GHENT, WV (WVNS)– Though the white-tailed deer is a very common in the region, there are at least 10 interesting facts about this creature can be surprising to some.
According to facts.net and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, this is a creature that best symbolizes gentle innocence. They have a very flighty nature and have become prize game for hunters all over. Now it is time to take a closer look at this unique but well-known deer.
White-Tailed Deer is the most hunted animal in West Virginia
According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, the white-tailed deer harvest numbers increased 12.7 percent over the 2022 hunting season. This is a significant increase, considering more than 100,000 deer were harvested the year prior. The 2022 seasons were also 12.2 percent above the five-year average.
Bambi is probably the most popular whitetail deer.
Yes, Disney’s animated creation might be the most popular whitetail deer in existence. However, Bambi was not originally depicted as a whitetail in the novel, but as a roe deer that is native to Eurasia. Since Americans were unlikely to recognize this kind of deer, Disney decided to change Bambi to the more known whitetail deer.
They use their tails as a warning signal.
As mentioned by their name, whitetail deer have white coloring on their tails that are used as a form of communication system. When threatened, they will lift their tail up in order to warn their herds. They also leave scents and sounds was a form of warning too. They have seven parts of their bodies: mostly in the face, between the toes, foreskin, and along the hind legs.
Their fawns lay down to hide themselves.
As was shown in Bambi, young fawns are very helpless, and in the wild, doe will leave their fawns in tall grass or other crevices as they forage for food. As they wait for their mothers, they will sit still in hope that their white spots will disguise them from predators.
They have been observed eating human flesh.
Normally, whitetail deer eat live vegetarian lives, mostly eating grass and crops. However, they have to stray away from their diet during the winter, where they have been seen eating fish, dead rabbits, live birds, and even dead human flesh in order to survive. In 2017, scientists from Texas witnessed whitetail deer feeding on human remains.
Their poop can tell you if they’re nearby.
Like most animals, deer droppings can help indicate their diet, habitat, and proximity. If the droppings are warm, this might mean that a whitetail is near.
Their eyes work better at night.
Though their sense of smell is their strongest sense, their eyesight is terrible during the day. Similar to other nocturnal species, deer eyes have more rods than cones in their eyes, making their vision sensitive to light.
They usually travel in herds of five to six.
Typically, whitetails tend to keep close groups of the same sex. In these groups, buck will spar to show dominance in the group.
One in 65 doe can grow antlers.
Though only bucks usually grow the antlers, there have been some rare cases of doe growing them as well. In very rare cases, doe may have unusually high testosterone levels, which cause them to antlers themselves.
Mule Deer vs. White-tailed Deer
Due to similar coats and sizes, it is very easy to mix up a whitetail deer with a mule deer. However, there are two differences that can help tell them apart: mule deer have black-tipped tails, and they also have antlers that fork/branch out from many points.
