Male deer, commonly known as Bucks, have antlers. Antlers differ from horns because antlers are not permanently connected to the skull. The antlers are connected to a part of the frontal bone called the Pedicle (wildlife online 2012). The White-Tailed deer’s antlers are covered with a thin layer of skin called velvet which assists in the nutrition necessary for the antlers to grow (Dell’Amore, 2013). Once the velvet has fallen off of the antlers, the antlers will soon be shed by the deer until new antlers grow the following year (National Geographic, 2013). The size of the antler depends on the age, nutrition and genetics of the deer (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009). The average antler size of a White-Tailed Deer includes up to 8 different points or more (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009).
White-Tailed deer also have unique features when they are born. At birth, deer are known as fawns and have white spots. Later the fawns will begin to grow and develop and as this occurs they will begin to lose their spots and will then be known as yearlings. This happens around four months of age (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009). Winter is mating season for the White-Tailed deer. A doe can have up to three fawns at a time (Moran, n.d.). The size of a does litter depends on the age and size of the doe, similar to the size of buck’s antlers (Moran, n.d.).
The White-Tailed Deer is known by its scientific name as the Odocoileus virginianus. This type of deer has a very distinctive feature, as stated in the deer’s name; the bottom of the tail is white. All White-Tailed Deer have a tannish-brown coat during summer and a greyish coat during winter with double toed hooves (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009). They also have what is known as a “Dew Claw” that can be found on each leg approximately three inches up (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009).
White-Tailed Deer are typically three feet long and thirty-six inches tall at the shoulder (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009). This allows the deer to be excellent swimmers, strong jumpers and have an average a sprinting speed of 35 to 40 miles per hour over short distances (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009). The average buck weighs around 100 to 200 pounds and the average doe (female) weighs between 80 to 160 pounds (Hartigan & Osborne, 2009).