White-tailed deer (doe); photo by Jen Goellnitz (thelearnedfoot_) on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).
Official State Animal of Illinois
Illinois designated white-tailed deer as the official state animal in 1980 after winning the vote of the schoolchildren of Illinois. Eleven other states recognize the graceful white-tailed deer as a state symbol (Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin). All State Mammals
The white-tailed deer is an animal of incredible beauty and power; they can run up to 40 miles per hour, jump 9-foot fences, and swim 13 miles per hour! The white underside of the deer's tail waves when it runs, and is flashed as a warning when danger is sensed. White-tailed deer also stamps it's hooves to alert other deer of a possible threat. Fawns are born with white spots for camouflage.
Both native Americans and settlers relied on the white-tailed deer for buckskin and food.
