Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
The weights of adult whitetails, as well, are strongly affected by nutrition and genetics—but there's
an added complication, known as Bergman's Rule. Simply stated, Bergman's Rule holds that members
of a species grow larger as distance from the equator increases.
The theory behind this rule is that larger animals have less surface area in comparison to their body
weight, thereby conserving energy in cold weather. The scientific basis for this theory can be tested
quite easily. Take a quart container, fill it with hot water of a known temperature, and put the cover
on. Do the same with four half-pint containers, using water of identical temperature. Let the containers
stand for an hour, and then check the temperature in the large container and one of the small ones.
Whether or not evolution was actually guided by this principle, northern deer are clearly much larger
than their southern counterparts. A fully mature adult buck in a northern-tier state often weighs 250
pounds or more. In fact, the live weights of two enormous bucks from far northern Minnesota—one in
1926 and another in 1982—were estimated at an incredible 511 pounds! In contrast, 150 pounds might
be more typical of a buck of the same age in, say, the Carolinas, while Key deer, a whitetail subspecies
of southern Florida, tip the scales at well below one hundred pounds.
Despite the occasional super-whitetail, however, most deer are far smaller than people realize, espe-
cially in height. Although their slender legs and long, graceful necks may give the impression of height,
most adult deer stand only three to three and a half feet high at the shoulder—which is a lot smaller
than the impression they give. To put this in perspective, an adult whitetail with its head lowered can
pass beneath the body of a full-grown moose.
Considering the enormous fascination that deer hold for humans, it's not surprising that a plethora of
fallacies and myths have grown up around them. Some are obviously old, but others are of more recent
vintage. The latter result from the steady migration of people off the land and into the cities and sub-
urbs. Someone who has observed deer only in backyards, parks, and similar settings inevitably has less
understanding of these animals' extraordinary capabilities than someone who has experienced them in
their traditional wild milieu. Two examples demonstrate this point rather vividly.
During my days with the National Wildlife Federation, our headquarters received a letter from a very
angry and upset lady who lived near a thirty- or forty-acre piece of land that had recently been donated
to our organization. The previous fall, a forester from a highly reputable consulting firm had contacted
me to discuss a small logging operation, which he would supervise. I had walked that land and felt that
his proposal would improve both the wildlife habitat and the quality of the forest.
The letter writer, a recent émigré from suburbia, alleged that the beauty of the forest had been des-
troyed, and she feared that the deer would “break their delicate legs in the slash.” Envisioning a logging
job that had turned into a debacle, I phoned the forester, who assured me that the logger had done an
excellent job.
In the end, the forester and I met with the woman, accompanied by two or three neutral parties, in
an effort to resolve the dispute. What we found was one of the cleanest logging operations I've ever
seen. The loggers had removed only the limited amount that the forester had described. All of the tops
and slash had also been carefully lopped, so that nearly all of it was flat on the ground; most of what
