Black-tailed deer are found in the coastal mountain regions of southern California to British Columbia. They are a subspecies of the Mule Deer but are much smaller, weighing between 70 and 250 pounds, with the does being smaller. They are called black-tailed deer because the bottom two-thirds of the tail is black, the top third is brown and the underside is whitish.

 

Deer eat all kinds of grasses and new growth on trees and shrubs including poison oak and ivy! They are more active at dusk and dawn but also feed at night. Bucks lose their antlers in March. The antlers re-grow in the summer. If you look for deer antlers while walking in the woods, they are difficult to find. They have excellent nutritional value for squirrels, opossums, and other wild travelers of the forest.

 

Deer prefer grassy fields near forest edges. They use their large rotating ears to listen for predators. The male is called a buck and the female is a doe. Does have their first young at 2 years of age beginning in early May. Newborn fawns weigh from 3 to 6 pounds and are only about 12 inches long. Babies have no scent at birth, which keeps predators away. The mothers leave the fawns alone, quiet and still, sometimes for hours, while they feed.

 

Preventing a problem

Tips: A deer fence at least 8 feet tall is the best guard for rose bushes and gardens. This height is required because deer are great jumpers. A barking dog is also a good deterrent.