This is an accepted version of this page
87-516: Serpent Lake is a lake in Crosby and Deerwood, Crow Wing County , in the U.S. state of Minnesota spanning 1,103 acres. Fish that swim there include: Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch. Serpent Lake is an English translation of the Ojibwe language name. This article about
174-484: A brief copulatory jump. Females give birth to one to three spotted young, known as fawns, in mid-to-late spring, generally in May or June. Fawns lose their spots during the first summer and weigh from 20 to 35 kg (44 to 77 lb) by the first winter. Male fawns tend to be slightly larger and heavier than females. For the first four weeks, fawns are hidden in vegetation by their mothers, who nurse them four to five times
261-403: A center of trading with the region's Native Americans, with a general-supply store that served the area. By 1866, the village contained about 600 whites and Chippewa; it was a major population center. The territorial government enacted the county's creation on May 23, 1857, and named Crow Wing the county seat. The governmental structure of the county was not effected until March 3, 1870. The county
348-679: A chemical euthanizing agent or extermination by firearm. A main issue in questioning the humaneness of this method is the stress that the deer endure while trapped and awaiting extermination. Nonlethal methods include contraceptive injections, sterilization, and translocation of deer. While lethal methods have municipal support as being the most effective in the short term, some opponents of this view suggest that extermination has no significant impact on deer populations. Opponents of contraceptive methods point out that fertility control cannot provide meat and proves ineffective over time as populations in open-field systems move about. Concerns are voiced that
435-432: A day. This strategy keeps scent levels low to avoid predators. After about a month, the fawns are then able to follow their mothers on foraging trips. They are usually weaned after 8–10 weeks, but cases have been seen where mothers have continued to allow nursing long after the fawns have lost their spots (for several months, or until the end of fall) as seen by rehabilitators and other studies. Males leave their mothers after
522-433: A different and specific function that allows the deer to eat a variety of different foods, digesting it at a later time in a safe area of cover. The stomach hosts a complex set of microbes that change as the deer's diet changes through the seasons. If the microbes necessary for digestion of a particular food (e.g., hay) are absent, it will not be digested. Utilizing foregut fermentation , the fermented ingesta (known as cud )
609-531: A ghost town, Old Crow Wing . Crow Wing State Park encompasses much of the former village site along the river. Brainerd City was incorporated on November 19, 1881, named for Lawrence Brainerd, the father-in-law of J. Gregory Smith , the first president of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. Smith served as governor of Vermont from 1863 to 1865 before moving west. He is called the father and founder of Brainerd. Lawrence Brainerd
696-474: A golden eagle was filmed in Illinois unsuccessfully trying to prey on a large mature white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer typically respond to the presence of potential predators by breathing very heavily (also called blowing) and fleeing. When they blow, the sound alerts other deer in the area. As they run, the flash of their white tails warns other deer. This especially serves to warn fawns when their mother
783-451: A high-pitched squeal, known as a bleat, to call out to their mothers. This bleat deepens as the fawn grows until it becomes the grunt of the mature deer, a guttural sound that attracts the attention of any other deer in the area. A doe makes maternal grunts when searching for her bedded fawns. Bucks also grunt, at a pitch lower than that of the doe; this grunt deepens as the buck matures. In addition to grunting, both does and bucks also snort,
870-538: A location in Crow Wing County, Minnesota is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Crow Wing County, Minnesota Crow Wing County is a county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota . As of the 2020 census , the population was 66,123. Its county seat is Brainerd . The county was formed in 1857, and was organized in 1870. Crow Wing County is included in
957-455: A month before velvet sheds. Healthy deer in some areas that are well-fed can have eight-point branching antlers as yearlings (1.5 years old). Although antler size typically increases with age, antler characteristics (e.g., number of points, length, or thickness of the antlers) are not good indicators of buck age, in general, because antler development is influenced by the local environment. The individual deer's nutritional needs for antler growth
SECTION 10
