The deer rut (mating season) is ending, with whitetail deer continuing their quest to survive.
Deer have keen senses, including excellent hearing and eyesight, but they have poor distinction of the oranges and reds that stand out to us humans. Like many mammals they rely heavily on the sense of smell to understand their world. They are constantly sniffing the air.
Deer have strict territories and most live within an area of 50 to 300 acres, depending on the food supply and amount of cover. Deer survive because they know their territories extremely well. If one is chased by a predator, it stays within its territory, bounding on trails through familiar tree stands and brush. Deer have been observed and recorded running up to 47 miles per hour. They have been known to jump as high as almost 9 feet and up to 33 feet in length.
Deer are constant browsers, and each winter day they need to eat five pounds of food for every 100 pounds of weight. They browse thin twigs for buds and new bark. Among their favorites are northern white cedar, sugar maple, basswood, sumac, and red-osier dogwood. Deer commonly lose 10 to 30% of their body weight in the winter.
Some other things I am thinking about and observing:
- We have reached the time of year when many of us begin to appreciate once again the winter environment of the north, where all life is judged by its ability to adapt to cold, snow and limited sunlight. One adaptation is hibernation. Currently there are millions of individual animals in deep sleep across Minnesota, including woodchucks, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, lizards, frogs, toads, salamanders, spiders, ticks, and insects.
- Remember during the lake freeze-up period that it takes at least 4 inches of new solid ice in contact with stationary water to safely walk, skate and ice fish. Eight to 12 inches are needed for a car or small truck. In 32-degree water, a person will last only about 15 minutes before losing consciousness.
- Soon after sunset and into the night, I listen for great horned owls in our rural Waconia neighborhood. They can be heard what's called duet-hooting. Sometimes it is to establish feeding and nesting territories, sometimes just to keep in touch. Screech owls often roost in wood duck houses. Gray squirrels and other animals also use these nesting boxes for winter shelter.
Jim Gilbert has worked and taught as a naturalist for more than 50 years.
