How High Can A Whitetail Deer Jump? – Never Be Surprised

Have you ever witnessed a whitetail dear jump? Whether you observe it up close or from a distance, it is fascinating to see. And this article will tell you more about the details.

White-tailed deer are very graceful animals and will do just about anything to reach plants in organic gardens. Deer can jump high; but just how high is up for debate. Some individuals claim that deer will jump 10 feet in the air while others claim they’ve seen whitetails leap over 15 feet. Regardless of the exact height, we can all agree that white-tailed deer are athletic jumpers. Typically, deer will not attempt a jump over 7 feet high if they cannot see what is on the other side of a deer fence. This is due, in part, to their poor daytime vision and means that they will become skittish around cliffs and hills. 

The best fence height for deer deterrence in gardens is 7.5-8′ high. This height helps reduce the sight of deer on lawns and gardens and protects plants from deer browsing.

Can A Whitetail Jump Very High?

Whitetail deer can leap 6 to 8 feet in the air from a standing position, according to numerous studies and documented instances, and I have personally seen this happen a few times.

A whitetail deer can jump higher, up to 12 feet high, according to experts.—if it is given a running head start. For a number of valid reasons, some of which we will cover below, not many deer attempts this jump, though.

Why Do Whitetails Jump?

A deer may not always naturally jump over a high fence when it sees one, despite what most people may believe. Deer have a natural sense of preservation, just like all other living things, and they try to adhere to it.

Deer jump and don’t jump for the following reasons, respectively:

Limited Vision

Whitetail deer buck jumping over the fence. Because it is easier to spot approaching predators if a whitetail deer’s eyes are on the sides of its head rather than the front, A whitetail’s ability to perceive depth is diminished, so even though it might help it avoid danger.

A deer cannot accurately estimate the distance to objects and landmarks due to limited depth perception. As a result, it would be reluctant to jump over a fence unless it was absolutely necessary because it couldn’t tell how high it is at first glance.

Because the top of the fence can only effectively register the colors of deep blue and yellow, whitetails also have trouble seeing it. A deer would struggle to see the top of most fences because they do not reflect these colors well, especially in low light.

Safety And Convenience

Whitetail deer would undoubtedly try this first if they could figure out how to get around the fence without jumping it. Because of its sense of preservation, it will make every effort to avoid uncertainty, and if it decides that climbing through or under the fence might be a better option, it will probably do so.

Just one example of how a deer crossed a fence at night by repeatedly ducking under it is shown in the following video:

Danger

So what could induce a whitetail to scale a fence? A warning of impending danger would be a helpful inducement. For instance, it might be attempting to flee from a predator like a coyote or wild dog when it suddenly got caught. Even if it can’t see where it will land on the other side of a fence, the deer will jump over it without hesitation when instinct takes over.

Watch the following video to see how a herd of deer jumped a fence when it felt danger approaching:

Hunger

If a deer is starving, that is another reason why it might attempt to scale a fence and risk exposure. In hunting grounds and even in natural forests, there is typically a food shortage during the winter when this occurs.

A deer may occasionally risk being seen briefly by jumping over the fence of a private plot if it becomes particularly peckish in order to eat something that will satisfy its hunger.

Are There Certain Species Of Deer That Can Jump Higher Than Others?

This is a difficult question to answer with any sort of authority because nearly all the systematic studies are focused on the white-tailed deer due to its economic importance. However, according to the deer association, a 2010 study found that captured wild deer had the capacity to jump an absolute maximum of 8 feet. 

This differs from claims that have been made by a number of different people that say that deer could jump higher. To answer this question in more detail 150 different wildlife biologists who commonly see deer in the wild were surveyed. Of this group, only 6 claimed to have seen a deer jump high than 8 ft.

A Deer Fence’s Height Is Important.

If you want to keep whitetails on the side you want them to be on, whether you own a hunting plot and want to keep them in or a crop lot and want to keep them out, you may want to invest in a good deer fence.

Since deer typically won’t jump higher than that from a standing position, an eight-foot upright fence typically works. You can also erect a fence that is only 6 to 7 feet high, but you might want to keep it angled outward at a 45-degree angle to give the impression that it is higher and prevent deer from jumping over it.

You could also erect two low fences that are 4 feet apart and each measure about 5 feet high. Deer normally wouldn’t attempt to jump over it and take the chance of becoming trapped between the two fences because they can’t accurately judge the distance.

This suggests that there is unlikely to be deer species that have jumping capacities that are significantly different from the whitetail deer.

Do you know more about the whitetail deer and its jumps? If you are interested in, you also can check more details.