#17328020495831044-447: A much more rapid rate than humans and are better at detecting motion in low-light conditions. The white-tailed deer is highly variable in size, generally following both Allen's rule and Bergmann's rule that the average size is larger farther away from the equator. North American male deer (also known as a buck) usually weigh 68 to 136 kg (150 to 300 lb), but mature bucks over 180 kg (400 lb) have been recorded in
1131-556: A role in the overpopulation issues with this species. Coyotes, widespread and with a rapidly expanding population, are often the only major nonhuman predator of the species in the Eastern U.S., besides an occasional domestic dog . In some areas, American black bears are also significant predators. In north-central Pennsylvania, black bears were found to be nearly as common predators of fawns as coyotes. Bobcats, still fairly widespread, usually only exploit deer as prey when smaller prey
1218-577: A sound that often signals an imminent threat. Mature bucks also produce a grunt-snort-wheeze pattern, unique to each animal, that asserts its dominance, aggression, and hostility. White-tailed deer also use "tail-flagging," a behavior where the tail is raised when they detect a threat. However, the function of this behavior is disputed, and it appears to be a signal to predators more than an intraspecific communication warning other deer. White-tailed deer possess many glands that allow them to produce scents , some of which are so potent they can be detected by
1305-706: A tail of 10 to 37 cm (4 to 15 in), and the shoulder height is 53 to 120 cm (21 to 47 in). Including all races, the average summer weight of adult males is 68 kg (150 lb) and is 45 kg (100 lb) in adult females. It is among the largest deer species in North America, and also one of the largest in South America, and is one of the largest behind only to the marsh deer in South America. Deer have dichromatic (two-color) vision with blue and yellow primaries; humans normally have trichromatic vision. Thus, deer poorly distinguish
1392-740: A wide variety of habitats . The largest deer occur in the temperate regions of North America. The northern white-tailed deer ( O. v. borealis ), Dakota white-tailed deer ( O. v. dacotensis ), and northwest white-tailed deer ( O. v. ochrourus ) are some of the largest animals, with large antlers. The smallest deer occur in the Florida Keys and in partially wooded lowlands in the Neotropics . Although most often thought of as forest animals depending on relatively small openings and edges, white-tailed deer can equally adapt themselves to life in more open prairie, savanna woodlands, and sage communities as in
1479-423: A year and females leave after two. Bucks are generally sexually mature at 1.5 years old and begin to breed even in populations stacked with older bucks. White-tailed deer have many forms of communication involving sounds, scent, body language, and marking. In addition to the blowing as mentioned above in the presence of danger, all white-tailed deer can produce audible noises unique to each animal. Fawns release
1566-494: Is a major one. Any time the temperature rises above 4 °C (40 °F), the males do much less traveling looking for females, else they will be subject to overheating or dehydrating. Another factor for the strength of rutting activity is competition. If numerous males are in a particular area, then they compete more with the females. If fewer males or more females are present, then the selection process will not need to be as competitive. Females enter estrus , colloquially called
1653-533: Is a reddish-brown in the spring and summer, and turns to a grey-brown throughout the fall and winter. The white-tailed deer can be recognized by the characteristic white underside to its tail. It raises its tail when it is alarmed to warn the predator that it has been detected. An indication of a deer's age is the length of the snout and the color of the coat, with older deer tending to have longer snouts and grayer coats. A population of white-tailed deer in New York
1740-406: Is alarmed. Most natural predators of white-tailed deer hunt by ambush, although canids may engage in an extended chase, hoping to exhaust the prey. Felids typically try to suffocate the deer by biting the throat. Cougars and jaguars will initially knock the deer off balance with their powerful forelegs, whereas the smaller bobcats and lynxes will jump astride the deer to deliver a killing bite. In
1827-550: Is also used by moose in some areas. White-tailed deer may occur in areas that are also exploited by elk (wapiti) such as in mixed deciduous river valley bottomlands and formerly in the mixed deciduous forest of eastern United States. In places such as Glacier National Park in Montana and several national parks in the Columbian Mountains ( Mount Revelstoke National Park ) and Canadian Rocky Mountains, as well as in
SECTION 20
#17328020495831914-590: Is classified as near-threatened. This population is separated from other white-tailed deer populations. Texas is home to the most white-tailed deer of any U.S. state or Canadian province, with an estimated population of 5.3 million. High populations of white-tailed deer exist in the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, and Indiana also boast high deer densities. The conversion of land adjacent to
