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Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
H ello, Forkhorns!
Welcome to the Minnesota Deer
Hunters Association Exploring
White-tailed Deer Guide!
We hope you enjoy learning all the cool
What is the MDHA Exploring
things about white-tailed deer, like how they
White-tailed Deer Guide? regrow their antlers every year (page 10) or
how they eat without chewing (page 11).
The MDHA Exploring White-tailed
Deer Guide is an educational
Also, don’t forget to take the quiz and do
publication of the Minnesota Deer
Hunters Association. It is used as a the crossword puzzle on page 29!
tool to educate youth about white-
tailed deer, America’s #1 big game
animal.
Contributors 4 Amazing Adaptations
Created by:
13
Mike Wock
A Brief History Of Hunting
Edited by:
Margaret Burgess
16
MDHA State Office Staff
Predators & Prey...watch out!
Photographs by:
Thank you to those who
supplied photos for our
use. Each photo is credited
to the photographer. Roger Hill
Deer Talk...listen closely!
18
submitted the cover photo.
MDHA
460 Peterson Road
22 Signs Posts...Rubs & Scrapes
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
(218) 327-1103
www.mndeerhunters.com
The Minnesota Deer Hunters
26 Spring Arrivals...ahh cute!
Association is a 501c(3),
non-profit organization
“Building our hunting and
conservation legacy through
29 Take the Quiz!
habitat, education and
advocacy”.
Version 4.5 - 2018
Membership information
30
2 www.mndeerhunters.com
32 Forkhorn Camps
FORKHORNS
MDHA Forkhorns are youth
members aged 11—17.
IN THE FIELD
www.mndeerhunters.com 3
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).
Photo from USFWS
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.
D 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, hoofed
animals that have four toes.
Photo by Steve Van Riper, USFWS
4 Did you know...white-tailed deer are named for the white hairs on the underside of their tails.
D ew claws are the two outer toes on the
backs of deer legs. They are used
primarily for extra balance and grip. Deer 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.
T
Photo by Mike Wock
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 legs 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
www.mndeerhunters.com 5
D 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,
S
HEARING, and SIGHT.
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 Photo by Craig Lewis, USFWS
crossing human scent.
H 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 Photo by Mike Wock
hearing is far superior to a human’s.
6 Did you know…deer can turn their ears in any direction without turning their head.
S 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.
Photo by Mike Wock
D 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. Photo by Mike Wock
www.mndeerhunters.com 7
S 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
sniffing rubbed trees
and scrapes (bare
spots on the ground).
Deer sniff out the best
foods. Bucks sniff a
Photo by Roger Hill doe’s urine to tell if
she’s in estrus (heat)
and ready to breed.
S tttrretch!
That long neck helps a deer reach to the
ground for delicious grasses and up high for
tasty leaves, buds, apples, and other treats.
Those long necks also allow deer to lift their
heads high to spot predators.
Can you figure out what the 3 deer are doing?
Einstein once said, “Imagination is more
important than knowledge.”
(Hint: Deer love bird seed.) Photo by Mike Wock
8 Did you know… deer can live up to 20 years.
W 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
Photo by Bill Thompson USFWS
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
Photo from ForestWonder.com better use of what light is present, be it moonlight
C
or just starlight.
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
Photo by Mike Wock 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 (on the left) has replaced
his winter coat with a reddish brown summer coat. The buck (on the right) is in
process of shedding his dull grayish brown winter coat.
www.mndeerhunters.com 9
A 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 Mike Wock
10 Did you know…Cervidae are the only living animal on the earth that shed their antlers every year.H 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 Photo by Ryan Patin
munch on flowers and shrubs in
people’s yards. Most gardeners
enjoy seeing deer, but not in the garden!
R 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.
www.mndeerhunters.com 11D
EER DISEASES
Like any other animal, A skinny deer with chronic wasting disease.
Photo by Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
deer are susceptible to
many contagious
diseases, illnesses, and nasty
parasites. Even though only a
small percentage of deer
actually fall prey to these
ailments, some of these
diseases are very dangerous.
In some cases, entire herds of
captive deer were destroyed to
keep diseases, such as chronic
wasting disease (CWD), from
spreading to wild populations.
CWD, an infectious brain disease has been killing deer, elk, and moose both in
the wild and on captive farms continues to stalk the land. Animals with CWD lose
bodily functions and display abnormal behavior such as staggering. Animals may
show an exaggerated, wide stance or carry their heads and ears lowered.
