Deer Management News This Week

Environmental lawsuit: Stop improving wildlife habitat July 15, 2019 Idaho, Capital Press
... The project aims to improve habitat for elk and deer, as well as ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse species by removing up to 85% of juniper trees — which behave like an invasive species — across nearly 1,700 acres in the forest...

Chronic Wasting Disease cases have more than doubled in a year July 15, 2019 Pennsylvania, Allentown Morning Call
... According to the PGC, the disease was detected in 123 free-ranging deer over the past year, bringing the total number of cases to 250 since CWD was first discovered in 2012... Some of the most recent DMA expansions result from what we term as ‘flyers’ – CWD-positive deer that pop up a considerable distance away from the next known positive ...

... results from a new poll published by the University of Wyoming ... The poll cited a number of potential policy changes that could protect the state’s mule deer populations from the threats of highways, private properties and expanding industries cutting through the natural landscape...

... there are proven ways to safely ensure wildlife movements across highways ... The final report on the Summit includes a “Pathways Forward” section that outlines actions already in progress and recommendations for future actions that the group and others will pursue...

... In 2019 WDFW eliminated antlerless deer hunting in Game Management Units 101 and 121. “We don’t believe that we have a buck problem from the standpoint of a breeding efficiency,” Pozzanghera said, adding that pregnancy rates are about 90 percent in Eastern Washington...

Lawmakers unhappy with deer baiting ban July 13, 2019 Michigan, Iron Mountain Daily News
... The ban, effective immediately, drew sharp criticism from state Rep. Beau LaFave of Iron Mountain, who said of the move, “It’s clear that these people are unaware of the impact these policies have on our freedoms and our economy.”...

Where to See Florida’s Key Deer July 13, 2019 Southern Living
 ... thanks to conservation efforts and the opening of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1957, the deer’s population has grown from just about two dozen in 1951 to around 1000 today.  The “toy deer” stand about 24 to 32 inches tall ...

...  Predation by coyotes was the primary cause of mortality (77.8%) of white-tailed deer fawns at our study site. Furthermore, white-tailed deer remains were found in most coyote scats (53.5%) but the presence of these remains were highest in scats collected in the summer (83.9% in 2017; 61.3% in 2018). The results of the fawn
mortality analysis and scat analysis suggest that there are high incidents of coyote predation on white-tailed deer fawns but provide little evidence of predation on adult ...

WSU building elk hoof disease research center July 12, 2019 Washington, Deer Park Tribune
... The state of the art facility will house captive elk needed to study the disease in a secure, controlled environment.  The four-acre elk research facility includes 10 isolation pens, a handling facility, and two 1.5-acre holding pastures ...

CWD research at Buckhorn Flats July 12, 2019 Wisconsin, Waupaca County News
... Lead researcher Rob Michitsch, an associate professor of soil and waste resources at UW-Stevens Point, will study how CWD behaves in the environment and if composting could be a viable way to dispose of CWD-infected carcasses in the future...

... Continue a ban on baiting and feeding in the entire Lower Peninsula that took effect at the end of January 2019... Allow baiting and feeding in the Upper Peninsula except for a ban, effective immediately, in the Core CWD Surveillance Area... in the Upper Peninsula, eliminate antler point restrictions in the Core CWD Surveillance Area ...

Researching diverse migration strategies July 11, 2019 Wyoming,  Post Register
... Over the course of the eight years of the study, the researchers found that this herd of 20,000 deer exhibits three distinct migration patterns ... short-distance migrants that migrate only a few miles...  mid-range migrants that might travel up to 50 miles. The long-distance migrants travel much further...

State deer permits drop by 20 percent after hearty doe harvest July 11, 2019 Maine, Portland Press Herald
... the statewide deer herd – now an estimated at 230,000 to 250,000 white-tailed deer ... The state recorded 32,451 deer taken last season ..,

State to implement controlled deer hunt in Quabbin Park July 10, 2019 Massachuseeetts, GazetteNET
... Hunting has been permitted in the Quabbin Watershed since 1991, but Quabbin Park was not included in the division's white-tailed deer management program “for the purpose of experimenting with hunting alternatives,” such as electric fencing, which were ultimately deemed ineffective, according to DCR...

