When leaves fall and snow settles, backyard visitors become much easier to see. Bare branches and fresh tracks across the lawn reveal animals that stay hidden among the leaves during the summer months, from small rabbits and squirrels to large deer and bears. Here are twelve wild animals most often spotted in backyards in winter.
1. White-tailed deer: The yard visitor active at dawn and dusk
White-tailed deer are common east and south of the Rocky Mountains, and Wikipedia describes them as crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk. North American bucks usually weigh 150 to 300 pounds, while does run roughly 88 to 198 pounds.
They browse woody shoots and stems and also eat acorns, fruit and corn, which draws them toward yards and gardens. Bucks shed their antlers after the breeding season ends, from late December to February, so winter sightings often include antlerless males. The U.S. population has grown from about 300,000 around 1930 to an estimated 30 million in 2005.