Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
2 www.mndeerhunters.com
H ello Forkhorns!!!Welcome to the Minnesota Deer
Hunters Association Exploring
White-tailed Deer Guide!
We hope you enjoy learning all the cool
things about white-tailed deer like how
they regrow their big antlers every year
on page 10 or how they eat without
chewing on page 11!
Also, don’t forget to take the quiz and do
the crossword puzzle on page 29!
What is the MDHA
Exploring White-tailed Deer
Guide?
The MDHA Exploring White-tailed Deer Guide is an educational
publication of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. It is used as a
tool to assist in educating youth about white-tailed deer, America’s #1 big game animal. Contributors
Created by: Mike Wock
Edited by: Margaret Burgess
Ryan Patin Tina Langness
Harriette Wock MDHA State Office
Photographs by: Thank you to those who
supplied photos for our use. Each photo is credited to the photographer.
MDHA
460 Peterson Road Grand Rapids, MN 55744 (218)327-1103
www.mndeerhunters.com
The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association is a 501C(3), non-profit organization
“Working for tomorrow’s Wildlife and hunters today”.
Issue III - 2014
Amazing Adaptations
22
32
4
26
29
13 A Brief History Of Hunting
18 Deer Talk...listen close!
Spring Arrivals...ahh cute!
30
Signs...Rubs & Scrapes
16 Predators & Prey...watch out!
Take the Quiz!
Membership information
Forkhorn Camps
www.mndeerhunters.com 3
FORKHORNSFORKHORNSIN THE FIELD IN THE FIELD MDHA Forkhorns are youth
members under the age of 17
Adaptations & Traits
The White-tailed deer belongs to the same family as the elk,
moose, caribou, and mule deer. We call this family: Cervidae (SERVE-ih-day)
What’s an
adaptation? It’s a big word
describing characteristics
or features of an animal or plant
that will help it survive. Many
adaptations are designed to help
protect an animal from
predators. For example, pronghorn antelope have adapted with bodies built for speed. Fleet-footed pronghorns are among the speediest animals in North
America. They can run at more than 55 miles per hour, leaving pursuing
coyotes and bobcats in the dust. Pronghorns are also great distance runners that can travel for miles at half of their top speed. It is often cited as the
second-fastest land animal, and second only to the cheetah.
Photo from USFWS
4 Did you know...white-tailed deer are named for the white hairs on the underside of their tails.
Photo by Steve Van Riper, USFWS
DD eer use speed and
agility to outrun predators, sprinting up to 35
miles per hour and leaping as high as 10 feet and as far
as 30 feet in a single bound. Deer are ungulates, or
hoofed animals that have four toes.
The two outer toes on the backs of their
legs are called dew claws, that deer use primarily for extra balance and grip.
They walk on the middle two toes that form the hoof, which is covered by a
tough, thick toenail. Deer use their hooves to dig through leaves and snow
to find nuts and acorns. A gland between the toes produces an odor.
Deer can smell this scent and determine if another deer has been
there.
www.
TT hose skinny legs don’t look very powerful, but they’ll propel a
big-bodied buck or doe up a steep hill with no problem. With long, lean muscles, a deer’s legs are well suited for running, whether
chasing during the rut (breeding season) or evading danger.
The strong muscles of a deer’s hind legs provide most of the power for running and jumping.
The front legs are ideal for pivoting, allowing a deer to make sharp
turns. Deer also possess a great leaping ability. They bound swiftly across a dense forest
or prairie, often jumping 10 feet into
the air. Deer use their
front lets in defense as well. By punching with
their front legs, the deer’s sharp hooves
have been known to severely wound their
enemy. Rare recorded evidence has even
shown wolves killed by a deer’s hoof piercing
their skull.
Photo by Mike Wock Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Mike Wock
6 Did you know…deer can turn their ears in any direction without turning their head.
DD eer Defenses
Mother Nature has equipped all deer with survival techniques that enable them to stay alive and reproduce. Deer have a built in “flight” instinct.
