White-tailed deer, the smallest members of the North American deer family, are found from southern Canada to South America. Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. During the mating season, also called the rut, bucks fight over area by using their antlers in sparring matches. Female deer, called does, give birth to one to three young at a time, usually in May or June and after a pregnancy period of seven months. Young deer, called fawns, wear a reddish-brown coat with white spots that helps them blend in with the forest.
White-tailed deer are herbivores, leisurely grazing on most obtainable plant foods. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi.
In the wild, white-tails, particularly the young, are preyed upon by bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. They use speed and nimble to outrun predators.
Although previously depleted by unrestricted hunting in the United States, strict game-management action have helped restore the white-tailed deer population.