Dear Reader,

You see them everywhere; in your garden, crossing the road, in parking lots, mounted on a relative’s wall…but how much do you really know about white-tailed deer?

In this newsletter we’ll provide some fun facts, tracking tips, and activities for the whole family to give more insight and appreciation for these beautiful animals. You may be able to spot them in your own backyard, or hit the trails at the UW Arboretum to see deer in a more natural setting.

This time of year, deer are very active participating in mating activities and stocking up on food to add critical body-fat to get through the winter. If you’re quiet enough, who knows how many you will be able to see?

Enjoy!

Brenna and Betsy
The Folks at Nature Net

October

White-Tailed Deer

fawn

“Your growing antlers,’ Bambi continued, ‘are proof of your intimate place in the forest; for of all the things that live and grow, only the trees and the deer shed their foliage each year and replace it more strongly, more magnificently, in the spring. Each year the trees grow larger and put on more leaves. And so you too increase in size and wear a larger, stronger crown.”
― Felix Salten

Did You Know?

The white-tailed deer is Wisconsin’s State Wildlife Animal — and the badger is the “state animal”. This has been the case since 1957 when legislators declared both animals as important state symbols.

White-tailed deer are an important part of the food chain. Wolves, cougars, and even American alligators all rely on deer as an important food source. The deer themselves help trim the forest undergrowth. However, when there are not enough predators or too many deer, they can upset the balance of the ecosystem. In fact, Aldo Leopold writes about this in his famous essay, Thinking Like a Mountain.

The white tail that these animals are named for is used as an alarm signal. The deer raises its tail when startled, serving as a visual signal to nearby herd members that there is danger afoot.

Besides their bright white tails and pale underbellies, white-tailed deer are mostly brown, with some slight variation in color depending on the season. But as with most species, certain mutations, such as albinism or leucism, can alter the natural pigmentation. There is a herd of 300 leucitic pure white deer in Seneca, New York. Their beauty captured the minds of the people at the Seneca Army base and since 1950 there has been a law put in place that forbids the hunting of any white deer on the property.

White-tailed deer are the smallest members of the North American deer family, and their range stretches across most of the continent.

The stomachs of white-tailed deer are actually four different compartments specialized for digestion of a wide range of plant matter, including leaves, twigs, fruits, nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, lichens and fungi. Their flexible diet and ruminant stomach allows them these opportunistic creatures to adapt to many different habitats — including woodlands, meadows, farms, suburbs, and even cities!

Deer have long been an important food source for Wisconsinites. Their skin, bones, antlers, and other body parts can also be used to make clothing and tools. Harvesting deer was, and still is, an important lifeway for Native people in our state and across the continent. Traditionally, tribes such as the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe begin hunting at the first sign of fireflies and end when the weather is very cold.

Public deer hunting season is coming up in Wisconsin. For archery and crossbow, it lasts the entire fall. Youth Deer Hunt is mid-October, and Gun Deer season is late November. There are many licenses and regulations required to help ensure the hunt is monitored, safe, and sustainable — an important part of wildlife and game management.

What To Do This Month:

Visit the UW Arboretum, and you may get a glimpse of some deer that habitually wander the property. Count how many you see and take note of what they are eating. Are they leaving any tracks or signs behind? Are there plants that the deer seem to prefer over others? At the Arboretum, fences have been erected to keep the deer out of certain areas. Compare the closed off area to areas where deer are allowed to browse? What looks the same? What is missing?

You can especially spot these crepuscular critters at twilight (learn more below), so be sure to check out the great family evening events going on this month, including Moon Madness at Bethel Horizons on Oct 8, Fall Fest at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center Oct 24, and the Haunted Hay Ride Oct 24-25 at the MacKenzie Center.


Instant Outdoor Expert:

Antlers or Horns?

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there IS in fact a difference between the two! Deer have antlers, which are shed annually and have branches. Horns are not shed, have no branches, and are covered by a keratin sheath. Unlike antlers, horns never stop growing!

And a fun new vocabulary word related to deer is crepuscular, which refers to an animal that is active mainly at twilight (dawn and dusk). Other familiar crepuscular animals include fireflies, possums, bears, some wild dogs and cats, and many rodents, fish, and reptiles. Many of these animals are able to see well in the dim light because of special adaptations in their eyes — such as deers’ tapetum lucidum, or “glowing carpet” — a thick, reflective membrane that doubles the light in the retina and shines back through the eye as a bright glow that can be seen from a distance.