2001-476: Is considered healthy and is approximately equal to the historical pre-colonization white-tailed population on the continent. The species has rebounded considerably after being overhunted nearly to extinction in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. By contrast, the species' closest cousins ( blacktail deer and mule deer ) have seen their populations cut by more than half in North America after peaking in 1960 and have never regained their pre-colonization numbers. In
2088-491: Is dependent on the diet of the deer, particularly protein intake. Good antler-growth nutritional needs (calcium) and good genetics combine to produce wall trophies in some of their range. Spiked bucks are different from "button bucks" or "nubbin' bucks", that are male fawns and are generally about six to nine months of age during their first winter. They have skin-covered nobs on their heads. They can have bony protrusions up to 10 mm ( 1 ⁄ 2 in) in length, but that
2175-483: Is entirely white except for the nose and hooves – not albino – in color. The former Seneca Army Depot in Romulus , New York , has the largest known concentration of white deer . Strong conservation efforts have allowed white deer to thrive within the confines of the depot. The white-tailed deer's horizontally slit pupil allows for good night vision and color vision during the day. Whitetails process visual images at
2262-417: Is not considered the critical factor preventing hemlock re-establishment at large scales. Ecologists have also expressed concern over the facilitative effect high deer populations have on invasions of exotic plant species. In a study of eastern hemlock forests, browsing by white-tailed deer caused populations of three exotic plants to rise faster than they do in the areas which are absent of deer. Seedlings of
2349-576: Is not the only way deer can shift the balance in favor of nutrient competitors. Deer consuming earlier-succession plants allows in enough light for nutrient competitors to invade. Since slow-growing oaks need several decades to develop root systems sufficient to compete with faster-growing species, removal of the canopy prior to that point amplifies the effect of deer on succession. High-density deer populations possibly could browse eastern hemlock seedlings out of existence in northern hardwood forests; however, this scenario seems unlikely, given that deer browsing
2436-434: Is regurgitated and chewed again, to mix it with saliva and reduce the particle size. Smaller particle size allows for increased nutrient absorption and the saliva is important because it provides liquid for the microbial population, recirculates nitrogen and minerals, and acts as a buffer for the rumen pH. There are several natural predators of white-tailed deer, with wolves , cougars , American alligators , jaguars (in
2523-417: Is scarce. Discussions have occurred regarding the possible reintroduction of gray wolves and cougars to sections of the eastern United States, largely because of the apparent controlling effect they have through deer predation on local ecosystems, as has been illustrated in the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and their controlling effect on previously overpopulated elk . However, due to
2610-574: Is the Mississippi River , and there are several smaller streams. It has about 417 recognized lakes. The top ten by size are: The presence of railroads increased development in the county, but also brought environmental problems. The Burlington Northern (Brainerd/Baxter) EPA Superfund site is between Brainerd and Baxter . Burlington Northern Railroad had a treatment plant in Crow Wing County for railroad ties, to protect
2697-520: Is the possible spreading of chronic wasting disease to unaffected deer populations and concerns about exposure to human populations. In addition to the danger of deer-vehicle collisions the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that the estimated loss in field crops, nuts, fruits, and vegetables in 2001 was near $ 765 million, (equivalent to $ 1.26 billion in 2023). Males compete for
Serpent Lake - Misplaced Pages Continue
2784-408: Is the use of extended hunting as population control, as well as a way to provide meat for humans. In Maryland and many other states, a state agency sets regulations on bag limits and hunting in the area depending on the deer population levels assessed. Hunting seasons may fluctuate in duration, or restrictions may be set to affect how many deer or what type of deer can be hunted in certain regions. For
2871-413: Is very rare, and they are not the same as spikes. Antlers begin to grow in late spring, covered with a highly vascularised tissue known as velvet. Bucks either have a typical or atypical antler arrangement. Typical antlers are symmetrical and the points grow straight up off the main beam. Atypical antlers are asymmetrical and the points may project at any angle from the main beam. These descriptions are not