Infected animals become abnormally thin and weak (thus, wasting disease) and
will appear in very poor body condition. Some infected animals drool or salivate
excessively.
Wild ruminants can also catch other
diseases like bluetongue and epizootic
hemorrhagic disease (EHD) which are
infectious, often fatal viral diseases.
Some signs of deer having these diseases
include; loss of appetite, loss of fear of
humans, weakened condition, and
sometimes peeling or cracking of the hoof
walls.
If you see a deer, elk, or moose that
shows signs of being diseased, document
the location of the animal and
immediately contact the nearest
conservation officer or employee of the
state wildlife agency. Do not attempt to
Photo by Mike Wock disturb, kill, or remove the animal.
NOTE: Experts from the Centers for Disease Control state; “to date, no strong
evidence of CWD transmission to humans has been reported.” Plus, there is
no evidence that humans can contract the EHD virus from handling and
eating venison.
12 Did you know…most deer are born with white spots but lose them within a year.H
Surprisingly, many hunting accessories are
made from the hides taken from the animals
unting has been a very important part including archery quivers, arm guards, finger
of human survival all through history. tabs, and rifle slings. Hides and furs have also
Humans hunted to provide food, clothing, been used for trade. Today deer hides can be
weapons, and tools. Just as hunting is impor- turned into the MDHA “Hides for Habitat” pro-
important
tant for physical
for physical
survival,
survival,
it has itbeen
has important
been program
gram to help
to help
preserve
preserve
andand
ensure
ensure
habitat
habitat
for
important
for socialization.
for socialization.
Many times Many
hunting
times
groups
hunting for the
the future.
future.
groups participate
participate in festive
in parties
festive parties
celebrating
celebrating
the
the hunt
hunt and and
showing
showing
theirtheir
thankfulness
thankfulness
for the
for the Early hunters took pride in the sport of hunt-
animals. hunting
ing and trophy
and trophy
animals.
animals.
Hunters
Hunters
showedshowed
their
their enchantment
enchantment in theinprized
the prized
animalsanimals
by usingby
Hunting skills were originally developed from using taxidermy,
taxidermy, the artthe
of art
mounting
of mounting
or reproducing
or
early hunters observing predator animals dur- reproducing
animals to preserve
animals the
to preserve
animal forthedisplay.
animal for
during
ing their
their
hunts.
hunts.Techniques
Techniques werewerealsoalso
devel- display. Successful
Successful hunters were
huntersheld
were
in high
heldesteem
in high
developed
oped from from
trial andtrialerror,
and error,
with many
with many skills esteem by their fellow hunters by and
theiroften
fellow
passed
skills passed
down down
from generation
from generationto generation.
to taught their peers the skills thathunters
theyand often
Often hunting
generation. Oftenparties
hunting
are made
parties upare
of friends acquired. This tradition is carried
taught ontheir
by camps
peers
and relatives
made up of friends
including:
and relatives
parents, grandparents,
in- and organizations that teachthe children
skills that
the they
and children.
cluding: parents, grandparents, and important skills and safe techniques
acquired.that Thisare
children. so important for the future of tradition
the sport is carried
of
Man has depended on hunting to provide food hunting. on by camps and
for their
Man has survival.
dependedSuccessful
on huntinghunts to pro-helped to organizations that
ensure
vide food
that
forthey
theirwould
survival.
not only
Successful
survive but It is very important to honorteach the great
children the
also thrive.
hunts helped Meat
to ensure
obtained thatfrom
theyhunting was tradition of hunting by valuing important
the sport skills
and
preserved
would not only
for storage
surviveby butdrying,
also thrive.
canning, and the animals that have been provided
and safe fortech-
freezing.
Meat obtained
The meatfromcan hunting
be fried,
was roasted,
pre- enjoyment and for the necessity niquesof that
human are so
baked, for
served andstorage
used inby casseroles.
drying, canning,
The meat can survival. Most important is toimportant
enjoy thisfor the
also freezing.
and be made The into meat
sausages,
can be lunch
fried,meat, and natural gift and remember tofuture shareofyour
the sport
jerky. This
roasted, baked,
helped andto used
ensurein casse-
that they would experiences in hunting with your of hunting.
family and
have meat
roles. The meat
if latercanhunts
also were
be madenot successful.
into friends. Your experiences will become your
Hunting is lunch
sausages, still important
meat, and forjerky.
food today
This because very own history of hunting.It is very impor-
many people
helped to ensuresupplement
that theytheirwouldfood supply with tant to honor the
wild game.
