The White-tailed Deer
We are blessed with a host of wildlife here on Daniel Island. Few species have brought my family as much delight as our state animal, the white-tailed deer. Until two years ago, we lived at the end of Bounty Street where the marsh bridge crosses to Beresford Creek Street. Deer were everywhere, day and night. Whether we saw them or not, and we frequently did, the well-worn trails traversing the marsh behind our house attested to their regular travels in significant numbers. Their periodic visits to my wife’s flower beds were a slightly less welcome occurrence.
As an outdoorsman, my stories are occasionally suspect to some people. My wife, Jenny, and our neighbor, Greg Meyer, can both attest to this one, though. We had invited Greg over for some freshly gathered oysters and we were eating them on our back deck. Our next-door neighbor had recently started “fostering” two half-grown cats. A doe and two young deer came out of the marsh at dusk and were eating in the yard, which was common. One of the young cats, which had apparently seen too many “Wild Kingdom” episodes, actually began stalking the deer. When he finally got too close for comfort, the mother deer moved towards him, as if asking the deer version of, “Are you serious?” The young cat nearly turned a back flip and raced away.
The trails are still there, as are some of the deer, but our white-tails, both locally and on a regional level, are facing some challenges. The first, most obvious, problem is habitat loss. Daniel Island, like much of the Charleston area, has developed to the point that much of our woodlands are gone. This puts stress on the deer as they seek food and try to find shelter from predators. This won’t improve, as the development of the Lowcountry is only accelerating.
While habitat loss is a huge factor, predation is also a far more significant concern for deer now than one might think. There was an absolutely fascinating article published in the Sep/Oct 2015 edition of South Carolina Wildlife magazine by Jim Kilgo. It was entitled “Coyote Science” and detailed the incredible time and effort (not to mention some impressive technology) being dedicated to ascertaining how many deer are being lost to their new nemesis, the coyote. I say “new” because, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), there were no coyotes in South Carolina until about 30 years ago. Their population has grown rapidly, as they are smart and adaptable. They also take a heavy toll on our deer herd.
Anyone interested in South Carolina’s deer population should read Kilgo’s article. A very short summary is that “vaginal implant transmitters,” which start transmitting when a fawn is born, are implanted into pregnant does. When that signal is received, the fawns are located immediately, day or night, by the researchers and fitted with radio collars and a motion-activated transmitter. This device sends a signal when its motion stops for a given duration, indicating that the fawn is dead. The remains are then located, and methods up to and including DNA testing are used to determine the cause of death. The study of hundreds of fawns over seven years found that only 23% of them survive through their first fall, and of those that die, 80% are killed by coyotes. That is roughly 60% of all fawns born here each year.
Deer breed in the fall and generally give birth in South Carolina between April and June. It is not uncommon to see the young, spotted fawns on Daniel Island this time of year. Unaccompanied fawns, according to the SCDNR, should be left alone rather than approached or “rescued.” The mother is generally nearby as the fawns are rarely abandoned. Deer will eat many leaves, plants, crops, etc. If available, acorns are a primary food source during the fall and winter months. The average life expectancy of a South Carolina white-tail is about ten years in the wild.