White-tailed Doe Photos by Bruce Dayton - White-tailed Doe (Odocoileus virginianus)

ORDER: Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
FAMILY: Cervidae (Deer)
SPECIES: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

White-tailed Doe (Odocoileus virginianus)
The White-tailed deer is a medium-sized deer and can be found in southern Canada and most of the continental United States. - Male White-tails are called "bucks" and females are called "does" and young White-tails are called "fawns". - Does give birth to one, two or even possibly three spotted young fawns in mid to late spring. - Newborn fawns remain hidden and solitary for about three weeks. - The mother doe visits her young only two to three times per day in order to nurse and groom them. -
SIZE	An average adult White-tailed doe weighs between 90 and 120 pounds live weight and stands 26 to 28 inches at the shoulder. Size and weight vary greatly in the White-tailed Deer depending on the the region where it is found. Does tend to average less in weight and body length than males of the same age from the same area.
DESCRIPTION	The white-tail was so named because the underside of its tail is covered with white hair and is displayed (Flag) when the deer is running. The belly, throat, areas around the eyes and insides of the ears are white all year long. Hair color is alike in both sexes. The summer coat consists of short, thin hairs that are reddish-brown in color and the the heavy winter coat is longer, grayish brown hairs over a short wooly undercoat. Sexual Dimorphism: Female are about 20% smaller than the male. Males grow and shed a set of antlers each year.
BEHAVIOR	White-tail deer are generally considered solitary animals. They have an unusual social grouping. They are the most nervous and shy of the deer family. The most common sounds heard are whistles or snorts of disturbed White-tails. Does whine to call their fawns and fawns bleat to call their mothers. They are extremely agile and are great runners (up to 30 MPH), swimmers and jumpers. White-tails generally live in a range of only about one square mile, although linear ranges can be much longer. White-tails communicate with vocalizations and scents.
RANGE	Scientists have identified 30 subspecies of whitetails in Central and North America. White-tails occur from southern Canada south through the lower 48 States and Mexico to Panama.
PREDATORS	The main predator of adult deer is man. Many are taken as game during hunting season, while thousands more are killed by motor vehicles each year. Sometimes roving wild dog packs (even domesticated dogs in packs) will kill deer. More natural predators are the coyote, bobcat and cougar.
HABITAT	White-tailed deer can adapt and survive in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats from the big woods of the northeast to the swamps of Florida. Most woodland deer prefer a habitat of mixed woods, open areas and dense brush thickets to provide food and help conceal them from predators.
DIET	The White-tails are herbivores. Some foods White-tails may like to eat includes young leaves and stems, grass, berries, bark and nuts. In agriculture areas, they will eat crops such as corn and alfalfa.

Interesting Facts

White-tailed Deer
Social Grouping

The most common social group in white-tails is an adult doe, her fawns and her yearling female offspring.
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Adult does leave the family group and remain alone to bear and rear their fawns. Once a pregnant doe leaves the family circle to bear her fawns, her yearling offspring are left on their own for the summer.
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Siblings tend to remain together throughout most of summer.
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Yearling does remain in the mother's home range (usually less the a square mile) and generally rejoin their mother and her new fawns between September and October.
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Yearling bucks separate from the sibling groups in September as the rut approaches. Yearling bucks tend to disperse from the mother's home range at this time.
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Male bucks may live in groups consisting of three or four individuals, except in mating season, when they are solitary.
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White-tailed Doe (Odocoileus virginianus)

Venice Township Cayuga County, New York	Tyre Township Seneca County, New York


WtDrD-304_013990	WtDrD-304_024888

Cincinnatus Township Cortland County, New York	Ithaca Township Tompkins County, New York


WtDrD-304_601236	WtDrD-304_052180