have meat ifMany
laterpeople
hunts were
also find
not wild
suc- game to great tradition of
be a delicacy.
cessful. Hunting is still important for hunting by valuing
food today because many people sup- the sport and the
Hides and
plement their
fur food
from supply
animalswithprovided
wild earlyFavorite
man hunting buddies! animals that have
with clothing
game. Many people
such asalso leather
find wild
coats, moccasins,
Photo by hunting
Favorite Mike Wock
buddies! been provided for
shirts,to
game gloves,
be a delicacy.
mittens, and hats. Clothing Photo made by Mike Wock enjoyment and for
from hides provides needed warmth. the necessity of
Hides and fur from animals provided human survival.
early man with clothing such as leather coats, Most important is to enjoy this natural gift and
moccasins, shirts, gloves, mittens, and hats. remember to share your experiences in hunt-
Clothing made from hides provides needed ing with your family and friends. Your experi-
warmth. ences will become your very own history of
hunting.
www.mndeerhunters.com
www.mndeerhunters.com 13
13W
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 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.
P
Photo from turtlecreekoutfitters.com
arasites
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. Male ticks are slightly
smaller than females and are solid dark
brown.
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
Photo by Mike Wock
dies.
These blood suckers were vaulted into the public eye when it was discovered that they are the
primary transmitters for Lyme disease.
How many
“deer”
are in
this
photo?
Photo by Mike Wock
14 Did you know...newborn fawns weigh about 4—6 pounds.D 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.
00
u t2
o
e ab .
c au
s
e U.S
s h
i sion o s st
l
rc
ol
y acr
e l l
de ua
a nd a nn
r s
Ca e ath
d
Photo by Nancy Saxhaug
N
ationwide an estimated 1.3 million drivers will submit insurance claims for collisions
with big animals – about 1 in every 164 drivers on the road. State Farm® estimates
that 1.35 million auto-deer collisions occurred in the U.S. between July 1, 2016 and
June 30, 2017. These crashes were costly for drivers, with a national cost per claim average
of $4,179.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety noted that deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S.
cause about 200 fatalities annually. 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 15Predators and Prey
A nimals like deer, rabbits and mice are near the
bottom of the food chain; and 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 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 Mike Wock
Photo by wolfgangartgallery.com
W olves 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.
Photo from ForestWander.com
16 Did you know…deer are actually aged by checking their teeth, not by counting points on antlers.H umans 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 current white-tailed deer
populations 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 cornfields. 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.
Photo by Mike Wock
Photo by Fijetland, Conrad—USFWS
Photo by Steve Hillebrand USFWS
D 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 size of the deer herd
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 17D EER 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
18 Did you know...about half of all fawns die in their first 12 weeks.A 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 get 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 (also called
blowing). 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
Photo by Roger Hill
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.
A 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 fawns as they
attempt to follow her. Bucks aren’t as
obvious, but give the tail-up warning.
Photo by Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 19V 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 copy. The call can best be
described as a low bleat. The fawn’s bleating intensity 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 mating season each fall. A dominant buck is
challenged by the possibility of another buck "grunting" a doe in his territory and, in
many cases, responds accordingly.
Photo by Mike Wock
B 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.
S ubmissive—Deer communicate with their whole bodies. Tails, ears, eyes, and
postures tell other deer about potential dangers and communicate family
relationships. In the photo above, the doe on the right is sending the message of
“BACK OFF” to the young buck on the left. The buck in turn shows submissiveness by
dropping his head and letting his ears flop down. Sometimes a submissive deer makes
a rapid chewing motion with its jaws.
20 Did you know…deer take their first steps within half an hour of their birth.A
Photo by Tony Wenzel
ggressive, Ears Laid Back
When a deer looks like the doe on the left above, stay out of its way-or else!
The most common signs of aggression are ears folded back and ruffled fur. The deer on
the upper 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 Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 21S ign 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
Photo by Mike Wock
and scrapes.
R 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
Photo by Roger Hill their foreheads.
22 Did you know...predators of deer include: wolves, bear, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and humans.S 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.
Photo by Mike Wock
L 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.”
Photo by Roger Hill
www.mndeerhunters.com 23T he Rut
In deer hunt camp, the rut refers to all behaviors and activities
associated with the deer breeding season.
Photo by Roger Hill
R
utting 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.
24 Did you know…male deer may be called bucks, bulls, stags, or harts.R
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
www.mndeerhunters.com 25S pring 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.
