White-tailed Deer

• A white-tailed deer's habitat depends on the season. In the summer, white-tailed deer may be seen in open fields and, when they need shade from the sun, forest edges. White-tailed deer dwell in dense deciduous and coniferous forests during the winter; the forests protect deer from harsh weather. Male white-tailed deer, or bucks, in Pennsylvania weigh approximately 300 pounds, while does -- female white-tails -- weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. The white-tails' fur thickens during the winter to provide warmth. When summer arrives, white-tails shed their fur. Bucks have antlers due to testosterone, which controls antler growth.
  
  

Elk

• Elk are much larger than white-tailed deer. Male elk, known as bulls, have a weight range of 600 to 1,000 pounds, while cows -- female elk -- weigh 500 to 600 pounds. Similarly to white-tails, bull elk have antlers and all elk have brown coloring for camouflage purposes. Both white-tails and elk are in the taxonomic order Artiodactyla, which are mammals with even-toed hoofs that support their weight. The top two teeth of elk are called ivories, which scientists believe are the remnants of tusks found in ancestral species of the elk, according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
  
  

Behavior

• When they sense danger, white-tailed deer run to safety. The deer wave their white tails while running as a warning sign to other white-tails. White-tails use their swimming, leaping and running abilities to evade predators and can run up to 30 miles per hour. Elk gather in large herds. To assert their dominance, bull elk release a low-toned roar known as bugling. Males also often fight each other for the attention of females. Similarly to cows, elk have two stomachs and chew cud, or partially digested food from the first stomach. Elk chew cud in order to break down grass, which is a major part of their diet.
  
  

Reproduction

• The mating season for white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania lasts from November through February. During most of the year white-tails are solitary animals, but gather into groups of approximately 25 in mating season. During this period does give birth to 1 to 3 fauns, or young white-tails, after a six-month gestation period. Mothers nurse their young for approximately six weeks. Elk begin breeding in early fall and have longer gestation periods than white-tails; an elk's gestation period is 8 to 9 months. Cow elk nurse their young for approximately 4 weeks.