"even pampered suburban deer rarely live to be more than three or four years old"

October 6, 2014 Chapter 1: Darwin’s Deer Hunters. Predators. Motor vehicles. Long, cold winters or long, hot summers. Diseases, parasites, and prions. Random mishaps. For all these reasons, and generally in about that order, even pampered suburban deer rarely live to be more than three or four years old. Once deer are deceased (or subdued and anesthetized), biologists can age them fairly precisely by examining the wear on their teeth. By the time deer are about ten years old, their teeth are worn to the gum line. If the resulting nutritional deficiencies don’t lead to outright starvation, they leave the animal more vulnerable to cold, heat, diseases, parasites, and predators. All Excerpts From Cambronne, Al. “Deerland: America's Hunt for Ecological Balance and the Essence of Wildness.” Lyons Press, 2013-04-02. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.