Ever wonder how those deer you love to hunt survive in winter?
White-tailed deer, the kind found across most of the United States, are the widest-ranging hoofed mammal in the Americas, living from as far south as Bolivia to as far north as southern Canada. To cover such diverse territory and climates, white-tailed deer have a variety of adaptations and behaviors, including those that allow them to survive harsh February weather.
Like many other mammals, deer physically prepare for the winter by better insulating their bodies. Chris Whitter, of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, writes that, in the fall, deer gradually trade their summer hair coat for a winter one, which consists of thicker, longer, and darker hairs called guard hairs, while also growing in a much thicker undercoat.
The winter coat, Whittier writes, absorbs more sunlight and traps more body heat than the summer coat, and provides an extraordinary amount of protection from the cold. Deer also have oil-producing glands in their skin that help make their hair water-repellent, which is especially valuable in the snow. For further insulation, their bodies also begin to retain more fat in layers during the fall.
Deer also alter their behavior to survive the winter. They are generally less active, sometimes dropping their metabolism by half, which allows them to save energy and eat less. Deer may physically hunker down during particularly harsh weather—not moving for days, even to eat— which is made possible by relying on their fat stores.
Deer also typically seek areas that are more sheltered in which to rest and eat, such as stands of coniferous trees that maintain their needles during the winter and allow snow to build up, both of which help provide some wind resistance and possibly cover. These areas, sometimes known as “deer yards,” may encompass many—if not hundreds—of acres, providing shelter for lots of deer.
Usually deer can comfortably survive the winter by eating their usual diet of twigs, stems, grasses, and other plants wherever they typically would find them, as well as by supplementing with higher-calorie foods such as nuts, fruits, and even mushrooms. Because deer are generally browsers, like goats, and not grazers, like cows or sheep, they do not need to get under the snow to eat, though they can and sometimes will.
Whether it’s a harsh February or any other month, at Deerview, we want your deer hunting season to be the very best. We manufacture windows solely for use in deer stand/blind applications. Our goal is to be the best in the industry in providing visibility to your hunt. All of our windows and doors can be custom-made to fit your specific openings, or you can select from our standard sizes. We have the style of window best suited for your particular blind’s needs. Learn more at www.deerviewwindows.com
Check out Deerview Windows’ product pages to determine which style of window is best for your particular blind’s needs, and let us give you a free quote.
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