All articles tagged with #deer
A World Population Review analysis maps the deadliest animal for each US state, revealing snakes as the single greatest danger in 14 states, whitetail deer in four, rattlesnakes in three, and unusual leaders like dogs in Illinois, coyotes in Minnesota, and black bears in Kentucky.
During this summer's drought in North Yorkshire, wildlife artist Robert Fuller filmed deer, hares and badgers drinking from a natural pond; he notes animals typically obtain moisture from plants, but the heat has driven them to water sources.
A study of pumas and deer on Washington's Olympic Peninsula finds higher puma activity correlates with fewer deer-vehicle collisions: deer alter their space and reduce nighttime road use around pumas, lowering crash risk by about 67% and potentially reducing total accidents by up to 76% over five years; the effect comes from scaring deer rather than predation, highlighting a possible ecosystem service of coexistence with large predators and prompting future work to quantify any monetary savings.
In rural Saône-et-Loire, France, police warned drivers after a deer appeared intoxicated after eating fermented fruit; a video shows the animal stumbling and circling, purportedly due to ethanol ingestion. While some studies note ethanol's effects on animals, experts disagree on consistency across mammals, and authorities urged motorists to be vigilant for unpredictable wildlife.
Delaware has confirmed its first case of Chronic Wasting Disease in a wild white-tailed deer, with USDA confirmation; a second deer is awaiting confirmation. DNREC has activated its CWD Response Plan, creating a 5-mile CWD Management Zone around the Sussex County harvest and planning cluster sampling, with possible mandatory deer check-ins for testing next season. There is no known human risk, but hunters should test meat and follow biosecurity guidance while officials conduct ongoing surveillance and hold public briefings.
Indiana DNR confirmed three chronic wasting disease (CWD) cases in wild deer from Franklin, Rush, and Noble counties for the 2025-26 season. The finding expands the state’s CWD Positive Area to LaGrange, Steuben, DeKalb, Noble, Allen, and Whitley counties and triggers enhanced surveillance in Franklin and Rush. Testing is voluntary and free for legally harvested deer, with CDC advising against consuming CWD-positive meat; no human cases have been reported. Hunters can submit samples via DNR head drop sites or participating businesses, while Purdue’s ADDL offers paid testing.
University of Georgia researchers found that white-tailed deer rubs and ground scrapes glow under ultraviolet light (365 and 395 nm), suggesting deer may communicate using UV-visible ‘signposts’ in the forest. Irradiance measurements showed these spots were brighter than the surroundings, though whether the glow comes from deer secretions, plant compounds, or both remains unclear. The study analyzed 109 rubs and 37 scrapes in a Whitehall Forest during two fall surveys in 2024, and the findings point to a possible new form of deer communication, published in Ecology and Evolution.
Six years of remote cameras and kill data from Yellowstone show that after wolves were reintroduced, cougars avoid wolf‑kill zones and favor deer, aided by terrain that allows escape. The elk portion of cougar diets fell from about 80% (1998–2005) to 52% (2016–2024) while deer rose from 15% to 42%; younger, smaller females hunt more deer, older and larger males still tackle elk. The findings highlight how two top predators can reshuffle prey choices and stress the importance of prey diversity for coexistence, with implications for wildlife management where wolves and cougars coexist.
A tiny Reeves’s muntjac deer at Wroclaw Zoo in Poland bravely confronts a much larger female rhinoceros in a viral video, showcasing an amusing David vs. Goliath scenario where the small deer appears to come out on top, highlighting the playful and surprising interactions between different species in captivity.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries declared an emergency after detecting chronic wasting disease in a deer in Concordia Parish, affecting multiple parishes with restrictions on baiting, feeding, and carcass transport to prevent the spread of this fatal disease.
Wildlife officials are warning about the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a deadly prion disease affecting deer in North America, with potential risks to humans and ecological impacts, as cases continue to emerge across multiple states and provinces.
Britain's deer population has surged to around two million, causing significant ecological, agricultural, and road safety issues, prompting calls for more aggressive management strategies including culling, fencing, and rewilding with predators like wolves and lynx, though these solutions face social and logistical challenges.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Tennessee whitetail deer is spreading eastward, with the first positive test in Wayne County confirming its presence in 20 counties. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency maintains restrictions on carcass movement and feeding within the CWD Management Zone to control its spread, and hunters are encouraged to participate in testing programs to aid surveillance efforts.
In Ohio and the Midwest, infectious diseases like chronic wasting disease and epizootic hemorrhagic disease are causing significant deer mortality, threatening local economies dependent on hunting tourism and raising concerns about environmental and public health impacts, although the broader deer population remains resilient.
Florida has detected its second case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a deer near the Georgia border, prompting a disease response plan. CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting deer and related species, with no known cure or vaccine, and is being addressed through federal research funding. The disease has garnered public attention and misinformation, with some confusing it with harmless skin growths called fibromas, often called 'zombie deer'.