White-tailed deer

(Odocoileus virginianus)

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Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Christa Rittberg

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

The tail is wide and ends in a black tip. There is no rump patch around the tail. When the animal runs the tail stands erect.

On males the antlers develop on a main beam that grows forward. Branches on the antlers are either unbranched prongs, or prongs with minor branches. They do not split equally.

The males are about 20% larger than the females.

Size

Total length: 71″ to 84¾″

Tail: 11″ to 14″

Sign

In the winter scat is a pile of pelets. In the summer, when there is more moisture in the diet, the pellets bunch up into larger masses. Fresh scat is dark and shiny. After a few days it loses the sheen. It lightens in color as it ages.

Similar Species

Isolated occurances of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in Minnesota have been reported. The mule deer has much larger ears. There is a white rump patch around the tail. The tail is thinner than the tail of the whitetailed deer, and ends in a black tip. When the animal runs the tail hangs down. On males the antlers develop on a main beam that grows upward, rather than forward. Each branch of the antlers are split into a forked pair.

Habitat

Prairies, forests, swamps, wood lots, agricultural fields.

Ecology

Behavior

Lifespan

2 to 10 years

Life Cycle

Food

Leaves, twigs, shoots, acorns, berries, and seeds, grasses, and herbs.

Distribution
		Sources 6, 7, 24, 29, 30. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 4/26/2025). The range of Dakota white-tailed deer (O. v. dacotensis) extends into western and northwestern Minnesota. The range of Kansas white-tailed deer (O. v. macrourus) extends into southern Minnesota to about the Minnesota River Valley. Northern white-tailed deer (O. v. borealis) are found in the northeast, north-central, central, metro, and southeast regions of the state.
4/26/2025



Occurrence
Common and widespread

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Placentalia (placental mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Laurasiatheria (ungulates, carnivorans, and allies)

Order

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and cetaceans)

Suborder

Ruminantia (ruminants)

Infraorder

Pecora

Superfamily

Cervoidea

Family

Cervidae (deer)

Subfamily

Capreolinae (New World deer, moose, caribou, and roe deer)

Tribe

Odocoileini (true New World deer and caribou)

Genus

Odocoileus (white-tailed and mule deer)

Subordinate Taxa

Avery Island white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. mcilhennyi)

Blackbeard Island white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. nigribarbis)

Bull Island white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. taurinsulae)

Carmen Mountains white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. carminis)

Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. leucurus)

Coues white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. couesi)

Dakota white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. dacotensis)

Florida coastal white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. osceola)

Florida white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. seminolus)

Hilton Head Island white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. hiltonensis)

Hunting Island white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. venatorius)

Kansas white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. macrourus)

Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. clavium)

northern white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. borealis)

Northern Rocky Mountains white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. ochrourus)

Texas white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. texanus)

Virginia white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus ssp. virginianus)

Synonyms

Cervus virginianus

Dama virginiana

Odocoileus cooki

Odocoileus sheridanus

Common Names

deer

Virginia deer

whitetail

white-tailed deer

Visitor Photos

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Dan W. Andree

Whitetail Deer... A doe with one of her two fawns that I encountered near a pond recently in Norman Co. Mn. Both fawns were good sized and one to far away from these two so I just focused on the two closer ones. It was a calm peaceful early evening.


Whitetail Buck in Velvet... There was 2 of them. One ran into the woods right away. I filmed the one just entering the woods as it paused briefly to feed. I was surprised when I uploaded the footage and noticed the larger buck just inside the woods. It turned its head giving a glimpse of its antlers. Nice sized antler growth for early July on them both. Encountered these 2 bucks in velvet on July 6, 2022 in rural Norman Co. Mn. Putting together a short video of the buck in velvet encounter.
		3 Whitetail bucks... If you look close you can see a third buck in the woods. It was nice the largest of the 3 posed nicely. The larger on is a 10 point buck though it may not be the easiest to tell.


