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Whitetail Deer

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Category:	NORTH AMERICA
Page Views:	738 views
Last Update:	2 year(s) ago
Added on:	November 12, 2008

Deer

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Latin Name:	Odocoileus virginianus
Other Names:	Virginia Deer
Physical Characteristics:	Whitetail deer are probably the most encountered big game animal in North America. It would be safe to say that virtually every person has seen a whitetail deer at some point! The coat is a reddish-brown in the spring and summer and turns to a grey-brown throughout the fall and winter. The deer can be recognized by the characteristic white underside to its tail, which it shows as a signal of alarm by raising the tail during escape. Hence the name whitetail deer. Depending upon their locations male deer (also known as a buck) usually weigh from 130 to 300 pounds. The largest buck on record weighed just over 500 pounds and was shot in Minnesota. Females of the species are know as does and usually weighs from 90 to 165 pounds. Typically only bucks have antlers, which they re-grow each year. Bucks with very small antlers, about 2" or less, are referred to as "button bucks" or "spiked bucks". These small bucks are often mistaken and shot by hunters as a doe. Bucks less than two years of age typically have short spiked antlers. However the number of points or thickness of the antlers do not determine the age of a buck. Antlers begin to grow in late spring, covered with a highly vascularised tissue known as velvet. Bucks either have a typical or non-typical antler arrangement. Typical antlers are symmetrical on both sides and the points grow straight up off the main beam. Non-typical antlers are asymmetrical and the points may project at any angle from the main beam.
Distribution:	By the 1930s over hunting and commercial exploitation had reduced the number of whitetail to a few hundred thousand animals. Conservation programs and regulated hunting seasons were introduced and the current herd is estimated to be around 30 million animals. In many areas an over population of whitetail deer has caused severe problems with vehicle collisions, farmers suffering huge losses of crops and house owners complaining of their gardens being eaten. Whitetail deer are found in most American states and Canadian Provinces and have also been introduced to parts of Europe and New Zealand where they also thrive. Deer hunting is a major economic factor in many rural economies and hunters dollars are welcome in hotels, motels, restaurants and other local businesses which look forward to deer season.

Hunting Method:	Several books have been written on the subject of deer hunting and the best method to be used. Depending upon the location whitetail deer are hunted by a variety of different methods. The most common of these are either still hunting or sitting in a tree or ground blind. In some states baiting is legal and is widely practiced. In other states it is illegal to bait deer and a hunter must select to sit over natural food sources or likely paths that deer take. Hunting deer with the use of dogs is also allowed in some southern states. Deer hunting seasons are typically divided into an archery, rifle and muzzleloader season. Some states like PA only allow the use of traditional muzzleloaders like flintlocks. Many hunters use different hunting implements to allow them to hunt the different seasons thereby giving them more time in the field and multiple tags to harvest more deer.
The Shot:	The shot that a hunter can expect depends solely upon the location, terrain and hunting method. In the Northeast part of the country which is primarily big woods, shots are typically at close range. Down in Texas shots can vary from under 50 yards over a feeder to several hundred yards down a long Sendero. Archery hunters typically hunt from a tree-stand and set up for a close shot.
Calibers:	Whitetail deer are not large animals or difficult to kill. As with all game animals shot placement is more important than anything else. The right caliber to use is dictated by the location more than anything else. While an open sighted 30-30 lever rifle might be the perfect big woods gun, it will be a liability on the open plains or down a Texas sendero or a Carolina bean field! Ideal deer calibers are among the 7mm or 30 calibers. The smaller 22 centerfire rifles are deadly but if used, should only be used by experienced hunters. A 243 Winchester makes a very good caliber for the lady or young hunter who might be sensitive to recoil. Muzzleloaders are also very effective on deer and an inline, scoped muzzleloader leaves little to be desired even when compared with a centerfire rifle. It is important to match your rifle to your hunting situation and be prepared for any opportunity. A hunt for a trophy whitetail deer can cost several thousand dollars and when that once in a life time buck comes in to sight you want to be prepared with the right caliber and bullet type.
Ammunition:	Any soft nose bullet will do. It is not necessary to use a premium bullet but be careful of using light weight or varmint type bullets that might not give enough penetration for raking body shots, which might be all that is presented by a trophy buck.

Selecting a Trophy:

As a well known gun writer once said "A true big-game hunter's trophy room can be measured by the quality of (free range) whitetail deer mounts on their wall".

If you are looking for a large trophy buck, the most important factor is location, location and location. You have to select the right location and hunting area. There are several ranches all over North America that manage their deer herds for trophy deer and while these are expensive hunts, it is probably your best bet to harvest a trophy buck. For the true hunter, tracking and outwitting a giant buck in the snow in the great northern woods will probably be the pinnacle of his or her hunting career.

Taxidermy:

A shoulder mount is typically what most hunters opt for.

Best Locations:

For that once in a lifetime free range trophy buck look to Alberta, Saskatchewan and other provinces in Canada where the giant whitetail deer roam. In the United States Texas, Vermont, New Hampshire, Illinois are some states where every deer hunter's dream might be fulfilled.

For large number of deer New Jersey is hard to beat although getting permission to hunt private property is not easy to obtain.

Alabama (USA), Alberta (CANADA), Arizona (USA), Arkansas (USA), British Columbia (CANADA), Colorado (USA), Connecticut (USA), Delaware (USA), Florida (USA), Georgia (USA), Idaho (USA), Illinois (USA), Indiana (USA), Iowa (USA), Kansas (USA), Kentucky (USA), Louisiana (USA), Maine (USA), Manitoba (CANADA), Maryland (USA), Massachusetts (USA), Michigan (USA), Minnesota (USA), Mississippi (USA), Missouri (USA), Montana (USA), Nebraska (USA), New Brunswick (CANADA), New Hampshire (USA), New Jersey (USA), New York (USA), North Carolina (USA), North Dakota (USA), Nova Scotia (CANADA), Ohio (USA), Oklahoma (USA), Ontario (CANADA), Oregon (USA), Pennsylvania (USA), Quebec (CANADA), Rhode Island (USA), Saskatchewan (CANADA), South Carolina (USA), Tennessee (USA), Texas (USA), Vermont (USA), Virginia (USA), Washington (USA), West Virginia (USA), Wisconsin (USA), Wyoming (USA)