They have unique qualities that capture the imagination of both wildlife experts and the average bystander. One of the six species of deer, the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is arguably Georgia’s most important species of deer with regards to ecology, culture and even economics. Astride these mighty horned beasts are Georgia’s most plentiful deer species, able to thrive in nearly every habitat in Georgia. From the wide-open forests of North Georgia to the marshes of the coastal plains, white-tailed deer flourish in a variety of habitats. Well, diving deeper into their lifestyle — including habitat trends, diets, seasonal patterns, mating behaviors, and relationships with both humans and the natural world — tell us a lot about what it is like to be this iconic creature.

Deer Habitat Preferences in Georgia

Georgia has a diverse geography, which makes it an ideal setting for the white-tailed deer. In general, the state can be split into five ecological regions—Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge and Valley, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and Barrier Islands. Deer are present across all of these areas although their preferences often vary based on food sources, safety from other animals and changes throughout the year.

• Forests and Woodlands

Much of Georgia’s geography is dominated by dense woodlands, which serve as a primary habitat for deer. They like areas with thick understory, food and cover, including young pine thickets, hardwoods and mixed forest environments. Because of their browsing habits, deer traverse areas with plenty of shrubs, vines, saplings and other low-growing vegetation.

• Fields and Edge Habitat

Deer are most at home in “edge habitats”—transition zones between forests and open fields or marshes. These zones let deer feed while remaining near cover should they detect trouble approaching. Deer benefit from prime edge habitats created by agricultural fields and wildlife clearings in Georgia.

• Urban and Suburban Areas

Other species, such as white-tailed deer, are also adjusting to urbanized areas. Deer are no strangers to suburban developments on the outskirts of some southern city, like Atlanta, Augusta or Savannah. Gardens, manicured landscapes and even golf courses provide attractive feeding habitat, but this closeness to humans often results in conflict.

Diet Selection of White-tailed Deer in Georgia

That adaptability stems in part from their wide range of food choices. These herbivores are “browsers,” meaning that they consume a large diversity of plant matter, from leaves and twigs to fruits and flowers. Georgia feeding patterns are greatly affected by the seasonal changes.

• Spring and Summer Diet

Georgia has lots of vegetation in spring and summer, offering deer high-protein foods. They primarily eat grasses, clovers, legumes and tender shoots. This is a critical period for deer, as females with young suckling and growing fawns both need abundant nutrients. During this time, Bucks also eat more food to gain strength and antler growth.

• Fall Diet

Autumn is probably the time of the year when deer activity is at its highest and most visible. White-tailed deer are making ready for winter by eating high-energy foods such as acorns from oak trees (a Georgia favorite), hickory nuts and fruits like persimmons and muscadine grapes. Agricultural crops, such as corn and soybeans, where available, are sometimes offered.

• Winter Survival

Georgia’s winters, compared with northern states, are relatively tame, which helps the deer population. Food sources, however, are more scarce in the winter months. Deer begin to shift to eating woody browse, which includes twigs, bark and evergreen plants, such as holly or cedar. The tougher plant material they consume helps keep them alive until spring renewal.

Seasonal Behaviors & Adaptations

White-tailed deer adapt their activities and patterns seasonally. Their activity changes as temperature, food sources and breeding cycles shift.

• Spring: The season of spring awakens fresh growth, and deer come out of the scant winter season to feed on new vegetation. She (female deer) is getting ready for fawning season and looking for secluded areas to produce. Newborn fawns depend on their spotty camouflage and lack of scent to avoid hungry predators.
• Summer — In the summer, bucks and does are most active early morning, (an hour after sun up) and late evening (an hour before dusk). That helps them escape the heat of Georgia’s humid climate. As bucks develop their antlers, those velvety casings turn to hard bone as the fall mating season approaches.
• Fall: The rut, or mating season, occurs in fall. The Bucks become very competitive and use their antlers to joust with competition for access to the does. Behaviors become dramatically different, as bucks move more, show more aggression and take more risks, and accidents often follow, such as getting hit by a car.
• Winter: Winter is a period of decreased activity due to limited food resources. For energy conservation deer travel in smaller areas closer together, often in safe zones. By late winter, antlers have dropped from bucks, closing the book on one chapter and starting another in nature.