When they detect danger they will flee. Humans and other predators will trigger a deer’s flight instinct. Deer survive in a world crowded with predators
by using their keen senses to detect danger. They are equipped with three primary defensive senses: SMELL, HEARING, and SIGHT.
HH earing
Smell is a deer’s primary defense mechanism against
predators and danger, but hearing and sight are important to their
survival as well. Oversize ears enable them to hear incredibly well. They
have learned to discern “natural” noises in the woods like squirrels
racing around from “unnatural” noises from a human hunter scrunch,
scrunch, scrunching through the leaves to get to his or her deer stand
or cocking of a hammer on a rifle.
Deer can rotate their ears like radar
to pick up sound. Because deer hear so well, it is difficult to sneak up on
them. A deer’s hearing is far superior
Photo by Steve Hillebrand, USFWS
Photo by Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 7
SS mell is a
deer’s most finely
developed sense; it is their best
defense. A whitetail’s sense
of smell is more than 100 times
better than humans. Human scent is detectable by deer for days after humans have left the woods. Wary bucks may avoid an area for weeks
when crossing human scent.
Photo by Roger Hill
SS cent and Communication
Deer leave scent and smell to communicate with each other. White-tailed deer possess four major glands that allow them to produce
scents, some of which are so potent
they can be detected by the human nose.
Does sniff fawns to identify their own.
Deer keep track of each other by sniff-
ing rubbed trees and scrapes (bare spots
on the ground).
Deer sniff out the best foods. Bucks
sniff a doe’s urine to tell if she’s in estrus
(heat) and ready to breed.
Photo by Craig Lewis, USFWS
SS ight
Big side-mounted eyeballs
allow deer to see ahead and behind without having
to move their heads. Deer have an uncanny ability to
spot motion. Movement is what causes most hunters
to fail. Deer see very well in low light conditions
because they can open their pupil three times
wider than humans.
DD eer Lack Visual Acuity
Deer are unable to focus on only one spot. Humans can focus on one spot and things in their outermost boundary are blurred. Researchers at the
University of Georgia found that deer have 80 percent less visual acuity than humans. This explains why a deer can stare right at a motionless human and
not be able to determine what it is. This gives hunters an edge over deer.
8 Did you know… deer can live up to 20 years.
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 9
WW ith eyes placed on the sides of their
heads, deer can see in almost every direction except right behind them. That’s a
great advantage because they have to worry about predators sneaking up on them.
Predators, on the other hand, have eyes centered on the front of their faces so they can
use precise, focused vision to track their prey.
How well do deer see at night? The short answer is: better than you do. Way better!
They also have a special mirror in the back of their eyes that reflects captured light back
through the retina. This mirror, which
humans lack, is what creates "eye shine" when you point a flashlight at a deer, raccoon,
or bear. It also allows them to make better use of what light is present, be it moonlight or
just starlight.
CC oats—Twice a year deer shed every hair on their bodies. But you’ve
never seen a bald deer, have you? That’s because they lose their old coat and grow a new one at
the same time. In the summer, deer keep cool with
just one layer of hair. But as winter approaches and the
temperatures drop, deer need a warmer coat to survive. So
in the fall of the year, deer grow two layers of hair; - a
warm woolly layer against their bodies and longer guard
hair on the outside to keep
them dry. The thick winter coat really stands out compared with the summer coat. The buck (above on
the left) has replaced his winter coat with a reddish brown summer coat. The buck (above on the right) is in process of shedding his dull grayish brown
winter coat.
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo from ForestWonder.com
Photo from ForestWonder.com
AA ntler Development
Some cows have horns and some deer have antlers. There's a difference. Horns stay with cows their entire lives. Male deer shed their
antlers every winter and grow new ones after the weather warms. Antlers begin to grow in late spring, covered in fuzzy skin that is known as
velvet. Not all antler growth is the same from deer to deer or year to year. Disease, nutrition, injury, genetics, and other things factor into
antler development. All the bucks pictured below still have velvet on their antlers.
