40 Fun Deer Facts

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published August 19, 2022

Growing deer populations have pushed many of North America's native wildflowers to the brink of extinction._[5]
There are more deer currently alive in the United States than there were when the Pilgrims first landed on North American shores._[5]
In the United States, white-tailed deer are the most-hunted game animal._[5]
Like human fingerprints, the antlers of each male white-tailed deer are different from the antlers of all other members of its species._[5]
The combined deer population of the United States and Canada is around 40 million._[5]
Mule deer are the most populous deer species in America._[4][5]
Deer have four toes: two hooves and two "dew claws," which are positioned higher up on the leg._[5]
Deer are part of a class of animal called ruminants, because they re-chew cud._[5]
Deer are herbivores._[5]

As its name suggests, the water deer prefers wet and swampy locales

Chinese water deer is the only deer species in which males don't grow antlers._[1]
Deer belong to the same animal family as elk, caribou, and moose._[5]
When something alarms them, female white-tailed deer raise their tails, which sends a warning to other deer to flee the area._[6]
Deer are native to all of Earth's continents except Antarctica and Australia, although they have been introduced to the latter._[5]
White-tailed deer have twice as many genetic variables as most other creatures, allowing them to thrive through adaptation to a greater variety of conditions._[5][7]
In North America, white-tailed deer have occasionally interbred with mule and blacktail deer, but their offspring tend to lack the special characteristics of their parentage necessary for survival and are usually infertile._[5]
Deer belong to the Cervidae family of mammals, the second most diverse mammalian family in the world._[1]
White-tailed deer can "bound" across distances of more than 28 feet in a single jump._[5]
Many deer have evolved the capacity to "stot”—to both land on and take off from all four hooves in a single jump—as an aid to escape predators._[5]
Moose are the largest species of deer._[1][2]

The mighty moose can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds

There are deer living within a mile of almost all human populations on Earth._[6]
More information has been published about white-tailed deer than about any other mammal in the world._[6]
Male white-tailed deer lose their antlers annually during wintertime._[6]
A small number of deer species are monogamous, mating with only one partner over a lifetime._[1]
In order to express visible signs of concern about a situation, some male deer emit a pheromone that causes patches of hair on their legs to spread open, creating the appearance of white spots._[6]
Caribou herds have been observed to have populations of up to 100,000 individuals._[1]

The tiny pudu only weighs in at around 20 pounds

The southern pudu, which on average only grows to a height of 14 inches, is the smallest species of deer._[1]
Caribou (also known as reindeer) are the only deer species in which both the males and the females grow antlers._[1]
While they are still growing, deer antlers are covered with a substance containing nerves and blood vessels called "velvet.” When this covering dies, the deer will rub its antlers against an object to remove it._[1]
The African continent is unique in that it has only one native species of deer, the Barbary red deer._[1]
Deer are social animals and usually travel in herds._[1]
Most deer herds are led by a single dominant male._[1]
Some herds of deer segregate themselves into male and female sub-groups._[1]
Deer are most active at sunrise and dusk._[3]

Fawns grow to full maturity in just a few years' time

When they are born, baby deer have no body odor, which helps them to remain undetected by nearby predators._[6]
Deer breeding seasons vary according to climate._[1]
The average deer lives for 11 to 12 years._[3]
Deer don't fully mature until they reach a certain size, meaning that individuals whose growth is below average never reach full adulthood._[1]
Due to disagreements in the scientific community about how to classify deer species, there is no consensus about how many species currently exist; most zoological groups cite a number between 47 and 51._[1][2]
Lacking antlers, male Chinese water deer grow unusually long canine teeth, which they display in order to attract mates._[1]
The long, vampire-like fangs of the musk deer are sold on the black market for around $20,000 a pound._[1]