A very wide-spread species, the white-tailed deer is common throughout West Virginia. There are an astounding 56 deer per square mile in the Canaan Valley; a large overpopulation issue. Once wolves were extirpated from West Virginia, the only predator left to take them down were us: humans. In recent years, the amount of hunters in the state has dropped significantly compared to the past. An overpopulation of deer means understory vegetation is decimated. White-tailed deer feast on a variety of food sources; including mushrooms, acorns, fruit, grass, shoots, legumes, and even poison ivy!

This species is named so due to the white underside of their tails. They may not look like much in the way of camouflage, but try to spot one in the interior of the forest and you’ll have trouble!

These deer suffer from a condition know as “chronic wasting disease”, which is thought to be caused by prions. This disease causes steady weight-loss, ultimately leading to the animals death.