Deer Management News This Week

Pequop overpasses to be done before winter June 22, 2017 Nevada, Elko Daily Free Press
... Almost 50 percent of accidents involving wildlife along I-80 in Nevada happen at Pequop ... mule deer cross the freeway on their spring and fall migrations... NDOW used GPS signals from collars on mule deer to determine the best sites for the latest overpasses ...

... two Mississippi men and a Texas man conspired to illegally import white-tailed deer into Mississippi from Texas... an EF3 tornado bisected the property in question and destroyed thousands of linear feet of fencing that enclosed the 420 acre parcel ...  a federal judge calling for CWD testing...

... About 30 percent of radio collared fawns and 90 percent of collared does survived the harsh conditions last winter with deep snow and frigid temperatures on low-elevation winter range.   Elk survival was substantially better with 54 percent of radio collared calves and 96 percent of collared cows ...

...  Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator Martin Heinrich introduced the Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act today ...  “This bill will allow conservation partners to move quickly on landscape habitat restoration projects that are proving to have a tremendous impact for mule deer, sage-grouse and other species dependent on sagebrush rangelands. This is good for wildlife conservation as well as western big game hunters,” ...

2016 Deer Harvest Data is Out…Finally June 21, 2017 Maine, TomRemington.com
... the total deer harvest for 2016 rose to a meager 23,512 up slightly from the previous 2 seasons and down from 2013’s harvest... yet, MDIFW has announced they intend to increase the number of “Any-Deer Permits” up to over 66,000, an increase of 20,295 from last season ...

New deer permit areas set in the northeast June 21, 2017 Minnesota, Tower Timberjay News
... Within primary moose range, the DNR will manage for lower but stable deer densities as recommended by the 2014 deer population public advisory committee and the 2011 moose management plan. Outside of primary moose range, deer will be managed for higher densities...

Saddle River committee proposes capturing, spaying deer June 21, 2017 New Jersey, NorthJersey.com
...  A committee charged with creating a non-lethal plan to control the town's deer population has submitted a proposal that its chairman says would result in the sterilization of 95 percent of the town's female deer within a year... However, the state Fish and Game Council, which authorizes community-based deer management plans, has never approved a plan that did not include a lethal component...

... The first explorers found thundering herds of bison, majestic woodland elk, a white-tailed deer seemingly in every forest opening, and unimaginable numbers of bears... By 1847 naturalist and wildlife artist John James Audubon wrote that “there’s likely no elk left within 100 miles.”... 

Antler Point Restrictions,  Deer hunting management strategy successful up north, statewide expansion eyed June 20, 2017 Michigan, Harbor Light
... "Even people who were against the APRs to start because they didn't like the idea of the government regulating what deer they can harvest have really done a 180-degree change and are now supportive, because the positive impact it has had on area hunting and on local herds is that incredible." ...

...  The next step is finding out just how many deer are out there... "We count them just as it gets to be dawn," said research wildlife biologist Brian Underwood. "We’ve been doing that once a week for about 18 months straight.” ... 

Summer breeding time for White-Tailed deer June 20, 2017 Nebraska, Fremont Tribune
... In 2010, deer experienced a peak herd. “The population is 70 percent of when we had high numbers... Disease and hunter harvest have cut down those numbers.”  The large floods in 2011 changed the number of deer in the area ..,

Hunting law change expected to lower Virginia deer population June 21, 2017 WSLS
... Starting July 1, the expansion of the Earn a Buck program will be finalized.  [More information from VDGIF]

York County deer cleared of chronic wasting disease June 20, 2017 Pennsylvania, York Dispatch
... The disease was detected locally in two deer on a deer farm in Adams County in 2012. One of the deer also once lived at a farm in Washington Township, York County...  the state required testing on deer harvested in a disease management area that included most of northern York County...

... In crafting these master plans, the DNR also takes into consideration how management of the state game and wildlife areas affects local economies through activities like timber sales, agricultural production and wildlife-based tourism.  Draft master plans are available online [link above] ... 

Don't blame deer because ticks carry disease June 19, 2017 Maine, The Forecaster
"... Research in New England shows that when deer abundance is reduced, adult ticks crowd onto the remaining deer, so that there is little if any decline in total ticks on deer... Our studies in upstate New York show that Lyme disease risk is correlated with abundance of mice, but not with abundance of deer. Deer do not infect the ticks with Lyme disease bacteria, but mice and chipmunks do..." [Dr. Richard Ostfeld, a director of The Tick Project www.tickproject.org]

... Several comments on the post questioned the necessity of killing the deer in preserves. The Forest Preserve District answered, citing that culling efforts help keep deer herds healthy ...

Aussies tour Concho Valley ranch June 18, 2017 Texas, ReporterNews.com
... “We have introduced a deer management plan (Managed Lands Deer Permit) to the ranch after the increased whitetail deer population was competing with livestock for grazing,” Franklin told the visitors. “We work with the wildlife organization to harvest a portion of the deer each year.,,

...  this time of year, after does give birth, they kick their yearlings out. So those youngsters are likely to be wandering... Dan Bergeron is the deer project leader ...  estimates that New Hampshire's current deer population is around 100,000.  That's a big rebound since the population crashed in the 1980s ..,

What hunters need to know before deer season opens June 17, 2017 South Carolina, Charleston Post Courier
... an 11-percent decrease in the number of deer harvested [in 2016] ... Hurricane Matthew also created access issues, and the harvest was down more than 25 percent in some coastal counties.  Unseasonably warm temperatures also played a factor. Forest management practices and coyotes also factor in deer harvest..,

... DMAP allows landowners to apply for permits to encourage antlerless harvests on their property ... offering hunters 20,736 permits in 79 units totaling 968,054 acres ... 