... Earlier this year, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources ended transporting trapped deer to new locations because of concerns of spreading Chronic Wasting Disease commonly found in deer, elk, moose and other animals...

... After the Department of Natural Resources' successful winter capture effort in Kentucky, more than 60 elk await release from their acclimation and quarantine pen into their new home in northern Wisconsin... Current projections put the herd at approximately 75-80 animals with up to 20 calves expected to have been born this spring...

DNR proposes mandatory wasting disease tests July 9, 2019 Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Journal
... hunters in parts of western Wisconsin be required to have deer they shoot inspected for chronic wasting disease during the gun season this fall... In 2018, the state and federal governments paid Wisconsin deer farmers more than $330,000 in compensation after wiping out herds they feared were CWD-infected...

Raritan Township sued over deer hunting on public properties July 9, 2019 New Jersey, MyCentralJersey
... The lawsuit argues that the township has failed to enforce the rules of the deer hunt ... trespassers and other activity...  hunters had placed a deer stand close to his property in a field where people often walk their dogs...

Court rules deer are wildlife July 8, 2019 Texas, Victoria Advocate
... an appeal filed by two deer breeders claiming that breeder deer are, or became, private property and asking to invalidate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department rules requiring breeders to test for chronic wasting disease... “We conclude breeder deer are public property ...

Little Rock, Board weighs Little Rock deer hunt amid concern July 8, 2019 Arkansas, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
... The primary fear, Kumpuris said, is that the deer will cause vehicle accidents and injuries when they wander into roadways, though the damage to local foliage and the disease-carrying ticks that accompany deer herds are also a concern. ... Eight cities across Arkansas employ urban hunting as a wildlife population control measure ...

Helping Minnesota's moose July 6, 2019 International Falls Journal
... Five years of data ... reflect that brainworm is associated with 25–33 percent of mortalities among the declining Minnesota moose population... White tailed deer, the definitive hosts, shed brainworm larvae in their pellets ...

River Vale Deer Hunt 'Will Continue' Despite Pleas July 5, 2019 New Jersey, Pascack Press & Northern Valley Press
... All 23 residents who spoke were adamantly against the hunt ... “We moved into this town because of its rural character, that included its animal population,” ...

Missouri wants to raise hunting, fishing fees July 5, 2019 Washington Times
... the Conservation Department wants to raise nonresident deer hunting licenses from $225 to $265 starting next year...

... published in late June in the Journal of Applied Ecology might eventually help with those decisions. In a paper titled “All routes are not created equal: an ungulate’s choice of migration route can influence its survival,” wildlife biologists explain that mortality rates on some routes can, in fact, be as much as three times higher than on others...

... Gerald Redmond, the college's former executive director who retired in 2017, said he was pressured during his tenure to reprimand Cumberland.  He said Cumberland's outspokenness against glyphosate is probably the "real reason" why he was fired... he began publicly discussing the effects of the herbicide glyphosate on New Brunswick's forests and, in particular, the deer population...

Doe licenses go on sale; allocations reflect CWD prevention July 3, 2019 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
...  state Game Commission announced it would increase the number of doe tags 8 percent, from 838,000 to 903,000. The 65,000 additional tags will be allocated primarily in Wildlife Management Units where chronic wasting disease has been detected in free-ranging deer...

... the state with the worst odds for hitting a deer on the road, ... According to a 2016 study by Marcel Huijser at the Western Transportation Institute, 29 crossing structures between Evaro and Polson provided 95,274 successful wildlife crossings over five years, including almost 66,000 white-tailed deer...

3 more CWD cases identified in Libby July 3, 2019 Montana, NBC Montana
... Biologists found the disease in Libby earlier this year, the first time it's been identified west of the continental divide in Montana... a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks ..,

... "I am partially vetoing this section because I object to limiting the flexibility of the department to perform research on chronic wasting disease to only certain areas of the state," Evers wrote ...

... It is unlawful to use or possess scents or lures that contain natural deer urine or other bodily fluids while taking, attempting to take, attracting or scouting wildlife, except natural deer urine products produced by the manufacturers or entities that are actively enrolled and participating in the Archery Trade Association Deer Protection Program ...

Bayfield County Committee Recommends Local Regulation Of Deer Farms June 2, 2019 Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio News
... "Bayfield County wants ... make sure that our deer population stays healthy and, hopefully, free of chronic wasting disease," ... presented its final report with a list of nine recommendations that include adopting local regulations that would require added fencing of new deer farms and place limits on the movement of live animals ...

