Whitetail Deer

## Description

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States (all but five of the states), Canada, Mexico, Central America, and in South America as far south as Peru. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and some countries in Europe, such as Finland and the Czech Republic. It is the most sought after big-game animal in the world.

The species is most common east of the Rocky Mountains, and is absent from much of the western United States, including Nevada, Utah, California, Hawaii, and Alaska (though its close relatives, the  mule deer and  black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus, can be found there). It does, however, survive in aspen parklands and deciduous river bottomlands within the central and northern Great Plains, and in mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of the northern Rocky Mountain regions from South Dakota and Wyoming to southeastern British Columbia, including the Montana Valley and Foothill grasslands.

The conversion of land adjacent to the northern Rockies into agriculture use and partial clear-cutting of coniferous trees (resulting in widespread deciduous vegetation) has been favorable to the white-tailed deer and has pushed its distribution to as far north as Prince George, British Columbia. Populations of deer around the Great Lakes have also expanded their range northwards, due to conversion of land to agricultural uses favoring more deciduous vegetation, and local caribou and moose populations. The westernmost population of the species, known as the Columbian white-tailed deer, once was widespread in the mixed forests along the Willamette and Cowlitz River valleys of western Oregon and southwestern Washington, but today its numbers have been considerably reduced, and it is classified as near-threatened. The white-tailed deer is well-suited for its environment. Fossil records indicate that its basic structure has not changed in four million years.

*Summary by* Wikipedia.org

## Hunting Tactics

*Introduction*

The Whitetail Deer is the animal with the greatest spread over the  EHR reserves. It can be found in all "American" based maps. A majestic buck is always a welcomed trophy on any hunt, even if you are after other animals.

*Spawning*

Unlike many other deer species, all Whitetail bucks and does spawn and travel alone. If you encounter more than one of either gender close to each other, it is by pure random, or because multiple animals were attracted by the same  lure.

*Clothing*

There is camouflage clothing available that provides various advantages specifically against all deer species.

**Sense Reduction Values** (1 = some; 6 = excellent)

  Outback Outfit | 1 / 6 | 1 / 6 | 1 / 6

You will quickly see a big difference when using any of these outfits with the deer species when you have approached them with a regular outfit before. When in prone, the animals will almost step on you before they notice the danger and run. These clothes have the same effect on any map, environment and vegetation, as opposed to certain camouflage clothes which only unfold their advantages when in certain areas such as forests, but provide zero camouflage otherwise.

*Scent Eliminator and Wind Indicator*

This species has a sense of smell and will detect players around them. Especially when upwind, you will see close-by animals stick their nose into the wind, then run away. The  Scent Eliminator works against all animals with a sense of smell. Apply it when you want to get close to the animal of your choice. Also, make sure to pay attention to the wind direction by observing objects tossed around or by using  Wind Indicator. Use it and follow the smoke with your eyes to see in which direction it is blown. As a general rule of thumb, the wind will blow towards the North-East on all maps. If you are not sure about the wind conditions, apply the  Scent Eliminator just in case. It doesn't hurt to use it once too often if you want to be on the safe side and not regularly spook animals by your smell.

*Searching*

Weight does correlate somewhat with the score. Follow tracks from heavy bucks. The highest scores are not necessarily achieved by the heaviest bucks though, so consider mid size bucks just as much. Only skip small weights. If you are a fervent Whitetail hunter however you will react to all buck calls and lure them towards you just enough to be able to make a judgment whether the animal is worth harvesting.

*Luring*

Use the Deer Bleat or the Deer Grunt to lure Whitetails. Both callers have the same luring effect, and the effect is the same for both males and females. You may use  Whitetail Urine Spray which lasts a lot longer than the caller, and lets you safely move into a hiding place or  stand.

*Field Judging*

If you are not sure whether a Whitetail buck is worth a shot, look for a wide spread of the main beams and for long points. Field judging takes some practice, because some bucks can have longer tines on the outer ends of the beams, but missing the tines on the inner parts of the beams close to their heads. Avoid short points even if the spread of the main beams is wide.

*Shooting the animal*

The shot must be well prepared. Search a good place where you can stay undetected. Avoid hasty shots. A good  spotting skill  will support you picking the right animal if there are severals. Wait until the animal of your choice has come close enough for a good shot, or until you can safely hit a vital from the side. It is not always possible to set up an ambush, or to move away on time. Stay alert for other animals (e.g. from a group) that might have come very close to your lure, and make sure to go for a shot before one of these could spook and flush everything around them.

*If the animal flees*

If you spook the animal of your desire, follow the tracks crouching. Use your optics and try to spot it, and also look for tracks or vocal signs. Do not go too fast. The animal can stop fleeing abruptly and return to roaming, and the roaming can be in any direction including coming right back at you. If you end up bumping into the animal it will flee again. Take your time. If the animal is worth it, a few more minutes will pay off. Expect very long fleeing distances, especially of the larger Whitetail bucks. If you spook an unseen buck, the number of fleeing tracks can be an indication for the final score. If there are only a few fleeing tracks, the buck is not worth following. If you find 5-6 tracks however, consider tracking the buck down.

### Quick Start Locations

Start at the following lodge(s) for quickly finding this species.

 Highland
 Homestead
 Trapper's Rest
 Darkwood
 Whispering Woods

## Organs and Bones

2 = Brain
3 = Neck bone 1
4 = Neck bone 2
5 = Neck bone 3
6 = Shoulder bone
7 = Lungs
8 = Liver
9 = Heart
10 = Spine bone 1
11 = Spine bone 2
12 = Spine bone 3
13 = Stomach
14 = Intestines
15 = Hip bone
16 = Body

## In-Game Photos

Display of TruRACS antlersMale CommonMale PiebaldMale AlbinoMale MelanisticFemale CommonFemale PiebaldFemale AlbinoFemale Melanistic

## Non-typical Antlers

Whitetail Deer with Non-Typical Antlers can occur but are rare to find.

Non-Typical Antlers