“White-tailed deer spark more interest than any other wildlife species in Virginia. Many Virginians
long for the chance to hunt, watch, or photograph this most popular game animal. As the largest
herbivore (plant-eater) in the Commonwealth, deer have a profound impact on native forest
ecosystems.
There may be twice as many deer in Virginia today – nearly 1 million - than when Jamestown was
settled. White-tailed deer, nearly extinct in 1900, reproduce quickly and adapt well to human
landscapes.
Deer inhabit deep forests, open fields, rocky mountain tops, coastal islands, and even cities and
towns across Virginia. Deer can thrive anywhere just short of concrete and steel! Optimum deer
country is a mixture of many habitat types (e.g., woods, fields, crops, brush, etc.) growing on
fertile soils.
Habitat for deer, like other wild animals, consists of four basic components:
• Food - an assortment of green plants, woody browse, nuts and berries, and fungi
• Water – rarely a problem for a large, mobile animal
• Cover (shelter) – almost any thicket, woodlot, hedgerow, or tall crop field
• Space – bucks (males) range over approximately 600 acres, while does may use 200 acres.
Bucks have antlers, not horns. Horns are permanent keratin structures found on cattle, sheep,
etc. Antlers, one of the fastest growing animal tissues in the world, are bones that drop off and
regrow every year!
Under optimum conditions, a deer population could double in size annually. With no regulating
factor (e.g. predators, hunters), a deer population would expand to the point where some
resource, generally food, became scarce. Deer have few natural predators in Virginia, and other
sources of mortality (e.g., diseases, injuries) are not sufficient to control populations.
Deer are aged by the number, stage of eruption, and wear patterns of their teeth, much like
horses.
Deer eat 3-5% of their body weight per day!
Keep wildlife wild! White-tailed deer belong to the public, and it is illegal to have one as a pet. If
you find a fawn, please leave it where you found it. It is normal for female deer to leave their
hidden fawns alone for long periods as they feed. When humans interfere, chances that a fawn
will survive are greatly reduced. A truly injured wild animal can be taken to a licensed wild life
rehabilitator, but it can NEVER be kept by anyone else.
Deer move more during the breeding season (October-December) than any other time of year, so
watch out for them as you drive. Slow down and stay alert!
Don’t feed the deer! Concentration of deer around human food sources leads to increased risks
of disease transmission, local habitat destruction, aggression among deer, and the potential for
deer-human conflicts.”