My wife and I disagree on how deer in the south are small compared to the deer up in the north. I say it cause of the vast amou

[djgrgurich]

My wife and I disagree on how deer in the south are small compared to the deer up in the north. I say it cause of the vast amounts of feed through out the year. My wife says it because they are small cause of the brush that they walk through whos right whos wrong.

[evspence]

the deer have to bulk up to make it through winter, i've seen it happen in my woods, bucks are barely recognizable sometimes they get so big.

[buckhunter]

Evspence is correct. A frail bodied deer could not survive the harsh winters up here and likewise these bruisers up here would have trouble in the heat down there.

[rrmont]

All deer have evloved to adapt to thier climates and the changes that go on. Therefore bigger deer up north, harsher winters, and smaller deer down south, warmer climates.

[Del in KS]

Biologists say it has to do with the weather being colder as you go North. Larger animals maintain body heat more efficiently. On the other hand smaller animals are better at handling the heat down South. The smallest Whitetails are the Florida Key deer.

[60256]

The weather being colder in the north is why. Also, the reason why deer in south tend to live longer is because they don't have to deal with the harsh winters.

Nate

[bonnier-admin_2]

Del in KS said it best!

GOOD JOB DEL!!

[KingFisher907]

Del in KS said it best...
biology dictates that larger bodied animals stay warmer longer...

[KingFisher907]

jinx clay cooper lol!

[VT Outdoorsman]

Genetics.

[Beekeeper]

Del is correct. It is related to holding body heat more effectively. But good food resources help out also. It is not uncommon to see deer here in the south exceed 200 pounds or even more in areas of good habitat where they do not exceed carrying capacity. There is an Island off of our coast where deer were not hunted and allowed to over populate. When hunts were allowed to begin the average size of the deer was 25 - 30 lbs live weight. After 20 plus years of management the average size is over 70.

[Golfing Sportsman]

Del is on the right track, it really has to do with surface area to body mass ratio. A larger animal actually has a lower surface area to body mass ratio and therefore can retain heat better because there is less area for the heat to escape compared to the total mass of the animal. The smaller deer has a higher ratio and this helps it stay cool because there is more area to release heat.

[bowhunter123]

i must say i agree with you because of the different protiens and mineral intake they dont have the nutrition that they need to be as big as the deer up here

[MLH]

So, shouldn't the same thing apply to the big cats? What about black bears?

[Golfing Sportsman]

MLH, the exact same does apply to other animals. It is fact that a larger body has a lower surface area to mass ratio and a lower ratio means better heat retention in cold weather. We find this fact all over the place in nature, science, and even inside the human body.