There are numerous factors out there that contribute to the lifespan of a deer.This makes it slightly difficult to answer the question of ‘how long do deer live?’ Many factors are involved in this, like hunting, regional homeland, unforeseen deaths and extreme weather conditions.But if we’re looking at a proper number, looking at the lifespan of a deer held in captivity is a good start to see the factors that affect it. It is estimated that males live for fewer years than females. Only a couple of male deer have managed to live longer than 15 years of age. However, this lifespan trend is found in almost all species present out there, which also includes humans. It is said that one of the major reasons why a deer has such a short lifespan is due to hunting. Apart from this, deer also fall into the hands of predators like bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, and other hunter species that target young fawns as they are easy to target. Forest accidents and hunting are also responsible for the short lifespan of a deer.Let us keep reading to know more details about the life of a wild deer, buck or doe. After reading about the lifespan of these animals in North America, do be sure to check out some more fun facts with Kidal, starting with our articles on when do whitetail deer shed their antlers and how long do donkeys live.Different Deer Species And Their Natural LifespansDid you know a young deer is called a fawn? Let’s have a look at the different deer species and their lifespans that are found all over the world. The first deer we will be looking at is a whitetail deer. This white-tailed deer lives for about four and a half years. The oldest white-tailed deer lived up till 19 years, and the oldest wide mule deer lived till the age of 20. Finally, the oldest wild black-tail deer lived up till 22 years. It is seen that captive deer have a longer lifespan than deer in a forest. Let’s look at the lifespan of mule deer and fawns in their natural habitat range.According to the National Wildlife Federation, the average lifespan of a mule deer is said to be around 9-11 years of age. In all deer species, the male deer are said to have much shorter lifespans compared to the female doe. There are many reasons behind this, like predation, hunting, behavioral differences, and the consumption of calories. In comparison to the average doe, male deers live two years less. This puts the average lifespan of males to about six years.Like we mentioned earlier, captive deer live much longer than the ones in the forest. This is because captive deers are given proper care and treatment, whereas deers living in the forest are exposed to numerous predators and hunters. Deers also suffer from starvation when living in the forest. This usually happens in winters where the water is sealed up due to snow, and erosion may occur, causing drought. Five and a half million deaths of deers have resulted from hunting and predation, showing how much effect they have on their lifespan. Apart from these, extreme weather conditions can also be a factor in their short lifespan. Deers living in the wild are exposed to the open air and have to bear with whichever weather condition there is without being able to protect themselves much from them.How long do deer live naturally?It is said that most white-tailed deer live up to six years of age. Some white-tailed deer may live even less, and some may live longer in their habitat range. We already know that female deer live two years longer than males so their lifespan would be eight years. The record of the longest living white-tailed deer was a doe from Georgia that was seen to live up to 22 years of age in its habitat. In the first year of a deer’s life, 60% of the body growth of a deer is completed. Generally, deer have greyish fur in the winter and reddish-brown fur during the summer season.In fact, male deers are seen to grow into their infamous antlers within a year of their life. They grow new sets of antlers every year. These antlers keep getting bigger and bigger, year by year, with proper nutrition and this keeps going on till they are six years of age. After this, the size of antlers starts to decrease. This can differ from deer to deer. Female deers are seen to conceive at around one and half years of age and fawn when they are around two years old. The first fawn is commonly seen to be single; after that, most tend to be twins.How do deer usually die?One of the leading causes of the death of a deer is human hunters. Along with hunters, vehicle collision, starvation and coyotes are some major ways a deer ends up dying. Deers that are held in captivity tend to stay safer than the ones who live in the wild. In captivity, they are well-fed, protected, and taken care of. In the wild, deers are exposed to a million dangers, making a majority of deer have a shorter lifespan. When a deer starts to age, life just becomes harder for them, leading to a faster death. Male deer in the wild live for around three years, while females live for up to six and a half years.Deers are not hunted by humans for food, but also for the economy. The horns of a white-tailed deer are used to make jewelry and clothes. They also die due to various road accidents that occur. When it’s not humans, it’s other wild animals and predators. In most cases, coyotes and wolves are seen to hunt deer. Every other wild animal out there hunts deer as well. Eagles and large snakes are also seen to hunt them. They also don’t survive during winters as they are faced with starvation. Though deers utilize their body fat in such times, older deers have difficulty doing this, and it leads to their death.Which deer is the oldest?The name of the oldest deer to ever exist is Bambi. You have probably heard this name from the famous movie called ‘Bambi.’ Turns out, Bambi also happens to have existed in real life and was one of the oldest deer’s to ever exist who reached the age of 31 years and 225 days when it died.One of the reasons why this deer lived for so long was because it was held in captivity. Deers that are held in captivity easily live up to or beyond the age of 20 years. What makes this so fascinating is that the average lifespan is lower. One common factor seen in all long-lasting deer is that they are held in captivity. If they were wild, they wouldn’t have survived for so long.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘How long do deer live?’ then why not take a look at ‘How long do cows live?’ or ‘Black-tailed deer facts’?
There are numerous factors out there that contribute to the lifespan of a deer.
