10 Things Most Hunters Don't Know About Whitetail Deer

The world of the whitetail deer is an intricate and interesting one.

A North American deer hunter's world revolves around these amazing animals.

However, how much do you really know about the whitetail deer?

Let's find out what sets these creatures apart from the rest of the deer family!

1. Fawns learn quickly.

A newborn fawn can stand in 20 minutes, walk in one hour, run a bit in 24 hours, and outrun a man in five days.

2. Deer are well-insulated.

The hollow, reddish-brown winter hair of the deer's coat provides excellent insulation, preventing loss of body heat, while also keeping the snow from melting. This proves especially useful in Canada and the northern United States.

3. Deer eat a lot.

On average, a deer needs to eat about 8 pounds of vegetation, per 100 pounds of body weight, per day.

An 150-pound deer needs to eat 12 pounds of food in a 24-hour period over most of the year.

4. Deer sleep even more.

Over most of the year, whitetails remain bedded 60-70 percent of the time, usually feeding five times every 24 hours.

Deer can defecate while bedded, but need to get up to urinate.

5. Deer have the same number of teeth as humans.

Like a human, an adult deer has 32 teeth.

However, a deer has no upper teeth in the front of its mouth; the space is instead filled with a hard-surfaced pad of gristle.

6. A number of factors influence a deer's antler growth.

7. Chin whiskers tell deer exactly how far from the ground their lips are when feeding.

A deer's antlers are a result of three factors: nutritious food, increasing buck age and good genes.

The shape and configuration of the antlers is strictly genetic.

8. Buck antlers grow quickly.

Adult buck antlers start to grow around the last of March or early April, and grow at the rate of about a quarter-inch per day.

Younger bucks begin growing their antlers a little later, and theirs grow at a slower rate.

9. Sparring isn't only a matter of establishing dominance.

Sparring is an activity bucks partake in to test one another for dominance, yes. But it also serves to develop the muscles and skills they'll need if they should actually have to fight during the breeding season.

Sparring is also a reaffirmation of the status quo in each fraternal group and prevents actual fights from having to take place, which could cause severe injuries, if not death.

10. Bucks put on miles to pursue does.

During the rutting season, a male deer will lose up to 25 percent of its body weight from the constant seeking and chasing of does during mating season.

Respect the game animal you're after by knowing some facts about them!

Information compiled from the book "Whitetail Savvy" by Dr. Leonard Lee Rue III.

NEXT: LOCKED UP WHITETAIL BUCKS SAVED BY ILLINOIS CONSERVATION OFFICER ARMED WITH A POLE SAW [VIDEO]

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