GROWLS Articles - Black-Tailed Deer
(Part 1 of a 2 Part Series)
(click on the image below for a larger version)
By Liz Ciocea
Gabriola is home to a vibrant and very visible community of Black-tailed Deer. An old species, Black-tails have been around for over two million years. They are found on the coast of British Columbia and on most of the coastal islands.
Deer are browsers. During the winter and early spring they feed on Douglas
fir, western red cedar, red huckleberry, salal, deer fern, and lichens that
grow on trees. Late spring to fall they munch on grasses, blackberries,
fireweed, pearly everlasting, forbs, salmonberry, salal, and maple. All
these plants are indigenous to our island. Unfortunately as we develop our
properties these plants get destroyed. We create gardens of non-native
plants and flowers and the deer soon adapt to these landscapedplantings.
The mating or 'rutting' season occurs during November and early December.
Bucks can be observed running back and forth across the roads in the pursuit
of 
does. After the rut the bucks tend to hide and rest. Often they are
nursing wounds. They suffer broken antlers, and have lost weight. They drop
their antlers between January and March. As the antlers lie on the forest
floor they provide a source of calcium and other nutrients to other forest
inhabitants. Bucks regrow their antlers beginning in April through to
August.
The gestation period for does is six to seven months with fawns being born
late May and into June. Twins are the rule although young does often have
only one. Triplets can also
occur. Fawns weigh 2.7 to 4 kg and have no scent
for the first week or so. This enables the mother to leave the fawn hidden
while she goes off to browse and replenish her body after givingbirth. She
must also eat enough to produce enough milk to feed her babies. Although
does are excellent mothers, fawn mortality rate is 45 to 70 percent. Does
are very protective of their young and humans are viewed as predators. Stay
well away from a doe with young.
Deer communicate with the aid of scent and pheromones that come from several
glands located on the lower legs. The metatarsal (outside of lower leg)
produces an alarm scent, the tarsal (inside of hock) serves for mutual
recognition and 
the interdigital (between the toes) leave a scent trail when
deer travel. Deer have excellent sight and smell. Their large ears can move
independently of each other and pick up any unusual sounds that may signal
danger.
Dawn, dusk and moonlit nights are when we see deer browsing on the roadside. Wooded areas where there are forests on both sides of the road, open grassy areas i.e. golf course attract deer. Caution when driving is prudent because often as one deer crosses another one or two follow.
Gabriola Island is a finite space, which we share with extraordinary
wild-life. Can we go one step further and protect the natural flora and
fauna by planting indigenous species? Better still if there is a wild place
on your property leave it as it is.