Species Feature #2, White-Tailed Deer

I know I'm not thrilling anyone in the mid-Atlantic with exotic species just yet. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is as ubiquitous here as the human being, and it is that trait which essentially requires me to treat this species early. I have grown numb tot he creatures over the years, but they can be majestic and there is a wealth of information readily available.

Photo credit to Laurel; taken at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. Momma was not real happy with two humans and a dog so close.

Odocoileus virginianus Quick Facts

Common Name(s): white-tailed deer, Virginia deer, whitetail

Taxonomic Breakdown:

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum - Chordata
• Class - Mammalia
• Order - Artiodactyla
• Family - Cervidae (Subfamily - Cepriolinae)
• Genus -Odocoileus
• Species -virginianus

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Name of Young: fawn
Sex-Specific Names: buck, stag (M); doe (F)

Range: Widespread across most of North America; south as far as northern Chile

More deer grazing in Big Meadows.

I have heard the white-tailed deer referred to as "the most dangerous animal in North America" because of all the auto accidents. However, some (limited) web research seems to debunk this. Here's a North American list...it seems the whitetail gets consideration mostly from a lack of contenders. It appears that the death toll is on the order of 100 per year, including the vehicular mishaps - the same as that of the American bison. Given the disparity in populations (in the wild, approximately 30 million deer vs. approximately 30,000 bison - a factor of one thousand), I'd have to give the bison a clear advantage here.

Speaking of population, it's a problem. Deer are vastly overpopulated. We create their habitat and kill their predators, and this species is remarkably adaptable to begin with. Some places have even gone so far as to practice netting and bolting. I'm not sure I'm strongly against this; it might not be the most humane thing but neither is letting them continue to damage the environment with their overpopulation. It is certainly a complex issue, made more complex by their simple cuteness. I suppose the way I do feel is: eat venison. It's a sustainable meat and leaner than beef. Sometimes it's hard to come by, though.

Some older fawns hanging out around the Rachel Carson Greenway Trail. This time mom peed at me in frustration.

I was surprised at my lack of good deer photos, and almost as surprised that the best all seemed to contain at least one fawn.

I will leave you with this: the state of West Virginia, during my childhood there, enacted a roadkill law which was the subject of much ridicule. However, it was intended as a partial solution to the deer problem and a poverty problem. For those whose vehicles were damaged by these beasts, it offered an opportunity to recoup some of those losses in terms of several good meals. A small family can eat for some time from one deer. Although, in practice I think the results were pretty close to the jokes. I recall my parents getting a call from the warden asking if they'd like to claim a deer that had died on our property after being hit. The call came about three days after it was struck, and was met with a reply of "no thanks; we'd prefer you remove this rotting thing from our yard."