For Families:

Tricks of the Trail – Tricky Tracking

The best way to find deer is to look for good habitat and keep an eye out for signs that they have been in the area — including tracks, trails, scrapes, and rubs. Look for large areas of matted down plants in the midst of tall grass or shrubs, and you may have spotted the place where a deer spent the night! Deer hoof prints and scat can also be good indicators of where a deer has been. Who knows, if you follow fresh signs very quietly, you just might catch up with the animal that made them!

This time of year is perfect for finding deer rubs. Look for 4-10 inch diameter scars where bark has been rubbed from tree trunks. This is done by male deer who are shedding the velvet from their antlers and letting other bucks or does know their territory. Many hunters use rubs as an indicator of the size of a deer and the route it takes between bedding and feeding grounds.


Featured Nature Net Site:

UW Arboretum UW Arboretum

The UW Arboretum is home to about 40 deer. This managed population is considered a part of the Arboretum’s ecological system. If you’re interested in spotting the Arboretum deer in their habitat, come for a quiet walk near dawn or dusk. Longenecker Gardens and Teal Pond are suggested locations. If you come during the day, you may not spot the deer but you’re sure to see signs of their presence, including tracks, scat and scrapes or rubs — see the Instant Outdoor Expert (above) for more details about this.

If you want to learn more, there is a Wonders of the White-tailed Deer family program on Sun. November 23rd — and there’s a public walk entitled “Thinking Like an Arboretum” offered the same day.

More about the Arboretum: Did you know that the University of Wisconsin Arboretum hosts the oldest and most varied collection of restored ecological communities in the world? From tallgrass prairies and savannas to woodlands and wetlands, the Arb’s 1,200+ acres have a lot to see! In the early 1930s, the Arboretum was cultivated fields and pastures fallen to disuse. Early on, the university decided to bring back the plants and animals that had lived on the land before its development.

In addition to wild deer, the Arboretum is a great place to witness the highlights of autumn, including migrating wildlife and beautiful fall colors. Enjoy guided hikes and woodland walks on weekends and other special events all year round.

Read more about land restoration and learn more about the UW Arboretum.


Nature Craft:

antlers headbandDeer Antler Headband

Any day can be dress-up day! Make these quick and adorable antlers for your little fawn. Romp together outdoors, look for deer tracks, practice antler rubs — and keep them handy for Halloween!

Materials:
* Scissors
* Brown Felt
* Sequins
* Tacky glue
* Hot glue
* 2 Pipe Cleaners (the same color as your headband, preferably)
* Headband

Directions: 1. Sketch out deer antler shape and cut out the template.
2. Trace four antlers onto the felt and cut out. Snip your two pipe cleaners in half to serve as antler anchors and supports.
3. Hot glue two pipe cleaner halves onto one antler piece, leaving the ends available to attach to headband. Then, hot glue two pipe cleaner halves onto another antler piece.
4. Hot glue your two remaining felt pieces on top of your first two antler pieces.
5. Curl your pipe cleaner ends around your headband. Use tacky glue to attach some sparkly sequins. Tada! You’ve got yourself a pair of festive felt antlers.

(Craft from pinkstripeysocks.com, where you can also find directions for the simple pipe cleaner antlers pictured above.)


Suggested Reading:

“Deer: Woodland Animals” – by Emily Rose Townsend (4-8)
“Deer, Moose, Elk and Caribou” – by Deborah Hodge (5-9)
“Lightfoot the Deer” – by Thornton W. Burgess (4-8)
“Kate and Pippin: an Unlikely Love Story” – by Martin and Isobel Springett (4-8)
“Whitetails” – by Tom Wolpert (5-8)
“Bambi’s Children: Story of a Forest Family” – by Felix Saten (4-8)
“Deer Growing up in the Wild: Kids Want to Know Series” -by Judith E. Rinard (4-8)
“Fawns at Woodland Way: a Smithsonian Backyard Book” – by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfield (5-9)
“The Adventures of Tony the Deer” – by L.A. Johnson Jr. (4-8)
“The Deer in the Wood (Little House on the Prairie)” – by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Renee Graef (4-8)
“The Deer Watch” – by Pat Lowery Collins (6-8)
“The Yearling” – by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (8 and up)