Species guide
White-tailed deer
HarmlessOdocoileus virginianus
How to recognise it
A tan-to-reddish-brown deer (grayer in winter) that raises its bright white tail like a flag when fleeing. Males grow branching antlers in season.
Is it dangerous?
Not normally aggressive, but bucks in the autumn rut and does with fawns can be defensive, and they can lash out if cornered. The bigger risks are deer–vehicle collisions and the ticks they carry.
What to do
Keep your distance, never feed them, and drive carefully at dawn and dusk where deer are common.
Recorded 339,048 times in the wild worldwide.
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