• White-tailed deer live in every county in Michigan. In fact, they can be found in every region of the United States except the Desert Southwest, Alaska and Hawaii. Adult deer grow to weigh an average of 125 to 225 pounds, and males are usually larger than females. Though their natural life span is about nine years, most deer don’t live beyond three years in the wild.
• A male deer is called a buck, a female deer is a doe, and a baby deer is a fawn. A “button buck” or “nubbin buck” is a male fawn, usually six to nine months old by its first winter.
• The top three hazards for deer are hunters, starvation and collisions with cars. To avoid hitting a deer, try to have someone in your car scan the sides of the roads where deer might cross. This is especially important in the early morning and at dusk, when deer are on the move.
• Deer are ruminants. This means they have four stomachs, just like cows, and they graze on a variety of plant material—a hungry deer will eat almost any plant. The only sure way to protect your plants, shrubs and trees is to put a tall fence around them.
• Wild animals belong in the wild. Getting too accustomed to humans, their houses and their food can be very dangerous for them. In Michigan, for example, people hunt deer at certain times of the year, so to protect themselves, deer should stay away.
• While searching for food, deer and other wild animals can get tangled up or caught in all sorts of things. Please become part of the Animal Rescue Team and pick up the trash you see around your neighborhood and parks, and keep your garbage and recycling bins securely fastened.
WHATEVER THE DILEMMA, IF IT’S GOT FUR OR FEATHERS (OR SCALES!), THE CARTERS ARE THE ONES TO CALL!
