Deer Animal Symbolism – Deer Animal Totem
If you were born between May 21 – June 21, the Deer is your Native American Birth Animal and the Owl is your Polarity Animal. If you were born between November 22 – December 21, the Deer is your polarity animal and Owl is your birth animal. Learn more about Native American Spirit Animals and Polarity Animals here.
White-tailed deer animal symbolism in Native American lore represented gracefulness, compassion and strength. Deer were greatly revered in Native American culture and represent intuition.
Facts about White-Tailed Deer
A grown white-tailed deer weighs between 70 and 250 pounds. The bucks are bigger than the does. Newborn deer weigh between 4-8 pounds each. They nurse four or five times a day and by the time they are three months, young deer are weaned.
When there is plenty of food and a lower population of deer, does will frequently have twins or triplets. If there isn’t enough food or if there are too many deer competing for food, does will have one baby or none at all. Does have a single birth the first time and then can have twins or triplets in future births. It’s possible for a doe to be carrying two or three different fawns sired by three different bucks.
White-Tailed Deer in the Chickamauga Battlefield
Perhaps a decade ago, the University of Georgia conducted a study that revealed 700 deer in the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park. Obviously, there are more now. We see them nearly every time we drive through the park on our way to run errands. And because we live adjacent to the park, we see them frequently on our property as well. Deer tend to travel in groups of two or more. If one deer runs in front of your car, look out, there will almost always be another one.
Deer and the Garden
White tail deer often eat our garden if we plant things far away from the house. Having a couple dogs around helps too. Deer eat almost anything we grow, except they don’t seem to eat our okra or cushaw squash.
History of White-Tailed Deer in Georgia
Deer are a major problem for gardeners in Georgia now. There are over a million deer in the state. But it wasn’t always the case. In 1895 the deer population had dwindled to nearly zero. Land clearing, farming, and over-hunting depleted the deer population.
In 1927 a ranger named Arthur Woody decided Georgia needed deer. He went to North Carolina and brought back five fawns – one male and four females. He took are of them and whenever he could, he would acquire more deer. Eventually the U.S. Forest Service and Georgia Wildlife Division got involved in increasing the deer population. Then, in 1948, the Georgia Game and Fish Commission launched a serious restocking program. Source: Northwest Georgia News
Eating Habits of White-Tailed Deer
An average grown deer eats around five pounds of food a day. They can jump 7-foot-high fences to get what they want. If there are currently 1000 deer in the Chickamauga Battlefield, they’re eating about 5,000 pounds of food a day! No wonder our gardens are frequently raided. Whitetails have a four-chambered stomach and have been known to eat up to 625-650 different plant species. Every deer has its own personality and food preferences.
Fun Facts About White-Tailed Deer
- Deer can swim at 15 miles/hour, run at 35-40 miles/hour and jump 6-8 feet high.
- Whitetails see in shades of blue and yellow. They are 20 to 25 times more sensitive to the color blue than a human is. They’re going to spot your blue jeans if you’re out hunting in them!
- Deer have 77 million more olfactory cells than a dog. They smell you coming!
- Whitetail deer use their tail as a signal not only for danger, but other signals too.
Affirmations from White-Tailed Deer Animal Symbolism
- I travel gracefully through life.
- I gracefully get over any obstacle or challenge I face.
- I am surrounded by supportive friends and family.
- I am connected to my intuition.
- I am compassionate and strong.
- I am alert and aware of my surroundings.
- I get the nourishment and self-care I need.
- I harness the power of speed when appropriate.
- I know how to make do in any given set of circumstances.
- I adapt easily to remain healthy in any environment.
I took these white-tailed deer photos in the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park with my iPhone SE out the car window. I didn’t have my Canon with me at the time.
If you were born between May 21 – June 21, the Deer is your Native American Birth Animal and the Owl is your Polarity Animal. If you were born between November 22 – December 21, the Deer is your polarity animal and Owl is your birth animal. Learn more about Native American Spirit Animals and Polarity Animals here.
