Deer

The white-tailed deer (scientific name Odocolleus virginianus) can be found in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The deer can be seen in the state’s wildlife areas; parks such as the Wissahickon; nature preserves; in backyards and on farmland.

Although abundant earlier in the state’s history — when they served as a food source for Native Americans and colonists — as the state was settled, hunting was unregulated; predators such as coyotes took their toll, and the herds declined.

On June 25, 1895, Governor Hastings signed a law creating the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners. The Game Commission was created too late to help some species. But there was still hope for others, such as the bear, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys, three of the state\'s most popular game species. Their numbers were at their lowest population levels ever, and would require protection if they were to survive. To restore wildlife, the Game Commission pressed for restrictive hunting laws, designed to safeguard what wildlife was left and provide it with a better opportunity to recover. The effort was bolstered by hiring law enforcement officers. Around 1900, the Game Commission estimated that only about 500 whitetail deer remained in the state. The commission began stocking deer in 1906 and continued through the 1920s. Today, deer have adapted well and thrive through out the state. [from www.pgc.state.pa.us]

Between the 1920s and 1930s, limited stocking of the deer, combined with the natural movement of herds from neighboring states re-established deer populations. Beginning in the 1980s, deer populations began to increase rapidly – not only in Pennsylvania, but in many states on the East Coast.

Description

The White-tailed deer has two seasonal coats. The spring/summer coat is reddish tan and relatively short with a thin and wiry hair texture. The winter coat is grayer or even bluish with heavy, long guard hairs and a thick undercoat that provides excellent insulation. When in flight, the large, white tail, flipped up in the air, makes the deer easy to spot.
The buck deer starts to grow antlers every spring. They harden in late summer in time for breeding and drop off in December after breeding season has ended.

Reproduction

Courtship activities begin in mid-October and young are born mid-May through July. Many fawn does breed in their first year, but give birth to only one fawn. Most adult does will have twins and occasionally triplets.

Habitat and Habits

White-tails are active around the clock, but less so during daylight hours. Because they often are on the move at dawn and dusk, accidents may occur when commuters to and from work encounter the deer.

Deer can leap heights as high as eight feet, clearing fences or other barriers.

In Pennsylvania, deer eat a wide variety of food – mostly native plants such as acorns, dogwoods, clover, crabapple, grasses and miscellaneous woody plants. In the Wissahickon, browse lines are visible on shrubs where the deer have fed. Also, the deer’s strong preference for native plants has led to their decline, with exotic invasive plants vigorously replacing them. 

White-tails prefer an area with diverse food and cover types, including mixed-age timber stands. ideal habitat provides a mixture of forest, brushland and cropland in blocks of one to two miles.

Wissahickon and Pennypack Parks, where deer populations have exploded, provide this ideal habitat.