Molting is a process where a deer normally sheds his/her hair twice a year, once in the spring to shed their winter coat, and in later summer to shed the summer coat. Hair loss usually occurs in patches, and the deer tend to look “scruffy” until the molt is completed.
This shedding of hair, or molting, usually begins on the head of the deer and progresses downward, with the hind legs being the last to shed. The entire process occurs in just a few weeks, but the timing and the rate of molting can be affected by the health of the deer.
A deer's winter coat has hollow guard hairs over a furry undercoat that helps keep his/her body heat inside. In addition, the color of deer change from a reddish-brown to a gray-brown in the winter, because the darker color helps them to absorb more of the sun's heat to warm themselves.
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Velvet is the soft fuzzy layer that covers male deer antlers. While it is beautiful, the purpose of velvet is much more functional than it looks. During a five-month period, the velvet provides nourishment and protection to the hardening antlers beneath, helping them grow big and strong. Antlers can go through as much growth in a week as human hair would in half a year.
Yes, the velvet is soft and visually appealing, but at some point, the deer needs to shed the material to reveal its new antlers. This shedding process is amongst the goriest sights in nature as the dense blood vessels burst and the velvet falls in red rags from the deer’s rack of antlers.
When velvet shedding happens, it is the signal that the rut is beginning. Over the weeks heading to the rut, antler velvet will peel off, usually around mid-August. It is during the peak of summer when the tissue in the antlers mineralizes and hardens as the blood flow is cut off.
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Deer mating season (the rut) is once again upon us. This is a time when we typically see deer on the move. Rutting season occurs around October to December, with the most activity seen in mid-November.
During the rut, male deer show increased interest in female deer, as well as increased aggression toward other male deer, often causing animals to move quickly with little regard for their surroundings.
Here are a few fall driving tips to help you avoid a collision:
- Stay alert and drive slowly. If you see a deer crossing the road, more than likely there will be several more, watch for the rest of the family group.
- Deer are typically most active from dusk till dawn.
- Pay attention to deer crossing signs. They are placed intentionally where the wildlife activity is the highest.
- Be alert near wooded areas or green spaces, such as tree lines, parks and golf courses, and near water sources, such as lakes, ponds and streams.
- Keep your vehicle in good shape – make sure headlights, windshields and wipers are clean and in working condition.
- If you have the option, stay in the center lane on a multi lane road. This will give you a little extra time to spot deer crossing from either road side.
- Use high beams at night when there are no oncoming vehicles to scan the road ahead. Honk your horn with one long blast to frighten animals away from your vehicle.
- If you see deer crossing the road, drive straight and brake firmly. There is no telling if the deer will turn and run back or continue on their path. If you try to swerve you are putting yourself at a higher risk for a potential crash, either off the road or into another car.
- As always, wear your seatbelts!
- If you do come into contact with a deer pull over to the side of the road with your flashers on as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Remain in your vehicle and call emergency services. Let the professionals move the deer from the road.
- Do not exit your vehicle to go check on a deer that has been hit. You are putting yourself at risk of being hit by a passing vehicle.
This is also a great time for residents to reach out to your Mayor and Council, and police department to get electronic signage on roadway hotspots. “Deer Crossing - Rutting Season -Caution- Drive slowly."
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An example of a deer-resistant bed that shines in fall and winter. We can have a beautiful landscape with deer.
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Deer-Resistant Landscape Trees
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- White Spruce
- Colorado Blue Spruce
- Ginkgo
- Red Maple
- River Birch
- Dawn Redwood
- Black Tupelo
- Tulip Poplar
- American Holly
- American Persimmon
- American Sweetgum
- Flowering Dogwood
- Pond Cypress
- Southern Magnolia
- Deodar Cedar
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The deer knew someone loved him/her. A kind man temporarily stopped traffic to comfort an injured deer
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Urban deer in Greater Victoria community to be put on birth control.
Esquimalt will be the second Greater Victoria community to use birth control to manage the population of urban deer as part of a research project. While the results of the Oak Bay project are still being analyzed, Fisher can say, in broad strokes, that it was very successful in reducing the number of deer that are breeding.
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A flashback story. Animals bond with different animals. A fawn and a raccoon became an unlikely pair after their mothers were killed. The fawn and raccoon were joined together because they would each cry when they were left alone and they quickly became inseparable. They were rehabilitated together.
We wish that everyone would respect wildlife and learn to peacefully coexist. There are always nonlethal humane solutions to solve human-wildlife conflicts. Deer and raccoons are fellow sentient beings who want to live their lives in peace. Be kind to wildlife.
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Deer finds shelter from Hurricane Ida in flood-ravaged LaPlace home.
The deer that Navarre came in contact with had apparently entered her house through a door that was forced open by the storm’s winds. Other than being scared, it had no apparent injuries.
For Navarre, the experience brought a welcome relief from the anxiety and sadness that consumed her and many other residents in Southeast Louisiana this week, she said.
“I imagined ducks because I live on a pond or maybe a snake, fish or frogs but not a whole deer,” she said. “It did give me short-term relief from what was going on. We laughed after. Who expects to come home to a deer?”
After assessing the damage to her home, Navarre returned to her place of evacuation in Mississippi but plans to rebuild in LaPlace. Despite not having a house to live in right now, she said she is thankful her friends and family are all safe.
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Stay Active!
As hunting season approaches, the deer need us more than ever to advocate for their right to live. We understand that it is a difficult time, but we must never be silent.
See something, Say something!
Be watchful and protective of the deer in your area.
Be watchful for signs of poaching or illegal brush blinds. Please report to police and take photos.
Start a deer advocacy group that supports nonlethal humane solutions in your community.
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Thank you from your friends at Save New Jersey Deer.
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