The chase is on throughout the region as bucks compete for the right to breed with the rutting season in full swing.
All around the rural reaches of the area, Columbian black-tailed deer can be found, even in some urban centers, too. During this time of year, it is critical to keep a keen eye on the road as deer can dart out with no thought at all.
That’s because this time of year brings a one-track mind to the bucks.
For those wanting to watch the intense scenes of the rutting season, one road in Clark County is prime for the occasion. For those wanting to be up close with wildlife, including the rare Columbian white-tailed deer, the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge’s River S Unit auto loop provides the perfect opportunity to view the rut from the comfort of a vehicle.
A growing population of Columbian white-tailed deer exists on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Now through December can provide an entertaining insight into how that population is growing. Numerous bucks can be viewed chasing does, running after one another and squaring up with each other.
The Columbian white-tailed deer exists in small, isolated populations and is the westernmost subspecies of white-tailed deer, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The deer species was historically located throughout the lowlands of southwestern Washington and western Oregon, but there are now two geographically isolated populations of the Columbian white-tail.
One exists in Douglas County, Oregon, while the other, known as the Columbia River Distinct Population Segment, is found on islands in the Columbia River and adjacent areas of Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiahum counties in Washington and counties along the lower Columbia River in Oregon.
The Columbian white-tailed deer species was federally listed as an endangered species in Washington and Oregon in 1967, WDFW states.
The Ridgefield population was translocated to the wildlife refuge from 2013 to 2015 in order to establish a subpopulation to help the species’ numbers. According to a 2014 report, the Columbia River Distinct Population Segment consisted of 600 deer.
According to WDFW, a deer’s pregnancy lasts 180 to 200 days. Another visit to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in the spring can provide excellent opportunities to view newly-born fawns that will keep the population growing at the wildlife refuge.
Learn more about the refuge at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ridgefield.