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Roger Hill
10 Did you know…deer are the only living animal on the earth that shed their antlers every year.
HH erbivores
Deer are herbivores, which means they eat plants. In spring and summer, they graze
on clover, alfalfa, grasses, tree buds, and leaves. In the fall, they switch to high-energy
food such as acorns, corn, soybeans, and other crops. During the winter, they nibble the
tender shoots and twigs of trees and shrubs. Deer love apples. Deer munch on flowers and
shrubs in people’s yards. Most gardeners enjoy seeing deer, but not in the garden!
RR uminants
Deer are ruminants, which means they have a
four-chambered stomach. Each chamber has a different and specific function that allows the deer to quickly eat a variety of different food,
digesting it at a later time in a safe area of cover. Deer gulp down their food without chewing. Later, after acids in its stomach break up leaves,
stems and other large items, deer throw the food back up its throat and chew it. Like a cow, a deer “chews its cud.” Imagine what the cud tastes
like! By eating this way, deer can gobble up a lot of food quickly and then go to a safer place to chew it. In this way, a deer’s stomach helps to
protect it from predators.
Photo by Mike Wock
www.mndeerhunters.com 11
SS trrretch!
That long neck helps a deer reach to the ground for delicious
grasses and up high for tasty leaves and buds. It also allows deer to lift
their heads high to spot predators.
Photo by Mike Wock
CC oats—Twice a
year deer shed every hair on their
bodies. But you’ve never seen a bald
deer, have you? That’s because they lose
their old coat and grow a new one at the
same time. In the summer, deer keep
cool with just one layer of hair. But as winter approaches and the temperatures drop, deer
need a warmer coat to survive. So in the fall of the year, deer grow two
layers of hair; - a warm woolly layer against their bodies and longer guard hair on the outside to keep them dry. The thick winter coat really stands
out compared with the summer coat. The buck (above on the left) has replaced his winter coat with a reddish brown summer coat. The buck
(above on the right) is in process of shedding his dull grayish brown winter coat.
Photo by Mike Wock
12 Did you know…most deer are born with white spots but lose them within a year.
Hunting has been a very important part of human survival all through history. To provide food, clothing, weapons, tools and for sport. Just as hunting is important for physical survival it has been important for socialization. Many times, hunting groups participate in festive parties celebrating the hunt and showing their thankfulness for the animals. Hunting skills were originally developed from early hunters observing predator animals during their hunts. Techniques were also developed from trial and error with many skills having been passed down from generation to generation. Just as in the past, many hunters today enjoy the success as well as the fellowship of hunting in groups or parties. Often hunting parties are made up of friends and relatives including: parents, grandparents, and their children. Lifetime bonds are formed from the experience and stories shared around a campfire. Early man depended on hunting to provide food for their survival. Successful hunts helped to ensure that they would not only survive but also thrive. Meat obtained from hunting was preserved for storage by drying, canning and freezing. The meat can be fried, roasted, baked and used in casseroles. The meat can also be made into sausages, lunch Meat and jerky. This helped to ensure that they would have meat if later hunts were not successful . Hunting is still important for food today as many people supplement their food supply with wild game. Many people also find wild game to be a delicacy. Hides and fur from animals provided early man and woman with clothing such as leather coats, moccasins, shirts, gloves, mittens and hats. Clothing made from hides provide needed warmth and have become quite fashionable.
Surprisingly, weapons can be created from the hides taken from the animals including: archery quivers, straps, harnesses, and arm guards. Hides and furs have also been used for trade. Today deer hides can be turned into “Hides for Habitat” program to help preserve and ensure habitat for the future. Early Hunters took pride in the sport of hunting and trophy animals. Hunters showed their enchantment in the prized animals by using taxidermy, the art of mounting or reproducing animals to preserve the animal for display. Successful hunters were held in high esteem by their fellow hunters and often taught their peers the skills that they acquired. This tradition is carried on by camps and organizations that teach children the important skills and safe techniques that are so important for the future of the great sport of hunting. It is very important to honor the great tradition of hunting by valuing the sport and the animals that have been provided for enjoyment and for necessity of human survival. Most important is to enjoy this natural gift and remember to share you experiences in hunting with you family and friends. Your experiences will become your very own history of hunting.
