Kiawah Island’s Deer Population
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By Cindy Perry
white-tailed deer on Kiawah Island,
especially during the hours near dawn
and dusk when the animals are more
active. But have you ever seen them on Kiawah’s beaches?
They are often there during the summertime in the early
morning, nibbling on sea oats, flowers, and berries when
the human beach traffic is minimal. The deer’s acute hearing
warns them of humans or other perceived dangers. It is aided
by their ability to twist and turn their ears in many directions
while keeping their heads still.
With eyes positioned on the side of their heads, they
have a 310° view. That means that they do not need eyes
in the back of their heads because they can already see
nearly everything, in any direction all around them.
Staying immobile and using their keen senses to
assess the situation is often their first response to
a potentially dangerous condition. Their second
reaction is to run. Stomping their hooves and
flagging with their white tails are warning signals
to other nearby deer that something is amiss.
Another way that they communicate is by using
the glands on their heads, legs, and hooves
to produce smells. They may leave scents to
signal other deer that the area is safe or not safe.
Researchers are still trying to figure out what all
the scents mean.
Perhaps it is because hunting is prohibited
on Kiawah that many of the Island’s deer do not
immediately bolt when t ^H[