H 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 Photo by W.J. Berg, USFWS
curled motionless and quiet in tall grass
or on the forest floor. The 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.
P 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.
26 Did you know...deer breed in November so most fawns are born in May or June.S potted a piebald, white, albino,
or black whitetail deer lately?
Most whitetail deer, like the ones who like to dart in front of speeding vehicles, 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.
P
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 white and may be mistaken at
times for albino deer. Photo by USFWS
W
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 heavy snow. This lack of visual
protection, no doubt serves to keep the population
of these abnormally colored deer low.
Photo from boulderjct.org
M
elanistic whitetails are very rare, even
rarer 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. This
makes a melanistic deer a true trophy.
Photo from michanwaterfowl.com
www.mndeerhunters.com 27C 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.
Photo by Roger Hill
Photo by Mike Wock
M
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. Photo by Mike Wock
All this serves to give deer 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
28 Did you know...a major food source for bald eagles is road kill deer and hunter-harvested deer gut piles.IZ
QU
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 “What We Do” - “Education” tab.
Good luck!
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?
Find and circle these “deer”
words in the puzzle.
Deer Fawn
Cud Hoof
Albino Grunt
Piebald Bleat
Antler Scent
Buck Rubs
Velvet Rut crazy
Whitetail Scrapes
Doe Camouflage
Trophy Wildlife
www.mndeerhunters.com 29Minnesota Deer Hunters Association
Photo by Tim Kisch
BUILDING OUR HUNTING & CONSERVATION LEGACY THROUGH HABITAT, EDUCATION & ADVOCACY
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 to be in the company of
deer and hunting fans like you!!!
Members receive 4 quarterly issues of Whitetales Magazine, so 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(DEER)
Www.mndeerhunters.com
Please sign me up! Membership Payment Information:
Name: $15 Forkhorn 1 Year Membership (Under 17)
Address: $35 Adult 1 Year Membership
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Chapter Preference: Exp: Signature:
____________________________________________Exploring White-tailed Deer Guide Donors
We would also like to thank our anonymous donors for their generous support!!
Walker American Legion
DONORS: up to $99 Lion Club of Carlos, MN
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Nicollet Charitable Gaming Account
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Holloway Rod & Gun Club
Maxson Van Eps American Legion Post #368
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Brad Nelson
John B. Heimkes
Bagley American Legion Post #16 Ben Weerts
East Central Energy
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Gordon Kotila
Gary Garlick
Thrivent for Lutherans
Richard Schneider
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William Johnson
Joe Roessler
Mike Williams
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City of Burlington
Dennis & Nancy Hebrink
Hill City Lions Club
William R. Baumann
Keith Peterson
John Young DONORS: $500 up to $999
Jim Humeniuk
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Henry Schreifels
Bill Baumann
DONORS: $1000 and MORE
DONORS: $100 to $499 Thomas & Jane Arth
Daniel Peterson
Gordon Dentinger
Grand Rapids Fraternal Order of the Eagles Thank you again to all of the donors who made
David Oistad this educational deer guide possible. If you are
St. Cloud Moose Lodge #1400 interested in donating to help fund the Exploring
Dale Weick White-tailed Deer Guide please contact MDHA’s
Aldrich Lions Club state office at:
Starbuck VFW Post #4582
Crookston VFW Post #1902 460 Peterson Road
Rockville Lions Club Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Monticello Dorchester VFW Post #8731 www.mndeerhunters.com/ 218.327.1103
Albert Lea Fraternal Order of Eagles
Austin American Legion Post #91 A special thank you to the Hampe Family
International Falls VFW Post #2948 Foundation for matching $10,000 of the
Orr American Legion Post #480 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!
Laurentian Environmental
Learning Center
Deep Portage
Conservation Reserve
Long Lake
Conservation Center
*
Prairie Woods Environmental
Learning Center Kiwanis Scout Camp
* *
Baker Near
Wilderness Settlement
Eagle Bluff
Conservation Center
*YMCA Youth Camps
For more information on our unique Forkhorn Camp experience, please
visit MDHA’s Website at: www.mndeerhunters.com
Firearms Safety Certification for Youth
To be eligible to receive your Firearms Safety Certification in Minnesota, you
must be 11 years of age or older.
To purchase a hunting license in Minnesota, a Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) Firearms Certification is required of anyone born after December 31, 1979.
For further information contact your local DNR or visit the Minnesota DNR
website at www.dnr.state.mn.us
www.mndeerhunters.com 32You can also read