Photo by Mark Johnson
www.mndeerhunters.com 13
WW ater
Deer likely drink daily when water is available. Deer get their water from three sources: free water such as ponds, streams, and the dew on plants; preformed water, or
that contained in plants; and metabolic water, which is produced in the animal's cells as part of metabolism.
There is no standard water requirement for deer because their needs vary by sex, age, reproductive status, and
season. Deer are believed to need about 3 to 6 quarts of water a day, depending on the outside temperature.
However, during winter, water requirements for deer are reduced and mostly come from food and digestion. Deer that are producing milk for their fawns need more water than
deer that are not. It is possible, but we are not sure, that with lush forage available, deer may not need free water at
all.
PP arasitesarasites
Deer attract ticks (deer and wood) that are looking for a host.
Adult female deer ticks are about as big as a sesame seed and have reddish bodies with black
markings. Males are slightly smaller than females and are solid dark brown.
Deer ticks are parasites. Female ticks latch onto a host and then drink its
blood for 4 or 5 days. After the tick is full of blood, it drops off and spends
winter in the leaf litter on the forest floor. The following spring, the female tick lays several hundred to a few
thousand eggs in clusters, and then dies.
These blood-suckers were vaulted into
the public eye when it was discovered that they are the primary transmitters for Lyme disease.
14 Did you know...newborn fawns weigh about 4 - 6 pounds.
Photo from turtlecreekoutfitters.com
How many
“deer” are in this? Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Mike Wock
AA ccording to a Western Transportation Institute calculation that includes the
costs of emergency response, injuries to driver and passengers, and damages to vehicles, the 2009 average cost of hitting a deer is $6,600. The total public cost is $9.9 billion per year. Now consider that, nationwide, for every deer hit
by a motorist, hunters take 6. Imagine the human casualties and costs if hunting ended. Hunting helps control highway accidents involving deer.
www.mndeerhunters.com 15
Photo by Nancy Saxhaug
DD eer Mortality - Motor Vehicle Collisions
Cars, trucks, motorcycles and trains kill thousands of deer every year. Motor
vehicle collisions with deer are a serious problem in many parts of the animals range, especially at night and during the rutting season.
In Minnesota there are about 35,000 deer vehicle collisions per year. Other states report similar numbers of incidents. Deer senses are confused when they
cross highways or railroads in search of food, water, or a mate.
Wolves are a lot like us! They are powerful,
aggressive, territorial, and predatory. They are smart, curious, cooperative with other
members of the pack, loyal, and adaptable. They exert a profound influence on the ecosystems they inhabit. Because humans
have hunted deer and wolves for hundreds of years, they instinctively register mankind as a
threat to their survival. Wolves love venison. In fact an adult wolf will eat the equivalent of 18 - 20 adult deer each year.
16 Did you know…deer are actually aged by checking their teeth, not by counting points on antlers.
Photo by wolfgangartgallery.com
Photo from ForestWander.com
Predators and Prey
Animals like deer are near the bottom of the food chain; that
is, they are killed and eaten by predators. Deer are on the alert 24 hours a day 7 days a week, forever in “danger
detection mode.” They face many dangers posed by predators like human hunters and natural predators like wolves, coyotes, bears, cougars, and bobcats. Wolves and
cougars are the most effective natural predators of adult deer. Coyotes, bobcats, lynx, and bear will prey on deer
fawns. Deer are well equipped to avoid predators most of the time.
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Fijetland, Conrad—USFWS Photo by Steve Hillebrand USFWS
Photo by Mike Wock
HH unters are the Major Deer Predator
White-tailed deer were once on the verge of extinction, but rebounded as a result of massive conservation efforts. Conservation practices have
proved so successful that, in parts of their range, the white-tailed deer populations currently far exceed their
carrying capacity and they are considered a nuisance. At high-deer population densities, farmers can suffer economic damage to cash crops, especially in orchards
and corn fields. Recent estimates put the deer population in the United States at about 30 million. The
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates there are about 1,000,000 whitetails in Minnesota. Approximately 20% of the Minnesota deer herd is
harvested annually by human hunters.
