Odocoileus virginianus, White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

Unmistakable large hoofed mammal.

Length: 4-6 ft in length, standing 2-3 ft at the shoulder

Weight: males- 100 to 300 lbs, females- 85 to 130 lbs.

Range: much of the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. and southern Canada

Diet: shoots, branches, leaves, nuts (especially acorns and black walnuts), fruits, and fungi

Breeding: Mating happens in fall, and fawns are born the following spring, with a gestation period of 6-7 months

Life Expectancy: 6-14 years in the wild

Look for signs of deer throughout the year including heart-shaped tracks, shed antlers, piles of droppings, and rubs and scrapes on trees, as well as bark chewing. Many deer beds and trails are found throughout the Arb. Small foraging herds can be found almost anywhere, particularly where prairie and woodland intermix. One small herd in particular can usually be seen, if one is quiet and observant, in the floodplain woods around the retention pond near the entrance to the Lower Arb.