Life on the Run

• White-tailed deer can sprint up to 30 miles per hour and jump as high as 10 feet.

• Deer are found on every continent except Antarctica.

• Male deer, known as bucks or stags, grow and shed their antlers every winter and grow them again in the spring.

• Fawns are born with white spots on their fur, which help them blend into their surroundings as a defense against predators.

• Deer are excellent swimmers. They swim to escape predators or travel to better feeding grounds.

• The mule deer gets its name from its large, mule-like ears, which help it detect danger from great distances.

• A deer’s sense of smell is so sharp that they can detect human scent from hundreds of yards away, making them hard to sneak up on.

• Deer are social animals and often communicate using grunts, bleats, and snorts to convey alarm or attract mates.

• The moose, the largest member of the deer family, can stand over 7 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.

• Bambi, the famous Disney deer, is based on a white-tailed deer, but it originally came from a European novel featuring a roe deer.

Meet Byron, the Buck

Bing spent his whole life in the swamp following the same daily routine. When he meets a worldly swan, Bing thirsts for adventure. On a cool spring morning, he leaves the swamp and marches to the lake on the opposite end of the forest. Will he survive the crafty fox, the treacherous river, and the vast lake? This entertaining tale teaches children to seek new experiences and to be resourceful. Bing uses wits and bravery to reach his destination.

Male deer are called bucks, females are called does, and babies are called fawns. Bing is a whitetail deer. White-tailed deer are the most widespread deer species in North America. They are known for the distinctive white underside of their tails, which they raise as a warning signal when alarmed. These agile creatures inhabit various ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and even suburban areas, and have adapted well to human development. Highly alert and equipped with a strong sense of smell, keen eyesight, and sharp hearing, white-tailed deer are skilled at evading predators, making them a challenging yet popular species among wildlife enthusiasts and hunters.

Sharp Senses

White-tailed deer are highly adept at avoiding predators, thanks to their exceptional senses. Their eyesight is kee and designed to detect movement, even in low-light conditions such as dawn and dusk when many predators are active. Their eyes are positioned on the sides of their head, giving them a wide field of vision. Additionally, their sense of smell is remarkably sensitive, enabling them to pick up the scent of predators from a considerable distance. They also possess acute hearing, with large, mobile ears that can rotate to detect sounds from multiple directions. When a threat is detected, a white-tailed deer often uses its signature tail—flashing the white underside as a visual alarm to warn other deer of danger before making a swift escape.

White-tailed deer are abundant in the USA. Human activity has inadvertently created ideal environments for deer by fragmenting forests and promoting the growth of vegetation that provides ample food. Additionally, Americans nearly drove the wolves, the deer's natural predator, to extinction, which allowed the deer to thrive. Deer often cross the door causing car accidents. In the US, there are over 2 million collisions involving deer each year.