2958-475: The Appalachian and Piedmont regions of the south. These deer, over time, have intermixed with the local indigenous deer ( O. v. virginianus and/or O. v. macrourus ) populations. Central and South America have a complex number of white-tailed deer subspecies that range from Guatemala to as far south as Peru. This list of subspecies of deer is more exhaustive than the list of North American subspecies, and
3045-705: The Czech Republic , Finland , France , Germany , Romania and Serbia . In the Americas, it is the most widely distributed wild ungulate . In North America, the species is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains as well as in southwestern Arizona and most of Mexico, except Lower California . It is mostly displaced by the black-tailed or mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) from that point west except for mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of
3132-568: The Llanos region of Colombia and Venezuela ( O. v. apurensis and O. v. gymnotis ) have antler dimensions similar to the Arizona white-tailed deer. In some western regions of North America, the white-tailed deer range overlaps with those of the mule deer . White-tail incursions in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas have resulted in some hybrids. In the extreme north of the range, their habitat
3219-520: The Upper Mississippi River Basin. The topography is gently rolling to flat, mostly wooded and heavily dotted with waters and wetlands. It is home to an abundance of wildlife , including white-tailed deer , cottontail rabbit , snowshoe hare , raccoon , red fox , gray fox , coyote , mink , muskrat , squirrels , beaver , occasional American black bear , Bald eagle , osprey and many other waterfowl . The main river
3306-429: The rut , in the autumn, normally in late October or early November, triggered mainly by the declining photoperiod . Sexual maturation of females depends on population density , as well as the availability of food. Young females often flee from an area heavily populated with males. Some does may be as young as six months when they reach sexual maturity, but the average age of maturity is 18 months. Copulation consists of
3393-713: The whitetail and the Virginia deer , is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia, where it predominately inhabits high mountain terrains of the Andes . It has also been introduced to New Zealand , all the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean ( Cuba , Jamaica , Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico ), and some countries in Europe , such as
3480-427: The 2015–2016 white-tailed deer-hunting season, some areas allowed only the hunting of antlerless white-tailed deer. These included young bucks and females, encouraging the culling of does which would otherwise contribute to increasing populations via offspring production. A more targeted yet more expensive removal strategy than public hunting is a method referred to as sharpshooting. Sharpshooting can be an option when
3567-401: The 21st century, the loss of natural predators has been more than offset by the ongoing loss of natural habitat to human development, and changes to logging operations. Several methods have been developed to curb the population of white-tailed deer in suburban areas where they are perceived as overabundant, and these can be separated into lethal and nonlethal strategies. Most common in the U.S.
Serpent Lake - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-625: The American southwest, Mexico, and Central and South America) and humans being the most effective natural predators. Aside from humans, these predators frequently pick out easily caught young or infirm deer (which is believed to improve the genetic stock of a population), but can and do take healthy adults of any size. Bobcats , Canada lynx , grizzly and American black bears , wolverines , and packs of coyotes usually prey mainly on fawns. Bears may sometimes attack adult deer, while lynxes, coyotes, and wolverines are most likely to take adult deer when
3741-548: The Brainerd, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area . This area was long occupied by the Ojibwe people , also known as Chippewa. In addition, numerous Dakota people lived in central and southern Minnesota before European settlement. European Americans established a trading post by 1837 in this area, on the east side of the Mississippi River opposite the mouth of the Crow Wing River. The post (named Crow Wing) soon became
3828-632: The Canadian Rockies to agriculture use and partial clear-cutting of coniferous trees , resulting in widespread deciduous vegetation, has been favorable to the white-tailed deer and has pushed its distribution to as far north as Yukon. Populations of deer around the Great Lakes have expanded their range northwards, also due to conversion of land to agricultural use, with local caribou , elk , and moose populations declining. White-tailed deer are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during
