Odocoileus virginianus

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

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 up.

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.

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.

The only other deer in Minnesota is moose, which is not easily mistaken for whitetail deer.

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.

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

Sources: 7, 13, 15.

The range of Dakota whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis) extends into western and northwestern Minnesota.

The range of Kansas whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus macrourus) extends into southern Minnesota to about the Minnesota River Valley.

Northern whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis) are found in the northeast, north-central, central, metro, and southeast regions of the state.

Subspecies
There are 16 subspecies of whitetail deer in North America north of Mexico. Three of those occur in Minneosta.