How Fast Can A Deer Run? All Need You Know

Hiding behind a bush and shooting down a stationary target seems to be easy as long as you have precise shooting skills.
However, shooting a moving subject is another story. When hunting down an escaping prey, one of the important question you need to answer is how fast can a deer run?
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It is not easy to pursue a target that has an ability to run as fast as a lightning. If hunters are not careful with their pursuit, there is a high chance that they will lose their prey.
Hence, it is indeed important to plan the attack first and research all the possible scenario that will occur during the hunt.
Hunting A Deer
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus Virginians), also known as whitetail, is commonly targeted for their meat and antlers.

The species is commonly found in United States, Central America, Canada, Mexico, Peru and some countries in Europe such as the Czech Republic and Finland.
When I joined a team that will use a hunting technique called persistence hunting, one of the things that we did is figuring out the speed of our prey.
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Persistence hunting is a technique of hunting that is known to incorporate the combination of running and walking. This technique is effective to catch a prey that will obviously run faster than us.
My team which is composed of three people tracked the deer and one of us is assigned to be the lookout. Each member of our group is alert, focus and well informed of the terrain.
A failed attack would be fatal to our goal since it will startle the deer and may also lead to a series of unwanted events.
The Escape Artist
Animals have inborn survival instincts. They are the best when it comes to figuring out how to escape a dangerous situation.
Have you ever watch a deer winding in the woods? Do you find it weird somehow? If you do, then you are not yet fully accustomed to this kind of animals.
The zigzagging motions and a fidgeting impulses that these deer adapts when they are wandering in the wild is their way to sense and avoid an upcoming predator.

Deer is really careful and dedicated to surviving in the wilds since it is one of the favorite prey of the predators living in the area or the hunters looking for prized antlers.
However, they are also highly curious about their environment and most of the time exposing themselves to immense danger.
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One of the weaknesses of a deer is its lack of highly sensitive sense of smell. Because of their curiosity and a weak sense of smell, most of the time it spends its time rubbing necks and smelling a foreign stationary object.
So, if you want to catch one, you need to be careful with your movements and as much as possible, don’t wear strong perfumes.
They are also easily spooked and a slight motion will send them running. When they wanted to figure out an object, they will often sniff it and stomp their front foot on it.
When the object won’t move they will continue inspecting it until they get bored and run off. If the object moves suddenly, the deer will be startled and sprint.
How Fast Can A Deer Run
White-tailed deer are very talented in escaping a forthcoming dangerous situation. One factor that makes it a great escape artist is its instinct to sprint after being startled.
The high-speed running of a deer is a known factor that makes it difficult for its pursuer. They are also good in playing hide-and-seek.
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After a pursuit, when the deer successfully escapes its predator they find a place to hide. When it is found, it will instantly jump out its hiding place and then run off to a well-known escape route.
A fully grown white-tailed deer is known to have a top speed of 30 miles per hour. During the pursuit, a fleeing deer will lure its chaser to a trail that they are already accustomed.

This trail will serve as a hindrance to the pursuing efforts of its chaser. They often choose a trail that has a lot of obstacles like fallen branches of trees, gigantic tree roots and sometimes a river.
White-tailed deer are not only fast runners, they are also good swimmers.
When you encounter a deer, you might notice its tendency to raise its tail and show its white underside. This gesture is commonly known as “flagging”.
Most deer use this gesture as a distress signal to its fawn nearby. This means that its mother is being pursued ,the flashing of the white underside helps the fawn to easily spot their mother and follow them safely.

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Conclusion-Catching A Deer
White-tailed deer are good runners and great leapers making it difficult to catch or get killed by hunters if it is in an environment that they are familiar with.
These animals are known to practice their acrobatic escaping skills since their early days. They are really good when it comes to using their advantage which is their speed (30 mph) and agility.
These abilities help them to flee from any dangerous circumstances. They are mostly active at sundown and night, so there will be a high chance if you’ll look for one during this time.
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