Mice and squirrels often eat the fallen antlers, called sheds , for the nutritious minerals. A deer s hoof is divided in two and spreads like two fingers to make it easier to walk in mud. Deer use their hooves to dig through snow to find nuts and acorns. A gland between the toes produces an odor. Deer can smell this scent on the ground and tell if another deer has been there.
Male deer use their hooves to scrape at the ground.
Scrapes mark territory and tell other males to keep out. A deer gulps down its food without chewing. Later, after acids in its stomach break up leaves, stems, and other large items, the deer throws the food back up its throat and chews it. Like a cow, the deer chews its cud. By eating this way, a deer can gobble up a lot of food quickly, then go to a safer place to chew it.