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How Do Deer Handle Cold Weather?

Posted by Jennifer Smith on 17th Oct 2019

Like any other mammal, white-tailed deer are prone to get cold; and with the fall and winter temperatures being an issue, we must wonder how deer deal with cold weather. 

Deer shed their lightweight summer coat for thicker, darker hairs called guard hairs that will help insulate them during cool weather months. During autumn and winter, deer will bunker down and avoid moving too much to conserve energy. This is when they will burn half of their metabolism. In the fall, deer movement consists of early morning and late evening hours in search of food where they can avoid deer hunters and frigid wind gusts. 

Deer also eat to stay warm. During the fall, they will eat berries, vegetables, nuts and coniferous trees such as arborvitaes. In winter, natural resources will being scarce; and they will eat tree bark and fallen leaves. 

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