Fall/Winter 1999

Species Profile: White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer, like the ones on the front cover of this magazine, are the most interesting and sought after game animals in North America. Many Mississippi hunters have spent countless long, cold hours in the woods pursuing this fine animal. White-tailed deer also bring great pleasure to all who enjoy viewing them.

Depending on where you are located in the Magnolia State, deer usually breed between December 10 and February 4. Deer begin breeding earlier in northern Mississippi, later in the southern part of the state.

Does normally breed only once per year; however, they may come into "heat" 3-4 times/year beginning in December and ending in February. The periods of "heat" last about 24-36 hours and occur about 28 days apart. A doe may have from 1-3 fawns per year, depending on her physical condition; about half the does in Mississippi produce 2 fawns/year. Does in Mississippi do not breed until they are 1 1/2 years old. Many people believe that old does do not breed; in fact, does breed and produce young as long as they live.

Bucks do not come in "heat", but rather enter "rut". Rut consists of sparring, spreading of sign (rubs, scrapes, etc.), courtship and breeding.

Sparring begins after bucks lose their velvet, and consists of relatively mild tussles. Most bucks are fairly tolerant of each other during sparring. Sparring serves to establish which bucks in an area are dominant. Body and antler size are good indicators of a buck's social dominance.

Bucks communicate with other deer during rut through various visual and scent signals. "Rubs" are trunks or stems of trees or bushes that bucks rub bark off of with their antlers and head. Glands in the head leave scent on the rub. "Scrapes" consist of broken limbs 3-6 feet above ground, with a small depression pawed in the soil underneath on which the buck urinates. Bucks return often to scrapes to freshen their scent. A buck often locates the scent of a doe in "heat" near a scrape and will follow her with his nose to the ground while making a grunting sound. Bucks will also urinate on their tarsal, or inner leg glands, to signal other deer. Rubs, scrapes and urinating on the tarsal glands all serve to assert a buck's social dominance and to locate does.

During courtship, bucks become loners and chase does. Tolerance among bucks disappears during courtship and fierce fights between bucks occur. Unless a doe is in "heat", she will run from a buck. Often, if a hunter remains still after a doe passes the stand, a buck will often follow shortly after. Although all bucks participate in courtship, only dominant bucks breed with does.

Peak fawning times in Mississippi occur between June 22 and July 22. Fawns remain hidden near their birthplace for roughly 2 weeks, but by the time the fawn is 1 month old it will begin to follow its mother about. Fawns will nurse until they are 3-5 months old and will begin nibbling vegetation at 1 month.

Bucks take no part in raising the fawns. A fawn will lose its spotted coat at 4 months. Male fawns follow their mother about 1 year, female fawns 2 years.

A deer's diet consists of a wide variety of foods including vines, shoots, leaves, fruits and nuts (or mast). Deer definitely prefer some foods over others. This will be the subject of a future feature article.

Deer in Mississippi feed mostly during the late afternoon and night. Generally, they spend the day bedded down in suitable cover resting. An adult deer requires about 8-10 pounds of food/day, and about 2-3 quarts of water/day (depending on the type of food eaten).

This article was written by Rob Ballinger, Field Biologist with the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.