White-Tailed Deer: our Quiet Neighbors

Visit the "Nature Nook" each Monday to learn a little something about a plant, animal, insect or woodland creature that you might come across as you are out and about this summer.

This week, we help you to get up close and personal with White-Tailed Deer.

For those living near South Mountain or in rural Upper Milford Township, you probably see this common Pennsylvania resident almost as regularly as you see robins, squirrels and groundhogs.

The white-tailed deer is the smallest of North America's deer family, according to National Geographic.

They are herbivores, which means their diet consists strictly of plants. On average, a white-tailed deer lives six to 14 years and can grow to a size of six to eight feet, weighing 110-300 pounds.

The "white-tailed” reference comes from the color of the underside of the deer's tail. This is best seen when the deer senses danger and raises its tail as a warning to others.

In rural areas, "deer spotting," also called "spotlighting," is a fun past-time and is often the best chance to see these creatures since they primarily graze at sunrise and sunset. 

By using a hand-held and high wattage "flashlight," animal lovers can explore rural farmland to see how many deer they can identify.

Pennsylvania law restricts the act of spotting after 11 p.m. and on any private residential property or livestock pastures.

The popular sport of hunting has kept the deer population at bay and deer meat, known as venison, provides families with a healthy alternative to beef, pork and chicken. Venison is leaner than the more common supermarket meat offerings, but can taste gamey if improperly prepared.