3915-547: The Central American deer, consists of savannas, dry deciduous forests, and riparian corridors that cover much of Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The other type is the higher elevation mountain grassland/mixed forest ecozones in the Andes Mountains, from Venezuela to Peru. The Andean white-tailed deer seem to retain gray coats due to the colder weather at high altitudes, whereas the lowland savanna forms retain
4002-605: The Mississippi) to Crow Wing County, which doubled the former area of Crow Wing County. Crow Wing County has an area of 1,157 square miles (3,000 km ), of which 999 square miles (2,590 km ) is land and 157 square miles (410 km ) (14%) is water. Crow Wing County has two state forests , the Crow Wing State Forest and the Emily State Forest . The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail lies in
4089-514: The Southwest, with impressive antlers that might rival deer found in Canada and the northern United States. Populations of Arizona ( O. v. couesi ) and Carmen Mountains ( O. v. carminis ) white-tailed deer inhabit montane mixed oak and pine woodland communities. The Arizona and Carmen Mountains deer are smaller, but may also have impressive antlers, considering their size. The white-tailed deer of
4176-479: The Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These savanna-adapted deer have relatively large antlers in proportion to their body size and large tails. Also, a noticeable difference exists in size between male and female deer of the savannas. The Texas white-tailed deer ( O. v. texanus ), of the prairies and oak savannas of Texas and parts of Mexico, are the largest savanna-adapted deer in
4263-792: The U.S. Endangered Species Act . In the United States, the Virginia white-tail, O. v. virginianus , is among the most widespread subspecies. Several local deer populations, especially in the Southern United States , are descended from white-tailed deer transplanted from various localities east of the Continental Divide . Some of these deer populations may have been from as far north as the Great Lakes region to as far west as Texas, yet are also quite at home in
4350-568: The Yukon Territory ( Yoho National Park and Kootenay National Park ), white-tailed deer are shy and more reclusive than the coexisting mule deer, elk, and moose. Central American white-tailed deer prefer tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , seasonal mixed deciduous forests, savanna, and adjacent wetland habitats over dense tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests . South American subspecies of white-tailed deer live in two types of environments. The first type, similar to
4437-409: The age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 26.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93. The county population contained 24.80% under
SECTION 50
#17328020495834524-467: The age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 37,589, and the median income for a family was $ 44,847. Males had a median income of $ 33,838 versus $ 22,896 for females. The per capita income for
4611-411: The area inhabited by the deer is unfit for public hunting. This strategy may work in areas close to human populations, since it is done by professional marksmen, and requires a submitted plan of action to the city with details of the time and location of the action, as well as number of deer to be culled. Another controversial method involves trapping the deer in a net or other trap, and then administering
4698-512: The area—for breeding purposes. The scent from the metatarsal glands, found on the outside of each hind leg, between the ankle and hooves, may be used as an alarm scent. The scent from the interdigital glands, which are located between the hooves of each foot, emit a yellow waxy substance with an offensive odor. Deer can be seen stomping their hooves if they sense danger through sight, sound, or smell; this action leaves an excessive amount of odor for warning other deer of possible danger. Throughout
4785-624: The availability of food sources. They also eat hay, grass, white clover, and other foods they can find in a farmyard. Though almost entirely herbivorous, white-tailed deer have been known to opportunistically feed on nesting songbirds, field mice, and birds trapped in mist nets , if the need arises. When additional amounts of minerals such as calcium are needed in their diet, they can resort to osteophagy , chewing on bones of dead animals. A grown deer can eat around 900 kg (2,000 lb) of vegetable matter annually. A population of around 8 deer per square kilometre (20 /sq mi) can start to destroy
4872-425: The breeding season, does release hormones and pheromones that tell bucks a doe is in heat and able to breed. Bucks also rub trees and shrubs with their antlers and heads during the breeding season, possibly transferring scent from the forehead glands to the tree, leaving a scent other deer can detect. Sign-post marking (scrapes and rubs) is a very obvious way white-tailed deer communicate. Although bucks do most of