DD epartments of natural resources across the United States determine what
the deer carrying capacity of the land is and then they try to manage the deer herd size to that capacity. If there are too many deer in an area, the deer will over-browse and
could eventually starve. Deer hunters play a large role in maintaining a healthy deer herd size by thinning the ranks.
Hunting is part of the culture in Minnesota and it is big business. Almost 600,000 people hunt in Minnesota each year and hunters spend more than $482 million on
items such as guns, bows, ammunition, and clothing. Hunters support more than 14,000 jobs in Minnesota that generate $365 million in salaries and wages. The
total ripple effect from hunting in Minnesota is $1.47 billion into the Minnesota economy each year.
www.mndeerhunters.com 17
18 Did you know...about half of all fawns die in their first 12 weeks.
DD EER TALKEER TALK If you’ve ever ridden a horse, you
know to watch out when it lays its ears back. It’s their way of saying,
“I’m not in a good mood!” Deer use body language to communicate too.
Photo by Mike Wock
AA lert
In order to survive, deer must stay alert to unusual sounds, sights, or smells. When deer
detect a potential threat, all of their senses are directed toward that area of concern. The deer
assumes an alert posture that includes cocking its ears forward, remaining motionless, and staring in
the direction of potential danger. If a deer is unsure as to the actual presence of danger, it will
stomp a front foot to try and evoke a response from the unknown object. Other deer in the
immediate area are then warned of the possibility of danger.
Probably the most commonly heard vocalization made by deer is the alert snort. The foot stomp
almost always comes before the snort. Deer of both sexes use the alert snort when danger is
detected. Many times deer will escape to the edge of what
they consider the danger area and give repeated
warning snorts to alert other deer. This vocalization is made with the mouth closed
while the deer forcefully expels a single blast of air primarily through the nostrils.
AA larmed
When the threat is identified as danger, deer will erect their tails, providing
another cue to other deer of the imminent danger. Mature does will flee the area of
danger waving their enormous white flags as they depart. This highly visible flag waving
provides a ready reference for her young fawns as they attempt to follow her. Bucks
aren’t as obvious but give the tail-up warning.
www.mndeerhunters.com 19
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Roger Hill
BB ody Language—Just because animals can’t talk like a person doesn’t mean that
they don’t communicate. Deer communicate too—in lots of ways. Communication helps deer learn how to live together peacefully and teaches them how
to survive in their habitat. They communicate to let each other know who's the boss and to warn each other of danger.
SS ubmissive—Deer communicate with their whole bodies. Tails, ears, eyes, and
postures tell other deer about potential dangers and communicate family relationships. Deer also “talk” to each other with grunts, bleats, and snorts. Sometimes
a submissive deer makes a rapid chewing motion with its jaws like the fawn shown to the left.
VV ocalization between does and fawns is common. Both the fawns and their
mothers make vocalizations to find each other when separated. This is one of the sounds commercial deer call manufacturers attempt to emulate. The call can best
be described as a low bleat. Bleating intensity by the fawn appears to be related to the response generated from the bleat. If parental care is not acquired after repeated
bleating, intensity greatly increases, but a mothered fawn rarely bleats.
Undeniably, the most talked about sound during recent years is the grunt of bucks made while trailing a doe that is in heat. Commercial calls imitating this grunt, seem to
dominate hunter conversation during the rut each year. A dominant buck is challenged by the possibility of another buck "grunting" a doe in his territory and, in many cases,
responds accordingly.
20 Did you know…deer take their first steps within half an hour of their birth.
Photo by Roger Hill
AA ggressive,
Ears Laid Back When a deer looks like the doe on the left, stay out of its way-or else! The most common signs of aggression are ears folded back and ruffled fur.
The deer on the left is sending a warning. When a deer lays its ears back, it means business and is ready to get physical.
The Strike—A dominant deer may strike at a subordinate deer with a forefoot one or
more times. If it gets mad enough, the deer will stand up on its back legs and flail its front legs, using its hooves as weapons.
