White-tailed deer are the most common large mammal species in North America. They can be found in all 88 counties of Ohio!
Join us on December 4th’s virtual field trip to learn to recognize signs of deer. We’ll also look at how deer have helped humans survive. Or just read onto learn about deer on your own!
CHOOSE AN ACTIVITY TO LEARN ABOUT WHITE-TAILED DEER:
Attend the virtual field trip, Friday, December 4th at 10:30. We’ll look for signs of deer and show you how to tan a hide.
Read a story about how the deer got its antlers. Try making a nice bowl of venison stew to complete your cozy evening!
Track a deer: Go outside with this scavenger hunt. You may find clues that show deer has been near.
Deer Virtual Field Trip: Friday, December 4, 2020 at 10:30am
Friday, Dec. 4, 10:30am
Every Friday from 10:30 to 11-ish am, we hold a Zoom call live from the woods. This week, we’ll look for deer sign. Then Joe from Rural Action will demonstrate how to tan (preserve) a deer hide.
We will be showing how to tan a fresh deer hide from a deer that Joe hunted. Families who join the call should be okay with seeing the fresh deer skin. (The rest of the deer will not be shown).
You’ll receive the link for the Zoom call in your email. The same link works each Friday.
~~We’ll post the recording of the field trip here the following Monday~~
Did you know?
- The scientific name for whitetails is Odocoileus virginianus.
- A whitetail deer can run as fast as 30 miles per hour. That’s pretty fast!
- Water shy? No way! The whitetail can swim at speeds of up to 13 miles per hour.
- White-tails have a four-chambered stomach , just like cows. The stomach helps them digest the rough plants that makes up their diet. This lets them to eat woody plants that other animals cannot digest.
- The whitetail is Ohio’s ONLY big game animal. It has been a source of food for generations, beginning with indigenous people
- Here’s how to sign “deer” in American Sign Language:
Do you know another interesting fact about white–tailed deer? Please share with us by posting it in the comment section!
Tell a deer tale
Did you ever wonder why deer have antlers? Many people have wondered why the world is the way it is. Myths try to answer these questions about the world with a story.
- Read this Cherokee myth, “How the Deer Got His Horns” (excerpted from History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas, by James Mooney).
- Now, get creative: write your own folklore to imagine how the deer got its antlers. If you have friends or siblings, trade your stories and see which ones you like best. We would love it if you shared it in the comments!
- Then, try to think like a scientist. How might a scientist explain why deer have antlers? How could antlers help a buck? Do some research if you need to. Share your ideas below!
Antlers or Horns?
In the story above, the author uses both the words “horns” and “antlers.” But antlers are actually different from horns.
Antlers are found on white-tails and other members of the deer family. They are bone that falls off and regrow. In most species, only males have antlers. Have you ever gone looking for antler sheds? A good time to look is the late winter and early spring, when the bucks shed their antlers.
Horns never come off of an animal. They grow throughout an animal’s life. Pronghorns, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and bison have horns. Horns are part bone and part hair follicle. Both males and females have horns.
Make venison chili
Story-telling is best in the winter, when you can curl up by the fire with a warm bowl of stew and listen. People have depended on deer to feed them for a long time. If you are lucky enough to have some venison, warm up with a bowl of venison chili! Ask a parent for help and try making this recipe! Mmmmm!
Scavenger Hunt for Deer Signs
Go outside for a walk. As you walk
, search for these clues that deer have come through the area:
Rub: A rub is a spot on a tree where the bark has been rubbed away by a male deer’s antlers. This can scar the tree for a long time. So you may find an old, healed scrape or a fresh one
Scrape: A small area on the ground where a male deer has scraped away leaves and vegetation with his hooves, leaving bare dirt. They may also lick and chew on any branches hanging over that spot, so look up!
Deer habitat is forest with lots of nuts for deer to eat. They also like the places where fields and forests meet. Keep your eyes peeled for oak, hickories, and beech trees. Deer love nuts and fruit! Did you know that deer also eat mushrooms!? Now that’s a FUNgi fact!
Deer trails are little paths through the forest that almost look like a human trail. But they are much narrower than our trails, and may seem to disappear unexpectedly. You might notice leaves have been nibbled on at about the height of a deer’s head.
Deer scat (i.e., deer poop) looks like little round balls.
Deer tracks are common in Ohio. Look in muddy places for 2-3 inch hoof marks. Can you tell which way they were going? The narrow end points the way like an arrow.
Help us decide where to put our game camera!
We need your help! Cast your vote to help us decide where to put our team’s game camera. Pick which location you think will have the most deer activity! We will put the camera in the place with the most votes. Pictures will be shared on the virtual field trip on December 4, 2020.
Voting ends on November 29, 2020.
*Already have some cool pictures!? We want to see them! Post your favorite white-tail pictures in the comments.*
One reply on “White-tailed Deer: Virtual Field Trip, Dec. 4th”
Cool article in Columbus Dispatch about an Athens local and hide tanning!
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/ColumbusDispatch/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TCD%2F2020%2F12%2F04&entity=Ar02107&sk=F5E72397&mode=text&fbclid=IwAR2b0IsiQ7wjzFEl0pBWYG56Eecum_DztCosnRleqgX9f_O8SE8-0CQmjTo