Montana Field Guide

White-tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus

Coat grayish-brown in winter, reddish-brown in summer; underside of foot-long tail white; antlers consist of main beams, generally with three to five tines projecting upward; brow tines long; outside of lower hind foot has a small, teardrop-shaped scent gland; mature bucks weigh 250-275 lbs. on good range, does 160-180. Occupy small home ranges, do not migrate far; mostly nocturnal and secretive; solitary much of the time but form small groups in favored feeding areas; when alarmed or running, erect and wag their tails, causing white underside to flash.

Montana Range

Uses summer range, winter range in W MT - may be 8.69-15 mi. apart.

River and creek bottoms; dense vegetation at higher elevations; sometimes open bitterbush hillsides in winter (FWP). In W MT mature subclimax coniferous forest, cool sites, diversity & moist sites important in summer (Leach 1982). In winter prefer dense canopy classes, moist habitat types, uncut areas & low snow depths (Berner 1985).

Leaves, twigs, fruits, and berries of browse plants such as chokecherry, serviceberry, snowberry, and dogwood; some forbs during summer (FWP). Browse most imp. statewide - yr. round, particularly so in winter. Graminoid use increases in spring, forb use in late spring & sometimes in fall.

Diff. habit. select. reduces potential of mule deer & white-tailed deer competetion. Cattle may compete if using river bottom browse heavily (in C MT). Extensive large clearcuts reduce winter range.

Breed mid-to late November; one or two reddish but white-spotted fawns; bucks do not gather in harems; necks of rutting bucks swell (but less so than mule deer); healthy adult bucks shed antlers in December or January; does usually breed first as yearlings in Montana (16-17 months) (FWP). In W MT breeds late Nov-early Dec. First breeding produces single fawns, twins thereafter. In Swan Valley mean fetal rate/preg. does = 1.5 -1.6, ave. ann. recruitment 29%.