Expert testifies on deadly deer disease to House committee July 2, 2019 New York, Cornell Chronicle
... “Chronic wasting disease is the most serious threat facing wild deer and elk populations in North America today,” said Schuler, who has been studying the disease since 2002. In that time, she has seen it spread to 26 states, four Canadian provinces and four countries outside of North America: Finland, Norway, South Korea and Sweden...

Biologists collar deer in Flagstaff to track movement July 2, 2019 Arizona, Albuquerque Journal
... Twenty mule deer near Flagstaff have been outfitted with collars to study their movement... 

... migrated from winter range near Maybell to Steamboat Springs and over the Continental Divide to give birth to her calf ... The elk was outfitted with a GPS collar as part of a Colorado Parks and Wildlife study tracking how many elk calves survive ...

WY Game and Fish Hears Public Concerns Regarding CWD July 1, 2019 Wyoming, laramielive.com
... “Right now, the big concern is whether or not CWD will get into the feed grounds and what the dynamics of the disease will be when that happens... we have CWD endemically in deer and elk in southeastern Wyoming, and the populations do grow a little less robustly because of the Chronic Wasting Disease, but there are still viable populations ...

... nearly 250 animals today ... it could really be devastating to the farmers ... eight- to 10-foot fencing required to keep elk out of a pasture or crop field..,

Southern Utes can protect wildlife corridors June 30, 2019 Utah, The Durango Herald
... early people knew what recent science has confirmed: many species of wildlife – including bighorn sheep, elk, pronghorn and cutthroat trout – need to move between different habitats in order to survive... Tribal leaders are on the forefront of collecting data and developing management practices to enhance migration corridors...

Antlerless deer permit allocations will be increased June 30, 2019 Massachusetts, Berkshire Eagle
... MassWildlife biologists estimate that there are over 100,000 deer statewide. Estimated densities range from about 12-18 per square mile in western and central Massachusetts, to over 50 deer per square mile on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Islands ..,

Wildlife corridor talks begin June 30, 2019 Wyoming, Gillette News Record
... Game and Fish is working with Research Biologist Hall Sawyer to evaluate the migration ecology and potential impacts of energy on mule deer, elk and pronghorn. He is expected to come back with findings in a few weeks. In the meantime, Game and Fish wants to limit surface disturbance in the corridor until it conducts more research...

Mule Deer Trends, Fawns abound, but if you want them to grow up, leave them alone June 30, 2019 Washington, The Spokesman-Review
... the mule deer population is stable, but has been on a decline because of droughts and extreme winters. She wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few mule deer were lost this year...

... While the original bill called for up to 14 days of Sunday hunting, the bill approved by the Senate would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to allow Sunday hunting on only three day ...

The flood will recede, but deer, wildlife still won't be out of the woods June 28, 2019 Mississippi, The Clarion-Ledger
... Displaced deer and other animals have depleted food resources in some areas of the south Delta. Some appear to be on the brink of starvation while others have already died...Acorns are a primary food source for deer in fall ... months of standing water in the south Delta have stressed trees ...

Vienna not to hold urban deer hunt this year June 27, 2019 West Virginia, TheNewsCenter
... After several residents spoke out against the idea during Thursday's city council meeting, a resolution that would have authorized the city to apply for a permit from the state of West Virginia failed to get the support of council...

... Devices installed on the stations, known as posters, are laced with insecticide, so when deer are lured into the stations with bait, the tick repellent is applied to the deer and kill any ticks found on the animals... the city has chosen to focus on fighting ticks on the Island’s mice by setting up bait boxes around the borough ...

Cranbury officials establish a deer management program June 26, 2019 New Jersey, Central Jersey
...  only bow hunting will be allowed for the hunting of the deer.  Mulligan explained that the passage of the ordinance allows for the town to have the established deer management plan in place for the 2019 hunting season...

... Of the 66,116 entries in the first drawing, 24,548 were for the eight available deer tags ... 