4959-423: The case of canids and wolverines, the predators bite at the limbs and flanks, hobbling the deer, until they can reach vital organs and kill it through loss of blood. Bears, which usually target fawns, often simply knock down the prey and then start eating it while it is still alive. Alligators snatch deer as they try to drink from or cross bodies of water, grabbing them with their powerful jaws and dragging them into
5046-478: The contraceptives have not been adequately researched for the effect they could have on humans. Fertility control also does nothing to affect the current population and the effects their grazing may be having on the forest plant make-up. Translocation has been considered overly costly for the little benefit it provides. Deer experience high stress and are at high risk of dying in the process, putting into question its humaneness. Another concern regarding translocation
5133-650: The county was $ 19,174. About 6.50% of families and 9.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 11.40% of those under age 18 and 9.90% of those age 65 or over. Crow Wing County has voted Republican for several decades. In only one presidential election since 1976 has the county selected the Democratic candidate. School districts include: 46°29′N 94°04′W / 46.49°N 94.07°W / 46.49; -94.07 White-tailed deer 38, see text The white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), also known commonly as
5220-530: The dawn and dusk hours. Some taxonomists have attempted to separate white-tailed deer into a host of subspecies , based largely on morphological differences. Genetic studies, however, suggest fewer subspecies within the animal's range, as compared to the 30 to 40 subspecies that some scientists have described in the last century. The Florida Key deer , O. v. clavium , and the Columbian white-tailed deer, O. v. leucurus , are both listed as endangered under
5307-402: The deer's front hooves before rub-urination ). The tarsal glands are found on the upper inside of the hock (middle joint) on each hind leg. The scent is deposited from these glands when deer walk through and rub against vegetation. These scrapes are used by bucks as a sort of "sign-post" by which bucks know which other bucks are in the area, and to let does know a buck is regularly passing through
SECTION 60
#17328020495835394-465: The fastest of all deer, alongside the Eurasian roe deer . They can also jump 3 m (9 ft) high and up to 9 m (30 ft) forward. When shot at, a white-tailed deer will run at high speeds with its tail down. If frightened, the deer will hop in a zig-zag with its tail straight up. If the deer feels extremely threatened, however, it may choose to attack, charging the person or predator posing
5481-458: The forehead glands. White-tailed deer have long been hunted as game , for pure sport and for their commodities , and is probably the most hunted native big game species in the Americas . In Mesoamerica, white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) were hunted from very early times. Rites and rituals in preparation for deer hunting and celebration for an auspicious hunt are still practiced in
5568-484: The forest environment in their foraging area. Their diet consists mostly of woody shoots, stems, and leaves of woody plants as well as grasses, cultivated crops, nuts, berries, and wildflowers. The items they feed on are not generally abundant in mature forests and are mostly found at "edges". Edges are described as a "mosaic of vegetation types that create numerous interwoven 'edges' where their respective boundaries intersect" and provide optimum cover for browsers such as
5655-581: The growth rates of important canopy trees, perhaps by increased nutrient inputs into the soil. In northeastern hardwood forests, high-density deer populations affect plant succession, particularly following clear-cuts and patch cuts. In succession without deer, annual herbs and woody plants are followed by commercially valuable, shade-tolerant oak and maple. The shade-tolerant trees prevent the invasion of less commercial cherry and American beech, which are stronger nutrient competitors, but not as shade tolerant. Although deer eat shade-tolerant plants and acorns, this
5742-632: The heavy urban development in much of the Eastern U.S., and fear for livestock and human lives, such ideas have ultimately been rejected by local communities and/or by government services and have not been carried through. In areas where they are heavily hunted by humans, deer run almost immediately from people and are quite wary even where not heavily hunted. White-tailed deer can run faster than their predators and have been recorded sprinting at speeds of 60 km (40 mi) per hour and sustaining speeds of 50 km (30 mi) per hour over distances of 5–6 km (3–4 mi); this ranks them amongst
5829-417: The human nose. Four major glands are the preorbital, forehead, tarsal, and metatarsal glands. Secretions from the preorbital glands (in front of the eye) were thought to be rubbed on tree branches, but research suggests this is not so. Scent from the forehead or sudoriferous glands (found on the head, between the antlers and eyes) is used to deposit scent on branches that overhang scrapes (areas scraped by
