Each month Trail Manager, Emily Galka, highlights flora and fauna that she observes in the Goethe State Forest that surrounds the Black Prong Resort. Goethe State Forest Species of the Month: White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Each month Trail Manager, Emily Galka, highlights flora and fauna that she observes in the Goethe State Forest that surrounds the Black Prong Resort.

Well, November is upon us and that means one major thing in the world of Goethe trail riding: deer hunting season. The Goethe has multiple hunting seasons throughout the year but November is the most popular with a set of days allotted for guns and hunting dogs in pursuit of white-tailed deer. During this month we resort to riding and driving only on property without entering the forest. With all the hunters out and about, the deer are typically on the run. White-tailed deer are common throughout most of the United states and found in all of Florida besides the keys.

There are 30 subspecies of White-tailed deer in the Americas, three of which are in Florida. Wild deer tend to have a lifespan of about 10 years but average 4-6 when living on hunted land. They don’t have a specific breeding season in Florida and gestation lasts about 200 days. They are a distinctive tan color with a white underbelly and underside of their tail, young deer, fawns, having white spots all on their torso. They are ruminants meaning they have a similar digestive system as cattle and like to snack on leaves, twigs, flowers and fruit. Male deer grow antlers which happen to be one of the fastest growing mammalian tissues with a growth rate of ¼ inch per day.

The deer hunting industry provides over 10 thousand jobs in Florida and generates millions of dollars in state and local taxes annually with hunting permit sales. I have come across deer on multiple trail rides in the Goethe throughout the year. The horses are generally fine with their presence but can be startled if a deer jumps up out of the brush. White-tailed deer tend to be more active at dawn and dusk so we are most likely to see them on an early morning ride. Though I miss riding in the Goethe in November, the popular hunting season provides jobs, and income for conservation and a food source for many hunters.