Iowa City's deer hunt plan would "pit neighbor against neighbor" June 25, 2019 Iowa, Iowa City Press Citizen-18 hours ago
... The amended deer management proposal bows to the NRC's demand for less than 10 deer per square mile. Des Moines is allowed 30 deer per square mile... officers will be tasked with tracking and removing bloody arrow-shot deer from lawns of unsuspecting residents who oppose urban hunts...

SpayVac using vaccines to control wildlife populations June 25, 2019 Wisconsin, Wisbusiness.com
...  Fitchburg-based SpayVac works on controlling not only deer population, but also other animals ... Culling and relocation are short-term measures, since removing animals from the population just makes the conditions even better for more reproduction, almost certainly resulting in a rebound population that will fill the gaps that the removed animals left...

Managing our forests is the answer June 25, 2019 Oregon, The Register-Guard
... a large percentage of Oregon’s wildlife species live in or need young forests. It is about time the BLM started to develop a better mix of forest ages across its landscape. Diverse young stands ...are lacking in Oregon. Species like ... deer and elk need these young stands in order to survive... the BLM is working to enhance much needed habitat ...

FWP Region 6 mule deer, whitetail aerial survey findings released June 24, 2019 Montana, Sidney Herald Leader
... The 2019 post-hunting-season surveys showed the region-wide mule deer density at 56 percent above average, but 4 percent below the 2018 survey. The 2019 spring surveys showed region-wide densities at 41 percent above average and a slight increase of 4 percent from last year’s spring survey...

Deer Lottery Held, Licenses Remain June 25, 2019 North Dakota, NDGF News
... More than 6,000 deer gun licenses remain. Only resident applicants who were unsuccessful in the lottery can apply for remaining licenses.  More than 78,000 individuals applied for a deer gun lottery license, in addition to about 13,500 gratis applicants. The 2019 deer gun proclamation allows for 64,500 deer gun season licenses...

... The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has reduced the number of counties in its management zone for chronic wasting disease (CWD) from 48 to 29, following recent research that shows the majority of buck’s disperse less than 25 miles in Missouri...

... Landowners should have at least 40 acres of land with some wildlife habitat (forest, brush, etc.) within a chronic wasting disease or bovine tuberculosis priority county ...

... an ODFW spokesperson said the cougar populations there is growing while the deer population is shrinking. He said deer are their primary source of food. He said that could be leading to more conflict with humans...

Isle Royale study looks at predation, pack formation June 22, 2019 Michigan, Daily Mining Gazette
... The National Park Service is bringing 20 to 30 wolves to the island over a three- to five-year period... Wolf survival numbers are on par to those in the wild in the Upper Peninsula, about 75% per year ...

Staten Island, Would You Support A Proposed Staten Island Deer Bow Hunt? June 21, 2019 New York, CBS New York
...  “New Yorkers really revere their wildlife and do not want their communities turned into killing fields,” said Edita Birnkrant, the executive director of animal rights organization NYCLASS...

...  “We would not have done this if the NJDEP did not agree that this was an appropriate step. When we spoke with environmental officials the most humane and effective means to control the population was through hunting.” [see nonlethal deer control] ...

... $15 million in funding for a federal study on preventing the spread of chronic wasting disease in the cervid population was included in a broader federal spending bill that passed the U.S. House on Thursday...

... Five years of data (collected from 2013–2018) revealed that brainworm is responsible for 25-33 percent of moose mortality in the declining Minnesota population... Brainworm is spreading to moose in northern Minnesota by the increased population of white-tailed deer .

'The only things thriving are the buzzards.' Limited deer feeding allowed in Delta flood June 20, 2019 Mississippi, The Clarion-Ledger
...Mississippi's south Delta has been flooded for months and some wildlife populations are struggling as a result. In response, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks recently announced limited supplemental feeding of deer is now allowed in Issaquena and Warren counties...






Searching the internet to find and conserve deer information.  

Deer in the News

... although no decision has been made, is to shoot the deer with a tranquilizer and relocate it away from the popular beach at Saugatuck Dunes State Park...
... you see the deer stand at the edge of the lake with waves crashing around his hooves before taking a few sips from the water...

Sheriff saves injured fawn July 5, 2019 Virginia, WDBJ
...  a baby deer who was injured after being attacked by dogs...

Mainers come to the rescue of baby deer on Stanley Pond July 5, 2019 Maine, newscentermaine.com
...With the help of another boat, they directed the fawn toward shore, watching to make sure it eventually got into dry land... Facebook comments on Stocks' original video post were filled with gracious remarks ...

