Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

This note presents a documented incident of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) predation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). An adult male lynx killed a yearling male deer in poor condition (71.5% femur marrow fat) on 20 February 2003 in northern Maine. The chase from the point of attack to the deer carcass was 112 m. Snow depth was 47–78 cm and sinking depth of the deer was 12–38 cm, which is near the critical sinking depth and impedes deer mobility. This observation suggests that Canada lynx may opportunistically prey on deer.