Seen a Deer?
Anyone ever see any deer in or around our lakes?
White-tailed deer are most popular in our area and are widespread. They are the most abundant large game animals in Mass.
Deer are strong swimmers and will swim in lakes, rivers or any body of water to reach safety from predators, food and islands for breeding. Deer have very strong legs and a coat that provides insulation and buoyancy. They can swim 2 to potentially10 miles at speeds of up to 15mph! Wow, let’s sign them up for the Wild Bill swim! At the same time, like people, not all deer will swim.
What do deer eat? Do they get food from the lakes, rivers, etc.? No, deer browse for food mainly at dawn and dusk. The real mainstay food item is “browse”. Browse plants can be shrubs or young trees within reach of deer. Browse plants will always be available in one form or another, no matter what the weather conditions. Even though browse plants can lose their leaves during drought or cold weather, their stems and twigs remain reasonably nutritious; unlike weeds that simply disappear.
Acorns, nuts and fruits are generally called “mast”. They supply high-energy sources during times of thermal stress or rapid body and antler growth. Fruits such as grapes, blackberries, mulberry and plums are used by deer as a high-energy source rich in carbohydrates during antler growth. In fact, digestible energy is the limiting factor for a healthy deer herd. Other soft fruits such as apples and pears provided needed energy in the fall, when deer are storing fat for the winter.
Some quick fun facts about deer:
Their vision is about 20/100 versus ours at 20/20. Field of vision 310 degrees, ours 200 degrees.
Deer can rotate their ears to pinpoint sound direction
They have a four-chamber stomach
Life expectancy, typically 2-3 years but as much as 15-20 years
Age is determined by counting rings in the tooth root
Only male deer grow antlers, which are shed each year and grow a ¼ inch per day
White-tailed deer are the Olympians of the forest! Some can clear hurdles of up to 8 feet high and can soar horizontally for up to 30 feet in a single leap.