Oh, Deer!
Of the large animals (over 50lbs) in the Foothills of Colorado, the most commonly seen is the Mule Deer. You can tell a tourist to the area as they are stopped on the side of the road to get pictures of an animal that the locals see almost more often than squirrels. We all just hope to avoid hitting a deer on a dark night. (More than 2500 deer in Colorado are killed by cars each year, that’s almost 8 per day!)
The presence of the Mule Deer is a good thing. It is an indicator of a healthy environment balanced in nutrients for the deer to eat, the health of the young produced, and the balance of the predators that rely on the deer populations. It all works together.
There are currently over 433,000 Mule Deer in Colorado based on the last official count in 2018, but this is down from over 600,000 in the 1970s. Overhunting, hard winters, and disease all cause the rise and fall of the populations. What is encouraging is that twin fawns are common to healthy does (female deer) and I know of about 2-3 sets born this summer just in my neighborhood. A good sign of our overall habitat area. Deer are considered an ‘indicator species of the health of local populations.
Their name, Mule Deer, comes from their very large ears. Those ears, which can move independently, allow the deer to hone in on a sound, and their eyes, positioned to see a 310-degree view around them, give them their best warning of potential predators or human hunters. Once alerted, they can bound away in springy, 8-meter hops at nearly 45 mph for a short burst. Ah, but hunters have high-power rifles, and coyotes can run nearly the same speed, so the game is afoot and the strongest and smartest will survive.
For an animal whose life seems to be about getting eaten, they have marvelous tools to survive. Let’s start with what they eat. Deer are a ‘mid-link’ in the food chain. The value of the grasses and plants they consume become the energy that is then absorbed by their predators who hunt them. This energy is considered to be transferred ‘upwards’ to the top of the food chain.
Their eyes and ears, as mentioned, are just a part of the survival plan. Then comes the social structure. While we have watched snippy arguments among deer over food sources, their hanging together gives them strength in numbers that predators would decide not to challenge. The fawns, as newborns, at their most vulnerable, do not carry an odor that predators can detect. A mama may tuck her fawn in a thicket for a time while mama eats (in order to gain the nutrients she needs to nurse fawns), and the fawn is essentially in no danger. Too many humans though have come across a fawn that seems to be alone and take the fawn away from its mother without understanding what their good intentions have cost the mama and fawn. All wildlife management officials tell the public to leave a fawn alone. Mama is near and don’t mess with the order of the wildlife systems.
On the other hand, when a fawn does truly feel threatened, it will emit a distress cry that not only calls its mama, but also any does in the vicinity, to their aid. Here comes the cavalry. Humans can intervene when they know for sure that mama was hit by a car, taken by a predator, that the fawn is truly injured, or that the fawn has curled ears, a sign of dehydration. But the likelihood of coming upon these scenarios is very rare. When in doubt, stay out of it, or wait and watch for 48 hours before taking action.
So, as you’ve discerned by now, deer can take care of themselves. While they may seem docile munching grasses in your yard, do not approach and do not feed them. A male will snort and stomp the ground, antlers pointed toward you, to warn you to stay back, a mama may be even more aggressive when she feels her fawn is possibly threatened.
I frequently encounter deer on my dog walks. I stop and reign my dog with a command of ‘sit and wait’ and also ‘just watch’. If need be, I step on the leash to keep my dog in control. My still posture lets the deer know I mean no harm. They are used to seeing me on the road or in my yard. Once we understand each other, my dog and I proceed slowly, the dog on a very short leash, making the widest arc away from the deer that I can. Usually, the deer bounds off, 'boing, boing', away from us as well and we all get on with our day.
Another reason not to feed the deer is the potential to transmit Cronic Wasting Disease (CWD) among the deer. It’s a horrible, neurological disease that has no cure. It can pass through shared saliva in saltlicks and food blocks, so, it's best to not have those.
The deer have their place in the order of many wooded habitats across the country. Watching them peacefully passing through our properties adds to the serene atmosphere that drew us to live here. Enjoy knowing that their presence is an indicator of a healthy forest.
Sources:
http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/mule_deer_712.html#:~:text=Mule%20Deer%20are%20active%20primarily,to%20regulate%20the%20body%20temperature.
https://extension.usu.edu/wildlife-interactions/featured-animals/other-animal-topics/mule-deer
https://forfoxsakewildlife.com/2021/04/14/five-signs-a-fawn-needs-help/