Whitetail deer:
There are 30 recognized subspecies of whitetail
deer.
A whitetail can weigh anywhere from 100 to 350
pounds.
The breeding season for whitetail deer generally
occurs in November but can run into December in
some areas.
When threatened, whitetail deer will usually try
to sneak slowly away unnoticed. However, if faced
with imminent danger, both bucks and does will
emit a snort, or a wheeze.
When frightened, whitetail deer will stamp their
front hooves and raise their signature tail to
expose the white underside as a warning to others.
Loss of habitat and over-hunting brought whitetail
deer numbers to an all-time low in the late 1800s.
There are now 14 million whitetails in the nation.
Whitetail deer are the number one big game animal
in the United States.
Mule deer:
Mule deer bucks weigh between 125 and 400 pounds,
does 100 to 150 pounds.
The average mule deer stands 3 to 3.5 feet high.
The breeding season for mule deer ranges from
October to December.
When alarmed, both mule deer bucks and does emit a
snorting sound.
A mule deer, when properly motivated, can leap as
high as 8 feet and run as fast as 35 miles per
hour for a couple of minutes.
Mule deer residing in the higher elevations of the
Rocky Mountains will migrate to lower elevations
during the winter months, returning to the high
country when spring melts the snows up higher.
Blacktail deer:
There are two subspecies of blacktail deer: The
Columbian blacktail deer resides in California,
Oregon and Washington; the Sitka blacktail makes
its home from Vancouver, British Columbia, north
into southeast and south central Alaska.
Blacktail deer are very shy and will generally
hold still when in danger, concealed in thick
brush. They prefer to stay very still rather than
run.
When especially agitated, blacktail deer will emit
a wheezing snort.
Blacktail deer can rut anywhere from late October
to early December.
