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The Deer Hunting Society
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We try to provide you with the largest and the best collection of information about deer hunting equipment and services available on the net. This site is for general information. You can find specific information on items like deer stands and optics under Shooting Accessories and Outfitters and Rifles.. Please click on the products and services below for information on the kinds of hunting equipment and services you want to learn about.
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Whitetail Wizard
An absolutely delightful and very knowledgeable site about deer and deer hunting written and designed by a young lady in Missouri. We recommend it highly.This is a feature article by Larry Whitely that he wrote for
We are the largest hunting and archery information sites on the Internet. Also, ranking.com says we are the most popular site for visitors after Cabela's. Finally, we get more hits than any other hunting site because once a visitor arrives, there is so much more to see.
. It is entitled, "America's Deadliest Big Game Animal
If I were to ask you what you thought America's deadliest big game animal was, what would you say? This animal kills or injures more people every year than any other animal. Would you say the grizzly bear or maybe the mountain lion? You would probably be very surprised when I told you that the white-tailed deer not only causes more human deaths and injuries but also causes more damage and destruction than any other big game animal.
Over 120 people are killed in the United States each year in deer-related car crashes, and hundreds more are injured. This far surpasses the few deaths and injuries caused by mountain lions and grizzly bears.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, average cost of damage to each of the 300,000 vehicles involved in collisions with deer each year is over $600, totaling more than $180 million.
Deer cause enormous damage to farm crops and suburban landscaping as well. Biologists studying declining bird populations, including woodcock, believe there is a link to the consumption of habitat by deer.
Another growing problem caused by deer is Lyme disease and two new diseases, Ehrlichiosis and Babesiosis, all three carried by deer ticks. About 14,000 new cases of Lyme disease alone are reported in the United States annually. These tick bites are not just coming from the deep woods but from people's backyards in their urban neighborhoods.
Sixty-five years ago it would have been laughable to imagine too many deer in North America. There was even concern at that time that they would soon be extinct. Today there are more than 25 million white-tailed deer and 5 million mule deer in the United States, and the populations continue to climb.
The cause of the deer population explosion is multifaceted. Foremost, state conservation departments have for decades been successfully managing deer for hunting by providing the animals with food, cover and protection. Additionally the 65 million people who feed birds in their backyards have also successfully managed deer by unwittingly providing optimum habitat.
Nature has also had a hand in the success. Prior to the 1980s, winter kill was a part of the deer management formula. But the mild winters in the past decade have resulted in very little mortality.
The only effective way to reduce deer populations is to cull them, preferably by hunting. Many conservation departments have dramatically increased their deer permits for both residents and non-residents.
This can help, but more controversial is how to control deer in urban and suburban areas and people's backyards where public hunting is either not permitted or is impractical. Numerous methods of control have been attempted, from trapping to contraceptives, but except for shooting the deer outright, nothing has proven effective.
Urban deer task forces consisting of cross sections of community interests continue to grapple with the problem of what to do with America's deadliest and most destructive big game animal.
- Encyclopedia Britanica
(family Cervidae), any of the ruminant mammals (order Artiodactyla) having two large and two small hooves on each foot and having antlers in the males of most species and in the females of some species. Indeed, the feature most commonly associated with deer is the presence of antlers. Deer occur mainly in forests but may be found in habitats as diverse as deserts, tundra, swamps, and high mountainsides. They are native to Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and northern Africa, and they have been introduced into such areas as the Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. There are about 16 genera and about 30 species. Although they are variously classified by different authorities, they are often divided into four subfamilies: Moschinae (musk deer), Muntiacinae (muntjacs), Odocoileinae (hollow-toothed deer), and Cervinae (true deer).
The popular English terminology associated with the sexes of various deer is an outgrowth of their importance as game: female deer are usually called does, but the female of the European red deer is a hind, and of the moose or elk a cow; males generally are called bucks, but the male of the red deer is a stag, or, especially when mature, a hart, and of the moose or elk a bull. Several names are used for the fawns of various ages-e.g., yearling, knobber, brocket, staggard (especially applied to male red deer). Fawns of moose or elk are called calves.
Deer can be quite large or very small. Pudu deer are about 30 cm (12 inches) shoulder height. Moose, actually a species of deer can be to 2 m (6.5 feet) or more at the shoulder. Deer characteristically have lithe but compact bodies and short tails. The ears are large but usually slender. The legs are usually long and slender and are provided with paired hooves. Generally the fur is slightly harsh but has a smooth appearance. Some deer possess a shaggier coat, especially in the cold seasons. The colour is usually brownish to tawny, often with white on the chest and throat. In most kinds the coat of the young, or fawn, is spotted (see photograph ); and in some, especially the smaller species, the spotting may be retained by the adult.
