White-Tailed Deer Population Management

1 White-Tailed deer POPULATIONMANAGEMENT The White-Tailed deer is a very popularanimal. People enjoy seeing, studying, huntingand just knowing deer are around. deer alsoattract much attention due to their interactionsand effects on plants, other animals, and interactions generate many calls to managedeer numbers. deer Population Management consists ofactions taken to cause deer numbers to reach orstay at a desired level. Is Population managementneeded? The following information about deerand deer Management is intended to help answerthis White-Tailed deer The White-Tailed deer is very adaptable andsuccessful and occurs over much of NorthAmerica. It thrives in a variety of habitatsincluding landscapes predominated by people andtheir activities.

2 In many areas there are as manyor more deer now as ever before. deer have been known to live 18 years in thewild. They have a high reproductive capacitythat likely evolved to offset losses to predators,such as wolves, cougars, and humans. Whenpredation and other losses are low and foodresources are plentiful, deer populations candouble every 2 to 3 years. Left alone, deernumbers often reach high levels. High deerpopulations cause concerns about plant species,wildlife habitat, deer -human interactions, and thedeer and Natural Communities In many areas deer may be second only tohumans in the ability to affect plant and animalcommunities. deer populations often overuse thevery plants they depend upon for food. In cases all vegetation within the reach of deer iseaten and some plants are eliminated.

3 deer caninfluence the types of trees present in a forest fordecades. deer also influence the availability offood and cover for other wildlife species. Somewildlife species benefit from the effects of deerwhile others are harmed. Many studies haveshown these effects. Studies on the AlleghenyNational Forest in Pennsylvania found that as thenumber of deer increased the number of plantand animal species present declined. The physical condition of deer also declinesas populations grow and food resources aredepleted. This results in higher wintermalnutrition losses, poorer fawn survival, andfewer fawns being born. These losses can halt orslow Population growth. However, only rarelydoes a Population decline occur that relieves thepressure on the vegetation.

4 If a populationdecline occurs, plant species may recover anddeer numbers again rebound. As this cyclerepeats in a given area, peak deer populationsand the physical condition of deer may becomeprogressively lower. Problems associated withdeer rarely completely disappear as a deerpopulation fluctuates. Some, such as the risk oflosing plant species preferred by deer , maybecome progressively and Human InterestsDeer influence many people's lives. Theseinfluences can be very direct, such as impactingone's livelihood or health. Orchardists,nurserymen, and other farmers sometimes sufferheavy losses due to deer . Thousands ofdeer/vehicle collisions occur annually which putpeople at risk and cause millions of dollars indamage.

5 Research has found that the demand fordeer Management is highest when human healthissues arise. In Westchester County, New York,where concerns about car- deer collisions and theperceived role of deer in the incidence of Lymedisease is high, researchers found that about 3 of4 people surveyed believed there was a need fordeer Management . deer Management History Over the last century the need for, and theintent of, deer Management have changedconsiderably. Changes were primarily influencedby the number of deer present. During the 1800sdeer numbers were greatly reduced due toextensive land clearing for farming andunregulated shooting. Management actions in thelate 1800s and early 1900s sought to protect early regulations, and the abandonmentand reforestation of unproductive farmlandsallowed deer populations to deer herds eventually producedconditions, by the mid-1900s, where managementinterests in many areas changed.

6 Deerpopulation control, not growth, became the goalof Management efforts. Today, the intent ofmanagement programs, over much of the deer 'srange, is to stabilize or reduce deer are deer Managed? deer managers strive to assure that the positivevalues of deer , such as viewing and hunting, canbe realized while minimizing the negative values,such as undesirable habitat alterations anddeer/vehicle accidents. Management actions reflect a variety ofinterests: protecting human health and livelihood,protecting plant and other animal species,providing recreational opportunities, andmaintaining healthy deer herds. Managementprograms have been highly successful inbalancing deer populations with other , these programs have never posed athreat to the existence of deer .

7 Is deer Population Management Necessary? Whether deer need to be managed, or shouldbe managed has often been debated. Personalexperiences, interests and values all contribute toone's opinion on this issue. Some conflicts with deer can be dealt withusing repellents or fencing. Site specific damagecontrol efforts, however, often redirect pressureelsewhere and do not address what is commonlythe underlying cause - too many deer numbers is the only viablemeans to deal with many problems, such ashabitat damage and widespread agriculturaldamage. Humans have affected most, if not all, naturalsystems and have had to take the responsibilityand assume the role of Population manager formany species. This includes not only the role ofprotector, through wildlife and habitat protectionefforts, but in some cases, an expanded role incontrolling the numbers of a species.

8 Theabsence of most predators, which may havehistorically influenced deer numbers, leaveshumans to fill this important role. The reasons given in support of deermanagement often include the issues discussedabove, but include many other interests, particularly hunting, drovemany of the early Management actions andcontinue to be a consideration today. Mostnatural resource Management agencies arerequired by law to consider a wide range ofinterests when setting Management plans. Nosingle interest, be it in recreational opportunities,agricultural concerns or the welfare of deer ,dictates Management programs. With rareexception, deer Population Management programsare necessary to respond to prevailing humaninterests in deer .

9 Summary Just as humans can and do influence thehabitat and well-being of many species, so dodeer. deer Management programs attempt tobalance the needs of deer , humans, other wildlifeand plants. Management poses no threat to theexistence of deer and can reduce conflictsbetween deer and other species. Ecological,economic, and human health interests all providereasons to manage deer . Nearly everywhere thewhite-tailed deer occurs, laws have beenestablished directing that deer be managed for thepublic good. These laws and many surveysprovide evidence of the broad public support fordeer Management . The public's frequent calls for solutions toconflicts with deer leaves little question that deermanagement is appropriate and on this subject typically focus onmethods, rather than intent.

10 For a review of deermanagement options, see: "An Evaluation ofDeer Management Options." For a review ofcases where deer Management needs and optionswere extensively debated and hunting programsimplemented, see: "Case Studies In ControlledDeer Hunting." To obtain these documents orother information on deer contact your naturalresource Management agency. A great deal hasbeen written on the White-Tailed deer ; books suchas White-Tailed deer Ecology and Management ,are excellent sources of information. This publication is a product of the followingorganizations:The Northeast deer Technical Committee is agroup of professional deer biologists from thenortheastern United States and eastern CanadianProvinces. They are committed to the study andwise Management of our deer Northeast Wildlife Northeast Fish and Wildlife Agencies New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation Written by:David Riehlman, Wildlife Biologist - NYLori Suprock, Wildlife Biologist - RIWilliam Hesselton, Wildlife Biologist (retired) Illustrations by:Jean Gawalt, Wildlife Biologist - NY THE NEED FORDEERPOPULATIONMANAGEMENT