Photo by Tony Wenzel
www.mndeerhunters.com 21
Photo by Roger Hill
SS ign Postsign Posts The mystery involving rubs and scrapes made by deer will undoubtedly
continue for years to come. The following is a summary of what we "think" we know about rubs and scrapes.
RR ubs—A rub is a bush or tree from which
some of the bark has been scraped away by a vigorous rubbing action. The bark is
removed by a buck repeatedly pushing and scraping his antlers and forehead against the
rub object. Rubs are made for several purposes at varying times. In the late summer
and early fall, bucks begin rub activity to remove the dried velvet from their antlers. As
the breeding season approaches, bucks begin to vigorously debark the trees and shrubs on
which the rubs are made. A greater amount of the bark is removed as the bucks "spar" with
the resilient saplings and trees. Bucks making
these high visibility rubs leave secretions from the glands on their foreheads.
22 Did you know...predators of deer include: wolves, bear, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and humans.
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Roger Hill
SS crapes—To mark areas they regularly pass through, bucks will make
scrapes that often occur in patterns known as scrape lines. Scrapes are areas where a buck has used its front hooves to expose bare earth. They
often urinate into these scrapes to leave their scent. Scraping activity by dominant bucks markedly increases just before and during the breeding
season or rut. Scrapes are oval-shaped patches of bare dirt that range in size from 2 feet by 2 feet up to 4 feet by 6 feet. Does visit these scrapes during
their heat cycle. Olfactory (scent) messages are left at the site of the scrape by the doe as she urinates into the scrape and then departs. A buck will
routinely check the scrape and when the doe is ready to breed, he will trail her until he finds her.
LL icking Branch—Bucks chew and rub
branches 4 to 5 feet above scrape sites to leave their scent. Many hunters refer
to these branches as “licking branches.”
www.mndeerhunters.com 23
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Mike Wock
24 Did you know…male deer may be called bucks, bulls, stags, or harts.
TT he Ruthe Rut
In deer hunt camp, the rut refers to all behaviors and activities
associated with the deer breeding season.
Rutting behavior typically begins around late summer when velvet is
shed from the antlers and ends when antlers are shed (usually in early
spring). The first sign of rutting behavior is often sparring among
bucks. Sparring may take place between bucks of equal stature or
between a dominant and subordinate buck. Initially, these are usually
short-lived, low-intensity, pushing and shoving matches. These
sparring matches may help establish the dominance hierarchy among
males. As the peak of the breeding season approaches, sparring
matches may give way to full-blown antler fights. These generally take
place between bucks of similar hierarchal status.
Photo by Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 25
RR ut Crazy—When does are receptive to be bred, they communicate this
to bucks through pheromones (scent) contained in their urine.
Pheromones arouse a buck’s breeding instincts, and attract the buck
to the doe. More than one buck may respond to the doe's calling
card. If multiple bucks respond and one of the bucks doesn't back down,
fights will erupt. These aren't school yard scuffles. This isn’t sparring. This is
war! Bucks will fight until one of the bucks is either dead or gives up the
fight. The winning dominant buck gets the right to pass on his genes.
It's been said that rutting bucks become so focused on chasing and breeding
does that they become less cautious. You would be correct to proclaim that
"during the rut, does lead the bucks around by their noses." In fact, they do!
Many hunters believe that "rut crazy," "less cautious" bucks are easier to
harvest. This explains why there is so much interest in hunting during the
rut, and why many hunters use doe urine or estrus (doe in heat) attractant
scents.
Photo by Roger Hill
HH ider Strategy Because fawns can’t run very
fast or far right after they are born,
they must hide for a few weeks. This method of avoiding predators is called
the “hider strategy.” This strategy is also used by elk and pronghorn antelope.
One part of the hider strategy is
camouflage. Fawns have spots to help them blend into their environment and they emit very little scent. They
lay curled motionless and quiet in tall grass or on the forest floor. The parenting doe leaves her fawns to forage regularly and returns
periodically to nurse her hiding fawns. So, it is not unusual to see fawns unaccompanied by an adult deer in late May or June. At about 1 month old, fawns start traveling with their parents.
