Florida Key Deer are found roaming freely throughout the Lower Keys, inside and outside the boundaries of the National Key Deer Refuge lands. The deer are often found in residents' yards and along roadsides where plants and flowers grow. A subspecies of Virginia white-tailed deer, they stand just 30 inches tall at the shoulder. Great information Center with a lot of things to see and learn about. You’ll find a wealth of information here including where to see the Key deer, ideas about places to get outdoors, upcoming and ongoing events, new exhibits and displays and volunteering. Big Pine Key is a large island, at least for the Florida Keys. See the Key Deer in Big Pine Key. Key deer stand about 3-4 feet tall and can only be found in the Florida Keys. But the real trick to seeing Key deer is not where to see them but when.Like all white tail deer, they are active at dawn and dusk, and it … National Key Deer Refuge, Big Pine Key. Living close to humans, they have little of the natural fear of man shown by most of their larger mainland relatives. A Key deer forages for food in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. The best place to see Key Deer is on No-Name Key. They females are from 40 to 65 pounds. Visitors are also likely to see Kate Watts in her truck. What are Key deer. The Big Pine Key island is home to the National Key Deer Refuge, where the majority of the Key Deer population can be found. You’ll find a wealth of information here including where to see the Key deer, ideas about places to get outdoors, upcoming and ongoing events, new exhibits and displays and volunteering. The Key Deer are quite unique and the Refuge provides a great array of information all geared to the preservation of its namesake. Here’s what we know about its fate. The lower Keys are the only place in the world to see the pint-size Key deer. Taking a hint from a local man at the Blue Hole, we drove a few streets into the surrounding neighborhood in search of Key Deer, being careful not to disturb the locals as we enjoyed these little wonders. Glimpse a Key deer. A not so shy Key deer approaches me on my bike. The Key Deer is a subspecies of the White Tailed Deer but they are much smaller. The best place to see Key deer in the refuge is at the end of Key Deer Boulevard and on No Name Key, a sparsely populated island just east of Big Pine Key. Key deer are found only in the Florida Keys, the archipelago of islands off the southern tip of Florida. Key deer were hunted as a food supply by native tribes, passing sailors, and early settlers. They males average in size from 50 to 75 pounds. The Key Deer refuge is a much needed area to provide some habitat for this endangered species. Every time we went over there around sunset, we saw 10-15 deer. Visitor and Nature Center-located on Big Pine Key, this location serves as the visitor center for all four Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges. Where To See Florida Key Deer - Big Pine Key, No Name Key, Key Blvd, Key Deer Refuge, Florida Keys - Key Deer - Key Deer Facts, Information, Key Deer Viewing - Where to see Key Deer, Florida Vacations Travel Tourism Information . Go to the National Key Deer Refuge in the early morning or at dusk In February 2018, we still saw extensive hurricane damage here, including piles of rubble, flattened buildings, and trees that are leaning and dangerously close to falling over. This is a lovely park to walk around. Driving through Big Pine Key, you are sure to see the warnings to slow down for Key deer — but it may take some effort to see the deer themselves because there are so few. They graze outside of real estate offices and pizza restaurants. Hunting them was banned in 1939, but widespread poaching and habitat destruction caused the subspecies to plummet to near-extinction by the 1950s. They males average in size from 50 to 75 pounds. Key deer easily swim between islands. Visitors who travel the Big Pine backroads – and even the main road, U.S. 1 – are likely to see a Key Deer these days. The National Key Deer Refuge in Florida, where many of … You can see Key Deer all around the area, primarily in the cooler parts of the morning and evening. Key deer are unique to the lower Florida Keys. A tiny endangered deer lives only in the Florida Keys. In this chain of islands, the Keys deer are cute, miniature creatures that beg to be adored. National Key Deer Refuge: A must see - See 640 traveler reviews, 460 candid photos, and great deals for Big Pine Key, FL, at TripAdvisor. The lower Keys are the only place in the world to see the pint-size Key deer. A sub-species of the North American white-tailed deer, the endangered Key deer is a small deer that has populated a few islands within the Florida Keys chain. While their historic range probably went from Key Vaca south to Key West, their range now includes about 26 islands from Big Pine Key to Sugarloaf Key …