The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of the most common mammal species seen in North America, the most common of large animals in fact. The last official count of deer in the United States and Canada was done in 1982, when 1,500,000 individuals were found, an average of 3 deer per square kilometer. Deer are very indigenous and were hunted even by Native Americans. You may have even seen this species yourself. Some of the most common places to find them are in your own garden, in parks or even stunned by headlights in the middle of Winton Road. Deer are easy to spot. In summer its coat is reddish brown and in winter it is buff. All year round, the underside and tail are completely white and have a white patch on the neck. The deer's primary habitat is deciduous trees, mainly poplar, ash, willow, elm and elder. Regardless of preference, tree cover is not essential to deer survival. In many areas, deer have adapted to feed primarily on agricultural crops (crops grown by humans). In many parts of the country, a deer's diet can consist of up to 50 percent farm-grown corn. Obviously, deer eat some native foods, such as certain trees and bushes, especially brush and rose bushes, but also small amounts of dogwood, chokecherry, plum, red cedar, pine and many other plant species. Herbaceous forbs, especially sunflowers, are important, but grasses and sedges are used only briefly in spring and fall. The white-tailed deer is the largest game animal in North America. This is due to their excessive abundance and the nuisance they cause to farmers. On average, 300,000 deer are hunted each year. A tragedy is that another 3,000 people are hit by cars every year. Many human efforts have been made to prevent these accidents, such as using fences and deer repellents near highways, but many seem to think that hunting and population control is the best way. When Europeans first settled North America, white-tailed deer were only found in southern Canada.