
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Silhouette: Tracy A. Heath · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyCervidae (Deer)
- GenusOdocoileus (White-tailed and Mule Deer)
- SpeciesOdocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
About the White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North and South America. It is the most widely distributed mainland ungulate herbivore in the Americas; coupled with its natural predator, the mountain lion (Puma concolor), it is one of the most widely distributed terrestrial mammal species in the Americas and the world. Highly adaptable, the various subspecies of white-tailed deer inhabit many different ecosystems, from arid grasslands to the Amazon and Orinoco basins; from the Llanos to the high-elevation terrain of the Andes.
In North America, the white-tailed deer is very common (even considered a nuisance in some areas) in states to the east and south of the Rocky Mountains, including southwestern Arizona, with the exception of the American West Coast and Baja California Peninsula, where its ecological niche is filled by the black-tailed deer (in the Pacific Northwest) or the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from that point west except for mixed deciduous riparian corridors, river valley bottomlands, and lower foothills of the northern Rocky Mountain region from... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Call0:38
United States · 2011
© Paul Driver · XC961843 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:01
United States · 2021
© hb2000 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording1:09
United States · 2025
© Susan Fawcett · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of White-tailed Deer in Voyageurs National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Voyageurs National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Voyageurs National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a White-tailed Deer in Voyageurs National Park?
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Deer sighting in Voyageurs National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 6 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a White-tailed Deer in Voyageurs National Park?
July
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Deer in Voyageurs National Park on a given day, against about 20% in October, the lowest month. That is one of Voyageurs National Park's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 25 mm in January. November to April have too few records to rate.
What time of day is best to see a White-tailed Deer?
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-tailed Deer sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Voyageurs National Park the best place to see a White-tailed Deer?
8th of 38
Of the 38 parks where we can rate White-tailed Deer sightings, Voyageurs National Park ranks 8th at about 50%. The best odds are in Chingaza National Natural Park (Colombia, about 90%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 80%) and Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Where does the White-tailed Deer sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-tailed Deer is recorded against all the mammals logged in Voyageurs National Park (28 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.