You don’t have to be a deer biologist or even a hunter to know that the white-tailed deer is one of North America’s toughest animals. Deer have an unbelievable ability to survive seemingly fatal encounters with various diseases, predators, automobiles — and human hunters. Obviously, not every bullet or broadhead hit to a deer is lethal, and deer survive many marginal shots to live out a full life.
Compared to other vertebrates, mammals have only marginal regeneration capabilities. For instance, unlike an amphibian, deer will not regenerate an amputated leg. However, deer antlers are regenerated each year, but their growth can be affected by the animal’s overall health.
When a deer experiences a severe injury, such as a non-lethal gun or bow shot, or illness such as EHD, it tends…