White-tailed Deer

The White-tailed deer populates the entire state of West Virginia. This beautiful creature is primarily nocturnal. However they may be active at any time, grazing on green plants, nuts, & corn. Deer usually bed down near dawn, seeking concealing cover. They are good swimmers and graceful runners, with top speeds to 35 mph. When nervous a Whitetail will snort through their noses and stomp their hooves, this is a telegraphic signal that alerts other deer nearby to danger. Bucks & Doe herd separately most of the year, but in the winter they gather together. Whitetails are less polygamous than other deer, and a few bucks mate with only 1 doe. Gestation is 7 months; a young doe bred for the first time usually only produces 1 fawn but thereafter has twins and occasionally triplets if food is abundant. A Whitetail's age is determined not by the number of tines on its horns but the wear on its teeth. Once nearly exterminated in much of northeastern US, Whitetails are now more abundant than ever.

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