Mating and Reproduction

Reproduction is the seasonally cyclical white-tailed deer’s main event. The mating season, called the rut, typically takes place in late fall, peaking around mid-November in Georgia. This is ups court doing behaviors like grunting, movin and creating “scrapes” (markings left on the ground to leave scent signals).

When a doe’s ready, she mates, and fawns are born in the usual seven-month gestation. Most fawns in Georgia are born from May through July. Depending on her health and environmental conditions, a doe may give birth to one, two, or three fawns.

Fawns are born and immediately rely on their mothers for both food and safety. They begin to venture out and eat vegetation after a few weeks but remain near the mother for a few months. By fall, the young adopt more independent behaviors and are often left to fend for themselves before the next mating season begins.

Interactions with the Environment and Humans

The white-tailed deer is an important component of Georgia’s ecosystems, yet its interactions with humans, agriculture, and urbanization often provide both benefits and conflicts.

Ecological Role

Deer are a keystone species in Georgia’s forests, shaping plant communities through selective foraging. Feeding on some plants more than others, they influence the distribution and abundance of vegetation. They also provide an important food source for predators such as coyotes and bobcats.

But too many deer can have detrimental environmental effects. Overgrazing in places such as conservation reserves or peri-urban outskirts may decrease biodiversity, inhibiting growth of native plants and allowing invasive species to proliferate.

Challenges and Threats

As for deer — while they’re doing well in Georgia, they’ve got some challenges:

• Predation: Coyotes, bobcats and, occasionally, black bears prey on young fawns. Adult deer are more capable of escaping predators, outrunning threats by speed and agility.
• Diseases: Chronic wasting disease (CWD) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) are serious threats to the health of deer populations. While CWD has not been widely found in Georgia, wildlife agencies cannot be too vigilant in monitoring for the disease.
• Urbanization: The growth of suburban areas into deer habitat forces them to live in close proximity to humans. This leads to risks such as cars colliding with animals or animals wrecking gardens, heightening tensions between home owners and rural wildlife.

Human conflicts relevant to human-water management

White-tailed doodles in Georgia can be a problem for farmers, gardeners and drivers. Crop damage, landscape destruction, and road collisions are common complaints. Managing these problems takes balance, and Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) strives to keep deer populations healthy.

Hunting is the main tool for population management. Georgia’s hunting season, governed by state law, is finely tuned to keep the deer population healthy — without allowing for overpopulation. So, it also creates considerable economic benefits by supporting outdoor recreation industries and local economies in the process of being a management strategy.

Adjustments to Georgia’s Climate and Geography

It is the adaptability of the white-tailed deer that leads to its success in Georgia’s dynamic environment. The state’s diverse range of altitudes and ecosystems offers little challenge to these animals. As the seasons change, so does their fur, which thickens and darkens during the short winter months and thins out in the scorching summer months. They also adapt their feeding habits to maximize Georgia’s native plant resources.

Deer are more than capable of adapting to Georgia’s varied terrain. Whether in the steep slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains or in the deep swamps of the Okefenokee, white-tailed deer are resilient and adaptable.

Closing Thoughts

Deer in Georgia have created their own way of life and it’s a perfect example of how resilient the species is and how they have their place in the ecosystem. Their diet, their activities depending on the season or even their inclination to hang out with us, white-tailed deer are especially well adapted to meet Georgia’s environmental challenges and opportunities. They not only mold natural surroundings but also represent wild creatures in human development.

A balanced relationship with these animals is vital to maintaining the health of Georgia’s ecosystems and the coexistence of wildlife and human populations. For those lucky ones who catch a glimpse of these elegant animals, whether meandering through forests, browsing in open fields, or even bounding through suburban backyards, the look of a deer serves as a haunting reminder of the delicate relationships we have with nature.