Columbian White-tailed Deer – Endangered 49 years –  finally updated to Threatened, federal status – Lower Columbia River Population only

White-tailed deer are native to North America. Scientists, biologists, and researchers have studied this animal more than any other big-game species

The Columbian white-tailed deer was one of the first species listed in Washington and Oregon – first under the protection of the Endangered Species Preservation Act (October 15, 1966) and then under the Endangered Species Act (1973). Their population along the Columbia River in 1967 was down to approximately 450. After almost 50 years of restoration work that included planting 30,000 trees to create ideal habitat – population is up to 900! Columbian white-tails in the Columbia River area were previously limited to areas between Karlson Island and Wallace Island, but are now found upriver all the way to Ridgefield, Washington.

On October 12 of 2016, after 49 years of recovery efforts, the announcement was made that the Columbian white-tailed deer along the Columbia River are no longer considered endangered, but threatened. While it’s a good thing to revel in the results of such hard work by many dedicated agencies, organizations, and volunteers…remember that it took almost 50 years to progress from endangered to threatened.

Protection under the ESA (Endangered Species Act) has allowed acquisition, protection, and improvement of habitat in addition to the creation in 1972 of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer in Wahkiakum County, Washington and the North Bank Habitat Management Area (NBHMA) in Douglas County, Oregon.

 

Deer communication is a fascinating element!

Scent: Chemicals secreted from glands at various parts of the body …

• between toes (pedal) when the hooves touch the ground
• corners of the eyes (preorbital) when rubbing against bushes and trees
• inside of hind legs at the ankles (tarsal) … and outside of the hind legs between ankles and hooves (metatarsal) – carried to the ground via urinating on the hind legs while rubbing them together
• rutting males will scrape soil in about a 3 foot diameter and then rub the area (remember pedal glands) and/or urinate to mark territories

… to leave clues about the sex, age, identy, and motivation of a deer.

Visual displays include motor patterns and postures such as:

• Lowering the head with ears in different positions
• standing on the hind legs while lashing out with the front ones
• turning in relation to an interloper to present a lateral view of the body
• males in rut will rub their antlers on trees and bushes
• an upraised tail, sometimes preceded by a foot stomp, sends an alarm message.

Any deer communication may also include a snort or wheeze, bawl, or moan from adults as well as the fawns’ bleat for their mother or whine while nursing.

 

Reasons for Decline/Current Threats

• Populations declined due to uncontrolled hunting and poaching, habitat loss from agriculture, logging, and development.
• Vehicular collisions occur, but at this time, not in numbers high enough to to prevent the population from increasing.
• Sea-level rise due to climate change could possibly be a long term threat to subpupulations residing on low lying land.

 

Quick Facts

• Deer, with a four-chambered stomach, are ruminants – even-toed ungulate mammals that chew cud regurgitated from its rumen.
• Deer are most often classified by their size, weight, region, color variations, and diet.
• The subspecies leucurus is found in Umpqua River area of south-central Oregon and southern Washington/northern Oregon along the Columbia River.
• Biologists say it’s highly likely that the Columbian white-tail and the Columbian black-tail have interbred, producing a hybrid deer.
• Another population of Columbian white-tailed deer in Southern Oregon were deemed recovered and was removed from the Endangered List in 2002.
• These deer range in size from 85 – 100 pounds for females and 115 – 150 pounds for males.
• They are typically a reddish brown color in spring/summger, with a more gray overtone in winter – with distinct white rings around the eyes and just behind the nose.
• In males, the antler prongs rise from a single main beam.
• Columbian white-tail habitat is consistent with riverside floodplains. Deer found on islands in the Columbia River use tidal spruce habitats – densely forested swamps with tall shrubs and scattered spruce, alder, cottonwood, and willows, but are also found in oak-savannah habitats in the upland areas.
• The remaining Columbian white-tailed deer occur in two separate populations – the Lower Columbia River population and the Douglas County population.
• The breeding season (rut) is from late autumn to early winter.
• Gestation is about 202 days.
• Females bred as yearlings bear one fawn. Older femails usually bear twins.
• Lifespan is about 10 – 15 years.
• At birth, fawns weigh approximately 3 – 6 pounds.
• Fawns have little to no scent for their first 7 – 1- days of life and will typically lie still in hiding when not nursing. For this reason, never take a fawn from the wild in the belief that they are orphans.

 

Sources

“Columbian white-tailed deer rebound.” The Columbian. 12 Oct. 2016. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/oct/12/columbian-white-tail-deer-rebound/>

U.s. Fish & Wildlife Service. “OFWO – Columbian White-Tailed Deer.” Fws.gov. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <https://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/articles.cfm?id=149489413>

Andrew Theen | The Oregonian/oregonlive. “Columbian white-tailed deer continues recovery, to be moved from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened’ status.” OregonLive.com. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2016/10/columbian_white-tailed_deer_ex.html>

N.a. “.” Nwf.org. 17 Nov. 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <https://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Wildlife/ColumbianWhite-TailedDeer.ashx>

USFWS Pacific Region. “Columbian white-tail deer hold a special place in Pacific Northwest conservation.” USFWS Pacific Region. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://usfwspacific.tumblr.com/post/151704266250/columbian-white-tail-deer-hold-a-special-place-in>

U.s. Fish And Wildlife Service. “Species Profile for Columbian White-Tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus).” Ecos.fws.gov. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A002>

Cassandra Profita. “Endangered Columbian White-Tailed Deer Move Toward Recovery.” Opb.org. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://www.opb.org/news/article/columbian-white-tailed-deer-move-toward-recovery/>

N.a. “.” Fws.gov. 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <https://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Documents/Newsroom/FAQCWTDfinal.pdf>

N.a. “.” Whitetailsunlimited.com. 22 Jul. 2008. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <https://www.whitetailsunlimited.com/i/p/bk_distribution.pdf>

N.a. “White-Tailed Deer | National Geographic.” Nationalgeographic.com. n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/w/white-tailed-deer/>

Florip, Eric. “White-tailed deer could go from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened’.” The Columbian. 19 Oct. 2015. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. <http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/oct/19/white-tailed-deer-could-go-from-endangered-to-threatened/>