26 Did you know...deer breed in November so most fawns are born in May or June.
SS pring Arrivalspring Arrivals Does, give birth to 1 to 3 young at a time usually in May or June and after a gestation period of 7 months. Young deer, called fawns, wear a reddish brown coat with white spots that helps them blend in with the forest.
PP eople who care about wildlife can
best help fawns and other young animals by leaving them alone. If they appear out of nowhere, distance yourself
from them immediately. Reassure yourself that they'll be fine without your assistance.
And then stay away from the area—pets included—for a few weeks to allow nature to run its course.
Fawns grow quickly. Within 2 months, they'll
be traveling with adult deer, eating and nibbling from nature's smorgasbord and learning life's lessons. Their increased size
and mobility provide that edge they need to mature. And most do mature, as long as they weren't removed from the wild by someone who
wants to mother nature.
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by W.J. Berg, USFWS
WW hite and albino deer—There are
all-white and albino deer. These deer have no spots, just white hair. White
deer are generally not as healthy or strong as a normally colored whitetail. White deer are easily mistaken for albinos, but they are not albinos. The
true albino, besides having all-white hair, also has pink eyes and pink hooves, something the white
deer do not have. Both the white deer and the albino deer, and perhaps to a lesser extent the piebald deer, are at a disadvantage in the wild
because they are easily spotted except in conditions of heavy snow. This lack of visual
protection, combined with somewhat poorer health, no doubt serves to keep the population of
these abnormally colored deer low.
www.mndeerhunters.com 27
SS potted potted a piebald, white, albino, a piebald, white, albino,
or black whitetail deer lately?or black whitetail deer lately? Most whitetail deer, like the ones who like to dart in front of speeding automobiles, are either reddish brown or gray in color or somewhere in between. There are rare instances where deer have been observed that are piebald, completely white, or nearly black.
PP iebald deer—Most, if not all, piebald deer have
white legs and a white underbelly, although the rest of the body may be either completely or partially covered with patches or spots that are usually reddish
brown or gray on white. A few piebald deer are mostly, although usually, not completely white and
may be mistaken at times for albino deer.
Photo by USFWS
Photo from boulderjct.org
Photo from michiganwaterfowl.com
MM elanistic (black) deer
Melanistic whitetails are very rare, even more rare than piebald or albino deer. Melanistic deer’s bodies produce far too much
of the pigment known as melanin, which makes them much darker than the average whitetail.
Of the millions of deer taken each year only a few with melanism have been reported. Most people don’t know they exist due to the
extreme rarity making a melanistic deer a true trophy. Photo from michanwaterfowl.com
28 Did you know...a major food source for bald eagles is road kill deer and hunter harvested deer gut piles.
CC an you spot the cleverly camouflaged deer?an you spot the cleverly camouflaged deer? You can stare right at them and still not see them. You’ve probably done this more times than you realize. That’s because deer’s colorization allows them to
blend in just about perfectly with their surroundings.
MM ost whitetails are brown in
color. This is the "normal" whitetail deer. Depending on
the season, deer will have either reddish brown hair (summer coat) or
grayish brown hair (winter coat). This brown coloring allows the whitetail
deer to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. If a deer is lying or
standing perfectly still in underbrush, it is almost impossible to detect
because its coat blends with the color of the woods. Its rack, if it has one,
will just look like limbs or branches. All this serves to give it some
protection from hunters and other
predators.
Test your visual Sherlock Holmes skills
against these hide-and-seek champions.
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Mike Wock Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Mike Wock
www.mndeerhunters.com 29
Find and circle these “deer”
words in the puzzle.
Deer Cud Albino Piebald Antler
Buck Velvet Whitetail Doe Trophy
Fawn Hoof Grunt Bleat Scent
Rubs Rut crazy Scrapes Camouflage Wildlife
Are deer herbivores or carnivores?
What are the three defenses that deer have?
How fast can a deer run?
How many times a year does a deer shed its hair?
What are the most common signs of deer aggression?
How many vehicle deer collisions are there in Minnesota per year?
What is the fuzzy skin that grows on deer antlers in the spring?
How much of the Minnesota deer herd is harvested annually by human hunters?