... this rare antlered doe...  “There’s more bucks on that unit [where she lives], and that kind of allows hunters to be a little bit more selective with what deer they are harvesting, and so a deer with antlers that size wouldn’t even be close ...

... “We’ve rehabbed and released hundreds of fawns, easily well over 200 … half or more of them were literally kidnapped and should never have been brought in.” ... a doe can leave her fawns “consistently for up to, maybe as long as, 8 hours. Sometimes even longer ...

... A Shelby County TWRA officer found a fawn trapped inside a wood pile at his home. He was able to rescue the deer and reunite it with its mother...

Wisconsin 3-legged deer welcomes fourth fawn in four years  July 2, 2019 Manitowoc outdoors news, Herald Times Reporter
... About three or four years ago ... sent me a picture of a three-legged deer that had a fawn. Fran sent me the latest picture of that same deer. She has been back every year, and has had four fawns over the past four years...

... In the post, deputies plead with the public to “not let these poor animals suffer!” ...

Cow elk wanders into Kingman city limits June 24, 2019 Arizona, Mohave Valley News
... A cow elk made a spectacle of herself roaming into the Kingman city limits from the nearby Hualapai Mountains early Sunday... [photo from Arizona Game and Fish]

Akron Zoo welcomes newborn Siberian musk deer Little Bucky June 21, 2019 Ohio, Akron Beacon Journal
... Siberian musk deer are currently vulnerable to extinction due to poachers hunting them for their musk glands to use in perfumes and traditional medicine...

This beautiful White Buck just dropped his antlers at the former Seneca Army Depot. If you look closely you might see where they were attached. The brown forehead is typical of White Bucks during the rut and the brown color will last for several months. - June 22, 2019 New York


Colorado deer rehab centers overwhelmed as their partners close June 21, 2019 KKTV 11 News
... They are managing 11 fawns right now who need to be fed four times a day...  they can't do it forever ...

... Antlers are some of the fastest-growing bone in the animal kingdom ...  Genes that both promote and suppress cancer are partially responsible, suggesting the bony tissue may reveal new ways to fight cancer...

... baby deer taken from their mothers by people who found them and mistakenly believed they had been abandoned... If a fawn is by itself and appears healthy, it’s very possible the mother deer is not far ...

Meet Tilde: Cañon City's beloved white deer gets a name June 17, 2019 Colorado, The Denver Post
  ... “The City of Cañon City recognizes that our community has invested time and effort in giving the white deer a name as unique as its color,” ...

Unattended Fawn Leads To Call To Orange Police June 17, 2019 Connecticut, Patch.com
... When people see a small fawn alone, they often mistakenly assume it is helpless, lost, or needing to be rescued. Fawns do not attempt to evade predators during their first few weeks. Instead, they rely on camouflage ...

Pebbles Celebrates 20th Birthday at Double Diamond Deer Ranch June 11, 2019 Pennsylvania, Blue Ridge Outdoors
... This is only achieved in captivity and it has not happened very often. This makes it possible that Pebbles is the oldest surviving whitetail in Pennsylvania. Pebbles, born in June of 1999, is a piebald whitetail ...


Oh Deer! Humane Society Says Resident Meant Well June 10, 2019 Wisconsin, Patch
... a local resident meant well when he brought a newborn fawn into HAWS ... staff took the fawn back to the location it was found, and it was reunited with it's mother...

“...This exhausted deer made it to land. Talk about determination or was it disorientation??? It’s not uncommon to find deer swimming, but to cross our inlet with current that can kill and has, is a feat most would opt to avoid.” ...

Fawn rescued from floodwaters in Caldwell County June 9, 2019 North Carolina, WCNC
...  As the waters were rising at the Rhodhiss Dam in Caldwell County, two men risked their lives to save a deer trapped by the flooding...

...  the fawn marooned in water that was at least four feet deep...the wildlife in this rural area is trying to find any dry spots it can...

Deer Relocated After Getting Stuck in Pittsfield's Downtown  June 6, 2019 Massachusetts, Iberkshires
... MassWildlife tranquilized the deer and the Massachusetts Environmental Police transported it out of the city's downtown core. The deer is expected to survive...