American Indians in North Carolina’s Piedmont hunted white-tailed deer for thousands of years. Venison, or deer meat, was an important source of food for them. They also used the skin, bones, hooves, sinew (tendons), and antlers of deer to make items such as clothing, blankets, tools, thread, needles, drums, jewelry, and glue. Early settlers quickly learned how valuable deer were and hunted them for survival. Deer became important trade items as well. They were so valuable that the colonial government created laws to stop people from killing so many of them. Daniel Boone was a well-known hunter in the colonial period. Most people think of him as a tough woodsman who explored the Kentucky wilderness. But did you know that he lived in the Tar Heel State for about 20 years? Boone was born and raised near Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1750 he moved south with his family to the Yadkin River valley, in Davie County. By age 16 he was earning his living as a hunter. He made a name for himself as one of the best hunters in that area.

There are many tall tales about Boone. Here is one tale:

Boone and a friend went fire hunting one summer night. They learned this hunting method from the local Indians. (One person holds up a wooden torch as hunters stalk a deer feeding by a creek. The deer looks up at the light and becomes hypnotized. The glow from the animal’s eyes gives the hunters a perfect target.)

On this same night, a young woman named Rebecca was looking for some cows she was tending. She got lost in the dark and followed a creek to find her way home. Her eyes got caught in the hunters’ light, and she saw a rifle aimed right at her. Daniel was holding that rifle, but he felt something was not right, so he didn’t shoot. Rebecca screamed in terror and ran home.

Boone followed her home and fell in love as soon as he saw her. He felt awful that he had nearly killed her, so he gave up fire hunting for good. He and Rebecca later got married.

How true is this story? Boone’s relatives recalled that Daniel and Rebecca said that they had first met at a wedding, not a deer hunt. But the legend continued on the frontier and made its way into several publications in the 1800s and 1900s.

People in the Piedmont continued to hunt deer in great numbers and also to cut down forests in the 1800s. Their actions caused the deer population to fall to a record low by the late 1800s. In the twentieth century, the state government passed hunting and land-use laws to protect deer and their habitat—the forested lands in which they live.

These laws have worked, and the deer population has risen. In fact, deer are now found throughout the Piedmont. You can spot them in state and local parks, and even munching on flowers in people’s yards!

White-tailed deer

North America is home to four species of deer: the mule deer, the white-tailed deer, elk and moose. Among these, only the white-tailed deer calls North Carolina home, and it's no surprise to see them at the edge of open fields or even in your own backyard.

These mammals don't migrate, hibernate or store food during fall and winter like some animals. Instead, they roam alone or in small groups through woods and open fields, often searching for food. A deer's diet changes depending on its habitat and the season. It eats green plants in the spring and summer. In the fall, it eats corn, acorns and other nuts. In the winter, it eats the buds and twigs of woody plants. Keep an eye out for them during early mornings and twilight hours — their favorite feeding time.

The white-tailed deer is tan or brown in the summer and grayish brown in winter. It has white on its throat, around its eyes and nose, on its stomach and on the underside of its tail. When a white-tailed deer is alarmed, it may stomp its hooves and snort to warn other deer. It may also "flag" or raise its tail and show its white underside. When a mother deer is running, this white underside can help her fawns follow her. Deer can run at speeds approaching 40 miles per hour, though they are not long distance runners. They are also awesome swimmers and jumpers. Deer have a keen sense of smell, as well as excellent eyesight and hearing; these senses help deer to protect themselves.

Bucks, or male deer, grow antlers every year, usually in April and May, and shed them from January to March. (Antelopes, buffalo and goats on the other hand, grow permanent horns, which are part of their skulls.) While in the woods this winter, look for trees with patches of bark stripped away, made by male whitetailed deer rubbing their antlers on trees. Young red cedars seem to be their favorite target of aggression.

Rubs are made during mating season, from September to December. Early in the season, deer make rubs to peel the velvet or soft skin from their newly grown antlers. Deer use late-season rubs to advertise their presence to rivals and potential mates. Bucks also use glands in their foreheads to make scent markers on trees.

Deer populations can present problems in residential areas. They run out in front of unsuspecting drivers and they can eat crops and plants in people’s yards. Deer hunting is allowed to help manage their populations, although it is not allowed in residential areas. The more that white-tailed deer become used to human presence and the more that residential areas spread into deer habitats, the greater the chance of increased encounters. For this reason, it is important for humans to learn to live with their surrounding wildlife.

Activity

- Look in the news for examples of man interacting with other species. One example would be accidents involving automobiles and deer. Categorize these encounters as beneficial or harmful to either man or the other species. What led to the encounter? Can you think of a solution to the problem?

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