Antlers, their most outstanding feature, are borne by adult males in all but two species-the musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) and the Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis)-and are borne by both male and female reindeer, or caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ). The antlers, which are solid bony outgrowths that arise from the frontal bones, are shed and produced anew each year. The antlers originate as simple knobs covered with a soft skin, the so-called "velvet" of the antlers(see photograph ). The growth of antlers is rapid, and, as growth continues, a heavy deposit of bone at the base of the antler constricts the circulation, finally stopping it entirely and drying the skin covering. The skin is subsequently rubbed off (see photograph ), and the hardened antler is fully developed as the rutting (breeding) season begins.
The general form of the antler is characteristic of the various species; some species have a main beam with one or more subsidiary tines, whereas others show a dichotomous or even more complex branching. Maximum size and complexity of antlers is usually attained when the animal is in its prime; they tend to degenerate in older animals. Shedding of the antlers is caused by a resorption of bony material at their bases. This process of resorption, which irritates the animal, induces it to respond by rubbing the antlers against trees or other hard objects. When the base has been sufficiently weakened, the antler is shed.
The musk and Chinese water deer, as well as the muntjacs (Muntiacus) and tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) have long, tusklike upper canine teeth.
As herbivorous animals, deer feed on grass, twigs, bark, and shoots. They are usually gregarious, and some make long annual migrations. They are most active in early morning and late afternoon, resting at midday and at night. Most live in small bands comprising a family group, though the males are prone to be solitary seasonally. In warm climates breeding takes place at any time of the year; in colder climates, in autumn or winter. Gestation ranges from about 5 months in the musk deer to about 10 months in the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). One or two young (as many as seven in the water deer) are born. Most deer are polygamous, the bucks collecting harems and battling other males for possession of the does. Especially in the rutting season, deer are likely to be unpredictable. The North American moose is known for its irascible disposition. Deer attack with either antlers or hooves, impaling with the former and slashing with the latter (see photograph ). Occasionally the antlers of two fighting bucks become so firmly engaged that the struggle ends in both combatants dying of starvation.
Deer are hunted for their meat and hides and for their antlers, which are kept as trophies and, in China, have long been used for medicinal purposes. Reindeer are kept as domestic animals in some areas. The flesh, or venison, of most deer is esteemed as food. The hides, when properly tanned, produce a soft leather. The domesticated deer, notably the Laplander's reindeer, produce a beeflike meat, leather, and milk and serve also as draft and riding animals.
(c) 2002 Encyclop'dia Britannica, Inc.
- White-Tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus, common woodland deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla, ranging from southern Canada to South America. "White-tailed deer" refers to the white underside of the tail, which is held aloft like a signaling flag when the animal is alarmed or running. An important game...
- Elaphurus davidianus:
Large, rare Asian deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla. The only member of its genus, it is unknown in nature within historic times. Presumably native to northern China, it is now found only in zoos, private animal collections, and game reserves.
- Mule Deer
Species Odocoileus hemionus, large-eared deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla, found in western North America from Alaska to Mexico. A valued game animal, prized for its flesh, hide, and antlers, the mule deer lives alone or in small groups, sometimes gathering in larger herds in winter,...
- Roe Deer
Capreolus capreolus, Eurasian deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla, found in small family groups in lightly forested regions. When alarmed, the roe deer barks like a dog. A nimble animal, it often tramples the underbrush during the mating season, leaving identifiable circular or figure...
- Musk Deer
Species Moschus moschiferus, small, compact deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla. A solitary, shy animal, the musk deer lives in mountainous regions from Siberia to the Himalayas. It has large ears, a very short tail, no antlers and, unlike all other deer, a gall bladder. Grayish brown,...
- Fallow deer
Dama dama, medium- sized deer, family Cervidae order Artiodactyla, commonly kept on estates and in parks and zoos. The fallow deer was probably native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia but has been introduced in many areas and now occurs wild in Europe and elsewhere. It often...
- Persian deer
Dama mesopotamica of western Asia. The maral, an Asiatic red deer, also is often called Persian deer. See fallow deer. Also see the following entries in the encyclopedia. "Red Deer River", Red Deer", "Deer, The Book of", "Swamp Deer", "Chinese Water Deer", "Key deer".