Whitetail buck last Spring... While out in some woods not far from a small creek in rural Norman County, Mn. during the Spring of 2019 I noticed a large deer browsing a distance away. I could only make out parts of the deer due to brush and trees blocking the view. I could tell the body size was rather large but that was it. I was down wind from it so I tried to get closer to get a better look since there was ample trees branches and foliage etc. blocking my view. I managed to get to an opening and noticed the buck watching me so I aimed my camera at him and took the photo. By deer hunting season this buck may have a fairly impressive full rack of antlers. I had this buck encounter June 17, 2019.


		white-tailed deer fawns... They were very cute!
FAWN PORTRAIT... It had a few green plant seeds stuck on it. One on the forehead and a couple on the body front area. Since they are a little bigger they seem to get around more and one needs to watch in out of the way areas or backroads one never knows when one could spook and dart out in front of a vehicle. They are cute that is for sure.		white-tailed deer fawns... They were very cute!

Bobbi Johnson
Down in Two Harbors today A lovely sight and very close to where I was walking.

Mike Poeppe

Molly and Robert Power

Gotta love the game cam!

Ramona Abrego

Margot Avey

Lynn Rubey

		The Whitetail fawn seeing what is making some unexpected noise....children.


A Whitetail fawn stiopped to look at us as we stopped in The Big Stone Lake State Park Bonanza area.


The Whitetail fawn frolicking in the woods before stopping to look at other noises in the deeper wooded area of The Big Stone Lake State Park Bonanza area.		A Whitetail doe at sunset in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge pausing for a few moments before taking flight.


A White Tail Deer at sunset in the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

Kirk Nelson

		Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Long Meadow Lake Unit Doe and fawn, just off the Bluff Trail
Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary


Crosby Farm Regional Park white-tailed deer can be seen throughout the park. I saw this buck near the parking area at Shepard Road and Elway.



Fort Snelling State Park Resting deer seemed unconcerned that I was only 10-12 yards away

Christa Rittberg

Wayne Rasmussen

Bill Reynolds

Caught this deer working along a backyard in the city of Duluth.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Fawns




Sign



Don’t eat the blue snow This blue urine spot is sign of a deer browsing on common buckthorn.

Camera

Slideshows

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer)
Allen Chartier

Deer
Craig A. Mullenbach

slideshow

Visitor Videos

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Dan W. Andree

"white-tailed deer" Norman Co. Mn. by Dan W Andree 2022
Nov 6, 2022

About

Whitetail doe
Published on Jan 16, 2015

About

Fawn
Published on Feb 18, 2015

About

Visitor Sightings

Report a sighting of this mammal.

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Dan W. Andree
October 2025

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

A doe with one of her two fawns that I encountered near a pond recently in Norman Co. Mn. Both fawns were good sized and one to far away from these two so I just focused on the two closer ones. It was a calm peaceful early evening.

Bobbi Johnson
4/24/2025

Location: Two Harbors, MN

A lovely sight and very close to where I was walking.

Bobbi Johnson
11/28/2023

Location: Silver Bay, MN

Captured yesterday, him just walking down the street, middle of the day. It was pretty cool.

A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis
7/22/2023

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

At the Westwood Hills Nature Center, we saw some life on July 22 this year.

This was all found by the A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis.

Dan W. Andree
8/13/2022

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

There was 2 of them. One ran into the woods right away. I filmed the one just entering the woods as it paused briefly to feed. I was surprised when I uploaded the footage and noticed the larger buck just inside the woods. It turned its head giving a glimpse of its antlers. Nice sized antler growth for early July on them both. Encountered these 2 bucks in velvet on July 6, 2022 in rural Norman Co. Mn. Putting together a short video of the buck in velvet encounter.

Mike Poeppe
7/30/2021

Location: Houston County, MN

Molly and Robert Power
1/03/2021

Location: Albany MN

Gotta love the game cam!

Dan W. Andree
10/8/2020

Location: Norman Co. MN

If you look close you can see a third buck in the woods. It was nice the largest of the 3 posed nicely. The larger on is a 10 point buck though it may not be the easiest to tell.

Ramona Abrego

Location: Gunflint Trail

Margot Avey
8/20/2019

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

Lynn Rubey
8/3/2019

Location: The Big Stone Lake State Park

The Whitetail fawn frolicking in the woods before stopping to look at other noises in the deeper wooded area of The Big Stone Lake State Park Bonanza area.