5916-491: The marking, does visit these locations often. To make a rub, a buck uses his antlers to strip the bark off small-diameter trees, helping to mark his territory and polish his antlers. To mark areas they regularly pass through, bucks make scrapes. Often occurring in patterns known as scrape lines, scrapes are areas where a buck has used his front hooves to expose bare earth. They often rub-urinate into these scrapes, which are often found under twigs that have been marked with scent from
6003-672: The northern Rocky Mountain region from Wyoming west to eastern Washington and eastern Oregon and north to northeastern British Columbia and southern Yukon , including in the Montana valley and foothill grasslands . The westernmost population of the species, known as the Columbian white-tailed deer , was once widespread in the mixed forests along the Willamette and Cowlitz River valleys of western Oregon and southwestern Washington, but current numbers are considerably reduced, and it
6090-443: The northernmost reaches of their native range, namely Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba. In 1926, Carl J. Lenander Jr. took a white-tailed buck near Tofte, Minnesota, that weighed 183 kg (403 lb) after it was field-dressed (internal organs and blood removed) and was estimated at 232 kg (511 lb) when alive. The female (doe) in North America usually weighs from 40 to 90 kg (88 to 198 lb). White-tailed deer from
6177-464: The number of subspecies is also questionable. However, the white-tailed deer populations in these areas are difficult to study, due to overhunting in many parts and a lack of protection. Some areas no longer carry deer, so assessing the genetic difference of these animals is difficult. There are 26 subspecies; seventeen of these occur in North America, ordered alphabetically. (Numbers in parentheses are range map locations.) The white-tailed deer's coat
6264-533: The only limitations for typical and atypical antler arrangement. The Boone and Crockett or Pope and Young scoring systems also define relative degrees of typicality and atypicality by procedures to measure what proportion of the antlers is asymmetrical. Therefore, bucks with only slight asymmetry are scored as "typical". A buck's inside spread can be from 8–60 cm (3–25 in). Bucks shed their antlers when all females have been bred, from late December to February. White-tailed deer are generalists and can adapt to
6351-403: The opportunity of breeding females. Sparring among males determines a dominance hierarchy . Bucks attempt to copulate with as many females as possible, losing physical condition, since they rarely eat or rest during the rut. The general geographical trend is for the rut to be shorter in duration at increased latitude. Many factors determine how intense the "rutting season" will be; air temperature
6438-663: The oranges and reds that stand out so well to humans. This makes it very convenient to use deer-hunter orange as a safety color on caps and clothing to avoid accidental shootings during hunting seasons. Males regrow their antlers every year. About one in 10,000 females also has antlers, although this is usually associated with freemartinism . Bucks without branching antlers are often termed "spikehorn", "spiked bucks", "spike bucks", or simply "spikes/spikers". The spikes can be quite long or very short. Length and branching of antlers are determined by nutrition, age, and genetics. Rack growth tends to be very important from late spring until about
6525-1188: The reddish brown coats. South American white-tailed deer, like those in Central America, also generally avoid dense moist broadleaf forests. Since the second half of the 19th century, white-tailed deer have been introduced to Europe. A population in the Brdy area remains stable today. In 1935, white-tailed deer were introduced to Finland . The introduction was successful, and the deer have recently begun spreading through northern Scandinavia and southern Karelia , competing with, and sometimes displacing, native species. The 2020 population of some 109,000 deer originated from four animals provided by Finnish Americans from Minnesota. White-tailed deer eat large amounts of food, commonly eating legumes and foraging on other plants, including shoots , leaves, cacti (in deserts), prairie forbs, and grasses . They also eat acorns, fruit, and corn. Their multi-chambered stomachs allow them to eat some foods humans cannot, such as mushrooms (even those that are toxic to humans) and poison ivy . Their diets vary by season according to
6612-481: The same time, increases in browse-tolerant grasses and sedges and unpalatable ferns have often accompanied intensive deer herbivory. Changes to the structure of forest understories have, in turn, altered the composition and abundance of forest bird communities in some areas. In regions of intermediate density, deer activity has also been shown to increase herbaceous plant diversity, particularly in disturbed areas, by reducing competitively dominant plants; and to increase
