I know a lot of people who don’t like deer. I’ve seen their photos on Facebook. They stand over a freshly murdered deer with their guns still in their hands. Sometimes, they hold the deer’s head up by the antlers, showing how proud they are about having just killed that animal.
It makes me puke.
I guess I just don’t understand how you could be proud about killing anything. I’m just not wired that way. I had to kill one of our chickens a few years back because it was incredibly sick and in a lot of pain.
It made me puke.
But back to deer. I’m here to tell you. Deer are supposed to be on this planet, just like the rest of us. They have a very specific job in our biosphere, and we need deer just like we need honeybees and monarch butterflies. And rhinos, and gorillas, and leopards. And more.
There are several deer species scattered throughout the world. Around here in Ohio, we have white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, belong to the same animal family (Cervidae) as moose, elk, and reindeer. They’re native to the Americas. They are beautiful, beautiful creatures.
Here are some fun facts about these very cool beings.
• There are many: About 30 million white-tailed deer live in the United States.
The state that contains the largest white-tailed deer population is Texas, which is home to 5.3 million of them. Then Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Alabama. Ohio is not even in the top ten. We have around 700,000 tops.
• They are pretty fast: White-tailed deer can run 35 mph.
One of the white-tailed deer’s greatest defenses against predators is speed. (Except for testosterone-filled men with guns.) The animals have been known to run as fast as 35 mph—for several miles at a time.
• They are small, comparatively: They’re much smaller than other members of the Cervidae family.
Take a big, old, fully-grown bull elk. They can weigh 700–730 pounds. But, even the biggest male white-tailed deer only reaches about 300 pounds. And deer don’t usually even hit that weight. White-tailed deer are North America’s smallest deer species and typically clock in between 100–150 pounds.
• Smarties: White-tailed deer are actually intelligent.
Contrary to common belief, deer are highly intelligent. They’re able to adapt their behavior based on past experiences, and have even been known to stay away from certain areas during hunting season.
As a note: People sometimes think they’re dumb because of the expression “deer in headlights.” But this reaction is not a result of stupidity. The sudden brightness just temporarily blinds them, like it would anyone else.
• Disney’s Bambi is a white-tailed deer. Bambi. Who in the world doesn’t love Bambi?
• They’re a popular state animal. Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin have all named the white-tailed deer their state animal. They are everywhere being good mascots.
• Deer have a fairly short lifespan. Males live about six years. Females, on average live about 12 to 14 years. Even short with rifles around.
• Deer have really good hearing. Deer can hear upwards of 54,000 hertz. That’s similar to the average dog’s hearing. This is about three times better than what humans can detect. They can hear you.
• Deer are herbivores (most of the time). Most white-tailed deer eat meals of grass, fruit like apples and berries, and nuts. We feed them corn and apples every day. Some of my friends don’t like deer because they eat their flowers and landscaping. They do that here, too, sometimes. But I don’t mind. I just figure the plants will grow back.
So. There are a few deer tales.
I hope today, you will see a beautiful deer in a brand new way. Dear.
“”””””””””
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
“”””””””””
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
“”””””””””
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“”””””””””
Oh Dear. Deer, oh dear.
