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| Deer are actually much smaller than most people imagine. Male Deer, or Bucks, stand only about one metre tall at the shoulders and weigh about 90 kilograms. Females, or Does, are smaller and average 65 kilograms. A Deer’s coat will change from summer to winter. The summer coat of short reddish-brown hair is replaced by thicker, hollow gray hair around September. These hollow hairs provide insulation from the cold. Deer eat grass, however, their diet mainly consists of a two-part process. They feed by eating leaves and small twigs from shrubs and trees, eating and swallowing while on the move. This occurs mainly in the morning and from dusk to midnight. These periods are followed by bedding down, when the deer bring up the leaves and twigs earlier consumed, called cuds. They then chew them thoroughly to better digest them. The quality of diet will affect the weight and number of offspring a Doe will bear. A healthy Doe will give birth to one to two offspring, called fawns, in the spring. Newborn fawns, weighing about two to three kilograms, are covered in reddish-brown fur with small white spots on their backs. Although the fawns can walk soon after birth, they will lie hidden while the Doe is off gathering food, waiting for her to come back for nursing. From May to late August, Bucks develop antlers. Diet will affect the size of the antlers, as well as the strength of the Buck. These antlers will reach their full development around the age of four or five. During the approach of the breeding season, or rut, in November, Bucks become aggressive and their necks swell. Only the strongest of these Bucks will become dominant males and mate with Does. The wolf is a main predator of the Deer, and has helped to shape the behavior of this animal. Deer are swift of foot and constantly aware of their surroundings due to the weeding out of the slow by the wolves. Another pattern shown is the behavior of winter yarding, when Deer will gather together in a small area to gain protection in numbers. Since wolves are territorial, there is also only one pack to worry about for the Deer by staying in one area. This occurs only in the winter, because newborn fawn would have no chance to hide if a wolf pack knew exactly where to find them. Although it is hard to imagine, Deer are not native to the Algonquin Highlands area. They came here about 200 years ago due to changing forest patterns. Clear cutting for farming and forest fires produced open lands and new forests with plenty of small trees and shrubs. This Deer food provided a huge population growth, which dwindles today due to the now aging forest. |
(Family Cervidae)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
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