While I always smile when I see a Sitka black-tailed deer, I don’t always run for my camera because I see deer nearly every day. Last week, I wrote about the three deer that hang out in our yard. The other day, I stretched out on a sunny spot in the grass and closed my eyes. I felt something touch my face, and when I casually brushed it away, I heard loud breathing and hooves stomping. I sat up abruptly and looked into the eyes of a young buck. I’m not sure which one of us was the most startled, but after we recovered, the deer resumed grazing, and I laughed.
While they may be common, deer are fascinating animals, and I thought I would share a few interesting facts about Sitka black-tailed deer.
How did deer get to Kodiak Island, and how have they survived?
The most interesting fact about the Sitka black-tailed deer on Kodiak Island is that they exist and thrive here. The deer population on Kodiak stems from a founder population of fewer than 35 animals. Twenty-five Sitka black-tailed deer were introduced to the north end of Kodiak Island in three transplants from 1924 to 1933, and another nine deer were introduced in 1934. The deer population has since spread to most areas of the Kodiak archipelago, and despite the limited gene pool, the population appears to be healthy. The size of the deer population fluctuates from year to year, depending on the harshness of the winter, but biologists estimate when the population is at its peak, approximately 70,000 deer on live on the archipelago.
How can deer eat some poisonous plants?
After a long, cold winter, deer enthusiastically graze on the first green sprouts in the spring, and they often eat skunk cabbage, despite the fact the plant contains oxalic acid, a poisonous compound. Humans who have tasted skunk cabbage claim the plant burns their mouths for hours, but it doesn’t seem to bother deer. Deer are also able to tolerate other toxic plants, and it is possible their gut bacteria can neutralize the toxins in these noxious plants.
How do deer communicate with each other?
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how foxes communicate with each other. One of the ways deer communicate is with the aid of pheromones produced by the scent glands located on the lower legs. A gland on the outside of the lower leg produces an “alarm” scent, a gland on the inside of the hock produces a scent to help deer recognize each other, and glands between the toes leave a scent trail when a deer walks. Deer have excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing. Their ears move independently of each other, allowing them to pick up on signs of danger from different directions.
Why do some deer have deformed antlers?
A certain percentage of deformed antlers are common in any deer population and may be produced as the result of an injury. Research shows that leg, pedicle, and velvet injuries can all lead to deformed antlers, and these deformities may be temporary or permanent. Some deer in certain areas of Kodiak Island, particularly the Aliulik and Hepburn Peninsulas on the southern end of the island, display abnormal antlers with a bizarre shape, sharp tips, and retention of velvet well into the mating season. Research on these deer indicates they are also sterile. At first, the problem was believed to be genetically linked due to the narrow gene pool of the small founder population. This theory, however, did not explain why the deer with the mutated antlers were mostly concentrated in one area of the island, even though there was nothing confining the deer to this area. A study published in 2005 carefully analyzed all aspects of the problem and concluded the sterile deer with the malformed antlers were not the result of inbreeding. Instead, researchers think the deer living in this area of the island are ingesting something such as kelp or grass laced with estrogenic molecules that alter antler growth, transform testicular cells, and block the descent of fetal testes.
The Sitka black-tailed deer on Kodiak Island experience the best and worst of nature. In the spring and summer, they enjoy an endless supply of food in this lush environment, but winters are often harsh, and nearly the entire deer population can be wiped out by a series of cold, snowy winters.
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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. If you like audiobooks, check out her audiobook version of Murder Over Kodiak. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.