• From 2006 to 2008, the deer density in Westchester jumped from 25 to 64 deer per square mile—“the highest observed anywhere.”
• Deer live an average of 10 years in the wild but can live up to 20 years in captivity.
• Deer consume up to eight pounds of forage per day.
• A male white-tailed deer, the most prevalent species in Westchester, can stand as high as three-and-a-half feet and weigh up to 300 pounds; a female is slightly shorter and lighter.
• Deer breed from mid-September through late February, peaking in November, and have a 200-day gestation period, which culminates in a bumper crop of fawns every May and June.
• Deer can sprint as fast as 40 mph over a quarter-mile distance, are good swimmers, and can smell and hear well.
• Deer tend to cross the road when cover (trees, vegetation, etc.) extends to the edge of the road. (In the deer’s mind, this creates a corridor which encourages it to continue onto the road.) However, deer usually prefer to walk around, rather than step over barriers, unless under duress.
• The most effective deer deterrent: urine from predatory animals, like coyotes.
