Current SCI all time record (typical antlers): Score 227 1/8 - Illinois, Macon Co. - 11/93

Current SCI all time record (non-typical antlers): Score 250 1/8

Description: A relatively small deer with relatively short ears; all major points of the antlers come off the main beam; tail relatively long, broad basally, and white underneath; metatarsal gland small and circular; females usually antlerless; upperparts reddish brown in summer, bright grayish fawn sprinkled with black in winter; face and tail usually lack blackish markings; underparts white.

Other Common Names:

Size:

Range: Southern Canada, and all of the continental U.S. except the southwest. SCI (Safari Club International) separates entries among Northeastern Whitetail, Northwestern Whitetail, Southwestern Whitetail, and Texas Whitetail; September-January.

Natural History: White-tailed deer have a relatively small home range and cruising radius. Normally, when food conditions are adequate, the deer tend to stay in one locality for long periods.

Deer are most active just before sunset and again shortly after sunrise. It has been found in experimental trials that they are most easily observed in the hour just before dark. During the middle part of the day they are generally bedded down in some thicket or on some promontory where they are more or less protected. Under cover of darkness it is not uncommon for them to feed well into the night, but there is usually a period of resting and cud chewing during the middle part of the night. In regions heavily populated with deer their trails and beds, the latter usually scraped out places under the protection of overhanging boughs or at the bases of trees, are readily seen and give some clue to the density of the population.

White-tailed deer are polygamous. The rut begins in early fall and continues through early winter. The onset of breeding varies considerably from one section of the country to another.

The fawns, usually one or two in number, are dropped after a gestation period of approximately 7 months and hidden by the female for 10 days to 2 weeks. She goes several times daily to nurse them but as soon as they are strong enough to follow her about they do so. The spots are retained until the fawns molt in early fall by which time they are usually weaned. Normally, sexual maturity is not reached in females until the second year but occasionally, when food conditions are excellent, female fawns mate the first fall and produce offspring the following spring when they themselves are only 1 year old. This appears to be unusual throughout most of their range, however.

There is a relationship between testicular activity and the growth and shedding of antlers. The antlers begin their annual growth when the testes and accessory organs are inactive, harden and lose their velvet when these glands are enlarging, and are shed when they begin to decline. Castration following loss of the velvet results in shedding within 30 days. New growth, which occurs at the normal time, is abnormal in shape and the velvet is not lost. Growth ceases at the usual time and part of the growth, being somewhat fragile, may be lost by accident. Renewed growth activity follows in the spring. Eventually, an aggravated burr is produced. These events have been interpreted as indicating that antler growth is under the influence of a nontesticular hormone, possibly from the anterior pituitary, and antler hardening and subsequent loss of the antler is due to the action of a testicular hormone.

One can estimate the age of whitetails by examination of the teeth. At 9 months of age the fawn will be acquiring the middle pair of permanent incisors while the remainder of the incisors as well as the premolars will be milk teeth. At this age one molar on either side of each jaw is well developed while the second is barely breaking through the gum. At the age of 1½ years all milk incisors have been replaced by permanent teeth. At least two molars are fully developed while the third may be in any condition from barely emerging from the mandible to fully emerged. At the age of 2 years the full set of permanent teeth is acquired. Beyond 2 years age determination is somewhat uncertain but can be roughly estimated by the wearing of the teeth. Wear of the teeth is gradual until at 5 years the ridges of enamel are no longer sharp, but rise slightly and gradually above the dentine. At still later ages the crowns of the premolars and molars rise only a short distance above the gums, and the grinding surfaces are worn practically smooth.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is almost impossible to determine accurately the age of deer by the number of points on the antlers. For example, the shed antlers collected from one buck in Texas over a period of 5 years had each year either four or five points on each side. There is some correlation between age and diameter of the beam of the antler, however. The older bucks tend to have heavier antlers, but antler development is also so closely associated with nutrition that it is hazardous to make generalizations concerning age and diameter of the beam. Also, a certain amount of geographic variation is seen in antler development.

Hunting Characteristics: