what are some whitetail deer defense mechanisms?
Annie Kim 
asked:
i’m doin a project on whitetail deers, and i need to know some defense mechanisms of whitetail deer, and some interesting facts about them 2!
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asked: i’m doin a project on whitetail deers, and i need to know some defense mechanisms of whitetail deer, and some interesting facts about them 2!
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Tags: Defense Mechanisms, Whitetail Deer
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They have an extraordinary sense of hearing and smell. The slightest detection of something unusual and they are gone. Which is another one of their defenses ~ they can run.
Whitetails are skittish, forever on alert for predators. Main predators of deer are mountain lions, wolves, coyotes and wild dogs. Whitetails rely on their keen senses of smell, sight and hearing to detect predators. Upon sensing trouble, a deer’s main defense is to run. Whitetails are one of the fastest animals in the forest, so this often works out. When cornered, bucks undoubtedly try to ward off predators with their antlers. Deer are good swimmers and don’t hesitate to take to water to evade predators. Humans are a threat to deer. Poachers, for example, kill many deer illegally each year. Hundreds of thousands of deer are hit by cars annually. Deer are susceptible to many parasites and diseases. A disease can spread like fire through a herd and kill many deer. Generally, outbreaks are localized and populations usually rebound in a few years.
Comment by introyble — March 10, 2006 @ 6:46 am
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The whitetail is outstanding in many ways. They are incredibly fast and agile, and able to make very high leaps, even from a standstill. Their sense of smell is perhaps their best defense, and it’s a good one. Many hunters have spent lots of cash trying to beat a whitetail deer’s nose, with limited success. Their eyesight isn’t great, but they can spot movement quite easily.
Whitetails are good swimmers, and have been known to take to the water without hesitation, especially when pursued.
Whitetail fawns bear spotted coats, which helps them blend with their surroundings, and have no scent.
Interesting Facts About White-tailed Deer
1. White-tailed deer establish a home-range territory and will not leave it! It has been documented that deer will starve rather than leave their territory. Moral of the story — maintain adequate nutrition!
2. Wild white-tailed have been known to live at least to 11-years in the wild, but I suspect a very small percentage live even longer. Now those are mature deer!
3. With optimal habitat conditions, deer populations can double in size annually! Without regulated hunting and proper harvest management, deer will destroy wildlife habitat and suffer tremendous population die-offs.
4. If you took 2 white-tailed deer in the absence of predators, in just 7-years those two animals alone can produce a herd of up to 35 animals! I wish my savings increased at that rate.
5. In areas of overpopulation, deer cause an over-browsing affect we call a “browse line.” You do not want a browse line on your ranch! After a browse line is created, it takes years under a low deer density for browse plants to re-establish and recover.
Hope it helps you!
Comment by Kishore — March 11, 2006 @ 5:49 pm