Deer Flashcards
___are the most abundant big game animal in the state and are found in most counties. Texas has the largest state deer population that is estimated to be four million, with an annual harvest of about _____ .
White-tailed deer
400,000
White-tailed deer vary from one ecological area of the state to another in ___________(4) Deer, like cattle, are ______. This allows them to feed quickly by partially chewing food, and to complete chewing of their food “cud” when in safe cover. They have a very _____&______. Deer sight is very sharp and they are quick to notice the slightest movement. Snorting, stomping their feet, smell, raising the tail “_____,” and _____ are some means of communicating. Top speed is between ____-____ miles per hour.
weight, antler size, food habits, and color. ruminants keen sense of smell and good hearing flag. voice calls 30 to 35
Antler composition (unlike horns that are modified ____) is actually bone material that grows from bases, called ___. Antler development begins in ____ and is nourished by a network of blood vessels called “____.” It is shed in ____ and the hard antlers are retained until about _____ when they are shed. Non-typical antlers result primarily from ___, although injury can cause oddities. Prime antler development occurs when a buck is ____-____ old because body growth has ceased. Older bucks normally regress in antler size. It is very unusual for a buck to reach ___-___ years old in a heavily hunted population.
hair pedicels April velvet September February heredity five to six years five to six
Yearling deer are approximately _________. A fawn is _______. Large numbers of spiked bucks may occur when there is high competition for food from other deer and/or livestock. Spikes can be attributed to _________(3). It is common in deer herds that exceed carrying capacity for yearling bucks to be spikes. Obviously, a male fawn born in early May has a greater likelihood to be a six or eight-point during his second winter than a male fawn born in late July, regardless of nutrition or genetics.
one and one-half years old
less than one year old
genetics, nutrition, or age
Both bucks and does normally become sexually mature during their ________. Body growth is rapid during the first ____ years. The normal breeding period occurs between ____&______ with the peak breeding (rut) varying greatly, even within a county. Normally, a doe can have three estrus cycles a year. The doe is receptive to a buck for about ____ hours. If not bred, she will come back in heat about ___ days later. The gestation period averages about ___ days. A doe’s first pregnancy usually produces a single fawn; thereafter, under good habitat conditions, she can have twins, with occasional triplets. Good habitat produces an average of ___- fawns per breeding doe per year. The state average for weaned fawns produced for ______ year old and older does is from __-__ fawns per doe.
second fall/winter (15 to 20 months old) two October and January 28 28 200 one and one-half two and one-half 0.2 to 0.3
Nutrients in excess of those needed for body growth and maintenance is used for reproduction, lactation, or antler development. Fawns are weaned at about ___ months old and females typically remain with their mother until she fawns again the next spring. Predation by coyotes in some areas of the state may take from ___-___ percent of the annual fawn crop. Bobcats are also predators on fawns but they will take fewer fawns than coyotes.
four
20 to 60
The home range of a deer is an area where an individual animal spends most of its time. It contains all the food, water, cover, and other needs of the individual. Home range size varies according to the availability of food, water, and cover in an area. A buck’s home range is typically __-__ times greater than a doe’s. Deer may move their “__” (where they spend the majority of their time) home range according to the season of the year. This is a result of available food supplies, fawning areas, and distance to water. A buck in rut may leave his home range but will return when it is complete.
two to four
core
Age of a deer can be estimated by examining the tooth replacement or wear on the premolars and molars of the lower jaw. In nature, few deer live beyond __ years of age. Deer in an intensively hunted herd will have a younger age structure. This can explain why trophy deer would be fairly uncommon in this type of hunting situation
10
