Fun Facts
What is the oldest existing species of deer in North America, which actually pre-dates the Ice Age?
White-tailed deer
What unique structural feature helps big cats like the Bengal tiger silently stalk their prey?
Toe Pads
Passed in 1973, what law provides for the conservation of threatened and endangered species and their critical habitats?
The Endangered Species Act
What is the practice of reading animal signs, scats, tracks, and broken vegetation to follow game called?
Tracking
What is the term for a male elk?
A bull
What is the only bird capable of flying backward?
Hummingbird
How many chambers does a ruminant animal's stomach (like a white-tailed deer or elk) have?
Four
Signed in 1964, what federal act created the National Wilderness Preservation System and protected millions of acres of prime backcountry hunting land?
The Wilderness Act
How many toes does a black bear leave behind in a standard track?
Five toes
When a turkey gobbles, what is the fleshy flap of skin that hangs down over its beak called?
The snood
Which North American mammal holds the record for having the most teeth, totaling 50?
The Virginia Opossum
What shape are the pupils of deer, elk, and many other hoofed game animals?
Rectangular
Enacted in 1934, what law required waterfowl hunters to purchase a federal stamp to fund wetland habitat acquisition?
The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Duck Stamp Act)
What shape is a standard, walking white-tailed deer hoof print?
Heart-shaped (split hoof)
What is the name of the hair-like feathers that grow on the chest of a wild turkey?
The beard
How many toes do rodents like squirrels, mice, and voles show on their front tracks versus their back tracks?
four toes on their front feet and five toes on their back feet
What type of digestion do deer use, featuring a four-chambered stomach to re-chew their cud?
Ruminant digestion
Signed into law in 1900, what was the first federal law protecting wildlife that made it a crime to transport illegally taken game across state lines?
The Lacey Act
How can you usually tell a canine track (coyote, wolf, fox) apart from a feline track (bobcat, cougar) in the mud or snow?
Canine tracks typically show claw marks, while feline tracks do not because their claws are retractable.
What is a group of wild boars or swine called?
A sounder
On average, how wide is a deer trail? (In inches)
8 to 12 inches
How do wolves and coyotes get rid of excess body heat after a long chase when they cannot sweat through their fur?
Evaporative cooling
What federal act passed in 1937 places an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment to fund state wildlife conservation?
The Pittman-Robertson Act
Which North American predator steps directly into its own front tracks to conserve energy and minimize noise?
The Red Fox
What is the name of the scent glands located on the inside of a white-tailed deer’s hind legs near the hock?
Hock glands