizable by their large antlers which are grown annually and fall of in the winter. During the mating season bucks become very territorial using their antlers in sparring matches.

Female deer give birth to 1-3 young at at time. This normally takes place from May to June after a period of 7 months. Fawns have a reddish brown coat with white spots to help them blend into the forest

These animals are herbivores and will graze on available plant foods. Their stomachs allow them to digest a range of  different foods including: twigs , fruit , nuts , leaves , grass ,corn , alfalfa, lichens and other fungi. They sometimes forage in the daylight but normally come out at dawn and dusk.

In the wild young deer are the  prey of bobcats , mountain lions and coyotes. They use speed and agility to outrun the predators sprinting up to 30 mph and leaping as far as 9 meters into the air in a single bound.