Muley Madness
Big Deer photos, Elk Pictures, Stories, Hunting, Artwork, Big Game, Videos, Guides, and much more in MuleyMadness.com
Produts and Services
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Buck Fever
We have a good collection of deer photos, including my favorite of an albino doe filmed in the wild in West VirginiaDeer Hunter's Electronic Logbook
DeerTrack Hunting log was designed to help you determine the most likely stand to harvest your deer.Deer Hunter's Video
How to butcher your own deer and save money.Deer Hunting for Kids
Welcome to Jake's Dream Pages, a place for kids who hunt!Deerhunt.com
This site contains great resources about deer huntingDeer Hunting Forums
www.HuntingForums.com is your place on the net to talk about all types of hunting.DeerTales
offering pictures and stories of the successful hunt; concentrating mainly on hunting of WhiteTailed Deer- Deer Track Log
Sighting Records, Stand locators, Data reports and graphs, field locators, etc.deercclover.com
Habitat improvement, food plots, whitetail deer nutrition The best in food plot/wildlife habitat managementNorth American Bowhunter
A magazine dedicated to the promotion and preservation of archery. They support all legal forms of hunting with all legal weapons- Hunter's Corner
includes methods for whitetail deer hunting and videos of wild boar being taken with long bow.- MonsterMuleys.com
Mule Deer and Elk hunting stories and photos. Hunting tips and updates. Guides, Outfitters and hunting Accessories. Chat Room.- Northeast Big Buck Club
Your regional source for whitetail scoring and recordkeeping in the Northeast.- Patterson Personal Scouting Service
Hunting maps with unit boundaries, private property boundaries, elk or deer trails, elk wallows, bedding and feeding areas, road access, and trails marked.- Secrets to Successful Deer Hunting
Book with subjects about deer hunting.- Royal Starr Breeding Whitetails
Royal Starr Whitetails- Spinks Outdoors
Spink's Outdoors, offers tips and tricks about the great outdoors including fishing, hunting, pheasants, deer, turkey and training dogs.- Team Whitetail
hunting tips, articles, outfitter information, new hunting gear news, and more.- Tommy Great Outdoors
Innovative products for do it yourselfers and outdoor enthusiasts.- Welcome to the Hunt
pictures and information on deer hunting. Includes instructions for field dressing and skinning your kill.>- Whitetail Deer.com
Your complete whitetail deer resourceWhitetail Deer Hunting Video
- Whitetails.com
Information about whitetail, blacktail and mule deer.- Whitetaildeer.com
information about deer and deer hunting on the web.- Whitetails Unlimited, Inc
- Wilmar Ranch
Whitetail deer ranch. Disabilities welcomed, hunt anytime with camera or your choice of weapon. Deer for sale.
Related Books on Deer
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- As the Deer
by Joncas, Michael- Song of the Deer: The Great Sundance Journey of the Soul
by Strikes, Thunder
- Warrior Circle; A Howard Moon Deer Mystery
by Westbrook, Robert
- Heart of a Deer
by Petit, Pascale
- Majestic Mule Deer: The Ultimate Tribute to the Most Popular Game Animal of the West
by the Voyageur Press Editors
- The Field & Stream Deer-Hunting Handbook
by Robinson, Jerome B.
- Freeing of the Deer: And Other New Mexico Indian Myths
by Espinosa, Carmen G.
border="0">- "Oh Deer! The Venison Cookbook for Beginners",
- "Humorous Stories from the U. P. Deer Camps",
- "Deary Deer: Wild & Free",
- "Deer Avenger",
- "Deer, Elk, & Mountain Goats",
- "World Record Whitetails: A Complete History of the Number One Bucks of All Time",
- "Autumn Moons & Whitetail Dreams: A Portrait of an American Deer Hunter",
- "How the Leopard Got His Claws: With the Lament of the Deer",
'The Way It Really Is: Hunting for the WhiteTailed Deer
ByTom Helms. This is "Must Reading" for Any Deerhunter
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Deer Hunting
Redmule'sOutdoor World
Alabama Deer HuntsQualityDeer Management Association
Watkinsville, Georgia- State Record Book
Trophy Whitetails of Illinois Illinois' only official state record book of trophy whitetail deer including photos of big bucks from the Land of Lincoln.JamesE. Baldiga's Home Page
Hunt Deer in MichiganOhio Deer Tales
Stories of Deerhunting in OhioTennessee Deer Hunting.com
Texas Trophy Hunting
Randy's Deer Hunting Page
Hunts in Wisconsin
Hunting Games and CD ROMs
Deer Expert
Field & Stream
Trophy Buck Hunting Simulation for the PCPersonal pages
Ken's CornerStories and Pictures
- Youth Hunter
Check out the trophies. Send us a picture of your trophy. Read hunting tips, stories, postings, chat, jargon. We want to see your trophy & here your story!
- Whitetail deer hunting at Rick's hunting corner
Whitetail Deer Hunting from Rick's experiences in Saskatchewan, Llano, Texas and Georgia. See a magnificent 327 pound Whitetail buck from Canada and many more trophies. Also, if you like BIG PIGS check out the photo gallery.