Deer are unable to focus on one spot (true or false)?
What are the two outer toes on the backs of deer's legs called?
QUIZ Now that you’ve learned all about the
white-tailed deer, take the quiz to test your knowledge! You can find the answers at
www.mndeerhunters.com under the education tab!
Good luck!
Membership Payment Information:
$15 Forkhorn Membership (ages 17 and under)
$25 Adult Membership
Check Visa/MasterCard/Discover
Card #:
Exp: Signature:
Please sign me up!
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: Email:
Chapter Preference:
Do you want to continue exploring deer and deer hunting?
Become a member of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
You will have the opportunity to hang with your local chapter where you will be in the
company of deer and hunting fans like you!!!
Members receive 4 quarterly issues of Whitetales Magazine where you can read articles about deer and hunting in Minnesota. You will also receive an
MDHA Membership Card and Decals!
MDHA 460 Peterson Road
Grand Rapids, MN 55744 800-450-3337
Be sure to check out:
MDHA’s website www.mndeerhunters.com & our Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Page on Facebook
Exploring White-Tailed Deer Guide Donors
We would also like to thank our anonymous donors for their generous support!!
DONORS : up to $99
Faribault Moose Lodge #2098
Loyal Order of Moose, Grand Rapids #2023
Maxson Van Eps American Legion Post #368
Jenkins VFW Northern Post 3839
John B Heimkes
Bagley American Legion Post 16
Charlie Giesler
Gary Garlick
Richard Schneider
William Johnson
Mike Williams
Art Beckman
Walter A. Benson
Dennis & Nancy Hebrink
William R Baumann
Keith Peterson
John Young
Jim Humeniuk
Lon Seeger
Jack Miller
Peter Smude
Michael Kreitz
Henry Schreifels
DONORS : $100 to $499
Gordon Dentinger
Grand Rapids Fraternal Order of the Eagles
David Oistad
St. Cloud Moose Lodge #1400
Dale Weick
Aldrich Lions Club
Starbuck VFW Post #4582
Crookston VFW Post #1902
Rockville Lions Club
Monticello Dorchester VFW Post #8731
Albert Lea Fraternal Order of Eagles
Austin American Legion Post 91
International Falls VFW Post #2948
Orr American Legion Post #480
Walker American Legion
Lion Club of Carlos, MN
East Grand Forks American Legion Post #157
Nicollet charitable gaming Account
Zimmerman American Legion Post #560
Holloway Rod & Gun Club
Lake Country Power
Brad Nelson
Ben Weerts
East Central Energy
Gordon Kotila
Thrivent for Lutherans
Rodney J. Sather
Joe Roessler
Jeffrey& Kimberly Washburn
Mark Abendroth
City of Burlington
Hill City Lions Club
DONORS: $500 up to $999
Baudette American Legion
BRD Aerie #287 of the Fraternal Order of Eagles
Great River Energy
Sauk Rapids Sportsman's Club
DONORS: $1000 and MORE
Thomas & Jane Arth
Daniel Peterson
Thank you again to all of the donors that made this
educational deer guide possible. If you are interested
in donating to help fund the Exploring White-Tailed
Deer Guide please contact MDHA’s state office at:
MDHA
460 Peterson Road
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
www.mndeerhunters.com/ 218.327.1103
A special thank you to the Hampe Family
Foundation for matching $10,000 of the donations to
MDHA’s endowment for youth education.
www.mndeerhunters.com 31
Forkhorn camps are designed for
beginning, intermediate and advanced
Firearm and Bow Hunter safety
training, using hands on techniques
that youth are sure to love!
Firearms Safety Certification for Youth
For further information contact your local DNR or visit the Minnesota DNR
website at www.dnr.state.mn.us
For more information on
our unique Forkhorn Camp
experience please visit
MDHA’s website at
www.mndeerhuters.com
To be eligible to receive your Firearms Safety Certification, you must be
11 years of age or older.
DNR Firearms Certification is required of anyone born after December 31, 1979 to purchase a hunting license in Minnesota.
www.mndeerhunters.com 32