6699-410: The threat, using its antlers or, if none are present, its head to fight off its target. In certain parts of eastern North America, high deer densities have caused large reductions in plant biomass, including the density and heights of certain forest wildflowers, tree seedlings, and shrubs. Although they can be seen as a nuisance species, white-tailed deer also play an important role in biodiversity. At
6786-412: The three invading species rose exponentially with deer density, while the most common native species fell exponentially with deer density, because deer were preferentially eating the native species. The effects of deer on the invasive and native plants were magnified in cases of canopy disturbance. The white-tailed deer population in North America has declined by several million since 2000, but as of 2017
6873-405: The tropics and the Florida Keys are markedly smaller-bodied than temperate populations, averaging 35 to 50 kg (77 to 110 lb), with an occasional adult female as small as 25 kg (55 lb). White-tailed deer from the Andes are larger than other tropical deer of this species and have thick, slightly woolly-looking fur. Length ranges from 95 to 220 cm (37 to 87 in), including
6960-546: The ungulates are weakened by harsh winter weather. Many scavengers rely on deer as carrion, including New World vultures , raptors , red and gray foxes , and corvids . Few wild predators can afford to be picky and any will readily consume deer as carrion. Records exist of American crows and common ravens attempting to prey on white-tailed deer fawns by pecking around their face and eyes, though no accounts of success are given. Occasionally, both golden and bald eagles may capture deer fawns with their talons. In one case,
7047-507: The water to drown. Most primary natural predators of white-tailed deer have been essentially extirpated in eastern North America, with a very small number of reintroduced critically endangered red wolves , around North Carolina and a small remnant population of Florida panthers , a subspecies of the cougar. Gray wolves , the leading cause of deer mortality where they overlap, co-occur with whitetails in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and most of Canada. This almost certainly plays
7134-420: The white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer can easily thrive in suburban areas, as a combination of increased safety from some predators (including human hunting), high quality and abundance of foods in home gardens, city parks, open farmland, and other factors all create landscapes with an abundance of edge habitat. The white-tailed deer is a ruminant , which means it has a four-chambered stomach. Each chamber has
7221-411: The wood from weather and insects. Wastewater generated from the wood-treating process was sent to two shallow, unlined ponds. This created sludge that contaminated both the underlying soils and the groundwater with creosote and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). As of the census of 2000, there were 55,099 people, 22,250 households, and 15,174 families in the county. The population density
7308-403: The year, deer rub-urinate , a process during which a deer squats while urinating so the urine will run down the insides of the deer's legs, over the tarsal glands, and onto the hair covering these glands. Bucks rub-urinate more frequently during the breeding season. Secretions from the preputial glands and tarsal glands mix with the urine and bacteria to produce a strong-smelling odor. During
7395-579: Was 55.2 per square mile (21.3/km ). There were 33,483 housing units at an average density of 33.5 per square mile (12.9/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.64% White , 0.31% Black or African American , 0.78% Native American , 0.28% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.20% from other races , and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.5% were of German , 16.4% Norwegian , 9.4% Swedish , 6.2% Irish and 5.2% American ancestry. There were 22,250 households, out of which 30.20% had children under
7482-498: Was named for the river, which is named for an island in the river that resembles a crow's wing. Brainerd township was founded in 1870 when the Northern Pacific Railroad selected the site for a crossing of the Mississippi River . It attracted development and population, soon surpassing Crow Wing. It was also designated as the new county seat, drawing off more residents and businesses from what became known as
7569-603: Was the first president of the Vermont Central Railroad . The Northern Pacific Railroad ran a special train as its first service to Brainerd on March 11, 1871. Its regular passenger service began the next September. The first passenger train from the Twin Cities , by way of Sauk Rapids , arrived on November 1, 1877. On February 18, 1887, the Minnesota legislature annexed part of Cass County (west of
#582417