Living With Deer

Natural Resources & Environment>Deer

Living With Deer

Courtesy of CDOW [Click here to view full size picture]

Two species of deer live in Colorado, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. "Mulies", with their rope-like tails, evenly forked antlers and extravagant ears, are abundant statewide. White-tails, with smaller ears, antlers with a single main beam bearing smaller tines, and broad white tails, have become increasingly common in streamside woodland and nearby crop lands along the rivers of the eastern plains. Mule deer bound with a stiff-legged gait, the tail held down; white-tails move with a graceful lope, the flag-like tail held erect.

Description
Habitat
Diet
Reproduction/Life
Important Notes

Description

Top

Both species of deer are 4-6 feet long and stand 3 feet or more high at the shoulder. Weights of large bucks range over 400 pounds, but does are only half that size. Adult males begin to grow antlers in spring, used in jousts for dominance and breeding rights in autumn. Antlers are shed in winter.

Habitat

Top

White-tails are common in streamside woodland and nearby crop lands along rivers of the eastern plains. The mule deer occupy any "edge" habitat, including suburban residential areas.

Diet

Top

Deer are browsers, feeding mostly on woody vegetation, including twigs and leaves of shrubs and trees, including ornamentals. They also forage on crops, especially corn. Because they eat little grass, they tend not to compete seriously with livestock or elk.

Reproduction/Life

Top

Deer breed from October to December. After a gestation period of 6 1/2 months, spotted young (usually twins) are born. Deer are frequent traffic casualties, and mountain lions, coyotes, and packs of feral dogs prey upon them. Licensed hunters take 50,000 to 80,000 deer annually in the state from a population estimated at 700,000 animals statewide.

Important Notes

Top

Deer are very abundant in Colorado, therefore can become a nuisance. If they become a nuisance, it is important that we take proper procedures to stop and prevent nuisance problems. Deer are watchable wildlife, but it is very important we follow Colorado's wildlife viewing guidlines to make the viewing experience better for everyone, including the wildlife. Please Do Not Feed the Deer.