White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
This animal was the most important animal resource throughout prehistoric times in the Plateaus and Canyonlands from at least 9,000 B.C. except for relatively brief periods when bison herds were present. Otherwise, deer reigned supreme as the main big-game animal in the region, as it still does today.. White-tail deer were the most important source of meat and valued for their hides, bones, antlers, and sinew.
Read more about the importance of deer hunting in the prehistory of the region.
A white-tail buck on the Edwards Plateau. Native peoples hunted this large mammal with as much fervor as modern hunters, based on the quantities of deer bones found in archeological sites. Deer provided not only meat, but hides for clothing and blankets, as well as bones used for making tools.
A doe in Mason County. White-tailed deer in the Texas Hill Country are typically smaller today than their counterparts in south Texas. Photo by Dan Potter.