Michigan 2016 Deer Harvest Survey June, 2017 Michigan DNR
... About 347,219 deer were harvested statewide in 2016, which was not significantly different than in 2015 ... Although statewide harvest was similar between years, harvest in the NLP increased significantly by 10% in 2016. Statewide harvest of
antlerless and antlered deer in 2016 for all seasons combined was not significantly different from 2015. However, harvest of antlerless deer increased by 12% in the NLP and harvest of antlered deer increased by 17% and 9% in the UP and NLP ...

Court rules in favor of Clear Lake couple in land quarantine dispute June 16, 2017 Iowa, Mason City Globe Gazette
... The Iowa Supreme Court Friday ruled the Department of Natural Resources wrongfully quarantined a North Iowa couple's land after diseased deer had been eradicated... The DNR said ... The quarantine was "intended to prevent the wild deer herd from accessing the chronic wasting disease exposed soil on site,"...
... The DNR issued an emergency order that required them quarantine the land for five-years, saying wild deer could still be infected by getting onto the land...
... Businesses like Archery Field & Sports in Altoona are well aware of how devastating chronic wasting disease could be, not only to the health of Iowa's deer herd, but also to its bottom line...
     Iowa DNR issues statement on Iowa Supreme Court Ruling June 16, 2017 Iowa DNR News
... are disappointed with the decision issued today by the Iowa Supreme Court in Brakke v. Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  The Department’s quarantine of Pine Ridge Hunting Reserve was intended to prevent the wild deer herd from accessing the chronic wasting disease exposed soil on site... 

... All elk tags will be distributed through a random draw process... An $11.37 non-refundable application fee will be charged for each hunt application...

Bill would limit when Wisconsin game wardens can enter private land June 15, 2017 Duluth News Tribune
... Currently, under a legal precedent known as the "open fields doctrine," law enforcement may generally enter private land adjacent to public land without a warrant in their investigations.  Jarchow, an attorney, said allowing wardens on private property without reason is unconstitutional...

Franklin County deer targeted for CWD June 15, 2017 Pennsylvania, Chambersburg Public Opinion
... Deer hunters in most of Franklin County and large parts of Adams and Cumberland counties will be subject to increased regulation as the Pennsylvania Game Commission attempts to manage chronic wasting disease...

Not now, deer: Farmers get money to fence out hungry visitors June 14, 2017 New Jersey, NJ.com
... In the continual battle of man vs. deer, Melick's Town Farm, based in Oldwick, will be among the farms in 12 counties that will share nearly a half-million dollars in state grants for fences to protect their crops... range from $3,618 to $20,000 to build fences ...

Senate to vote on relaxing prohibition on baiting deer June 14, 2017 Wisconsin, Channel 3000
... Conservationists oppose the change, saying it will lead to the spread of CWD. Supporters say those fears are unfounded...

... The percentage of calves in the moose population was 22 percent in 2013, 17 percent in 2015 and 19 percent this year.  “We will continue to monitor the percentage of calves in the population as this is an important indicator of the viability of the moose population over the long-term,” Beyer said.  Researchers think the survey this year, if completed, would have yielded a total western U.P. population estimate of between 420 and 470 animals...

Coyote Removal Helps Georgia wildlife June 12, 2017 Georgia, 41 NBC News
... About 70,000 coyotes are killed during deer season ... Kevin Kramer, Region Supervisor for Game Management Region 4, said it’s important for hunters to kill coyotes to save baby deer...

30 deer hit by motorists in Lincoln County June 12, 2017 Wisconsin, Wausau Daily Herald
... officials said 30 deer crashes in a week is a "very high" amount, crashes involving animals tend to spike in the summer because the bugs chase them to the road ...

... Although the results from our gap study should not be considered representative for southeast Alaska because they are from only one stand, they do suggest that creating artificial canopy gaps in 58-year-old young growth stands is a viable option for increasing forage resources for deer...

Genetics, age, herd or habitat June 12, 2017 Louisiana, Louisiana Sportsman
... most are of the opinion that past years of heavy doe harvest have made for deer herds that are decreasing in numbers. We see this today in the fact that we have reduced deer tag allotments for some of the deer areas in the state...

Late May fawn drop points back to mid-November rut June 11, 2017 New York, Hornell Evening Tribune
... The gestation period for the whitetail deer is always 200 days, give or take a few days... If fawns were born in a trickle, say at a steady pace through a six-week or two month period, predators would key on them and put an even more severe dent in the whitetail population than occurs now...

Toward a ‘new’ deer season June 11, 2017 South Carolina, Times and Democrat
... the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. In a nutshell, the deer harvest was down about 11 percent. The major reasons given were habitat change, coyote predation and Hurricane Matthew... Low country agricultural counties having far greater densities than the Upstate..,

Chronic Wasting Disease still alive and strong June 11, 2017 Wisconsin, Osceola Sun
...  “Zero Eradication” where sharpshooters came in and many deer were shot. Farmers were given as many 40 tags to eradicate the deer. Deer were shot with helicopters to drastically cut deer numbers. But you cannot eradicate deer completely even with these tactics... “Deer became super wary. ...

Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer June 11, 2017 Iowa State
     Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a neurological disease infecting wild white-tailed deer in Iowa and throughout North America. This article reviews the most relevant and up-to-date scientific information about the disease and provides recommendations for addressing this emerging challenge in Iowa.

Grow weeds for forage, fawns June 10, 2017 Mississipppi, Jackson Clarion Ledger
... While food plots and mature forests with open understory have their place in a deer's life, so do weedy, snakey, brushy fields... You're providing food and cover. Food plots are just food...

Eating roadkill in certain counties comes with caveat June 9, 2017 Montana, Helena Independent Record
... The only documented cases of CWD in Montana were in captive animals at a game farm in Philipsburg in 1999 ... CWD has been detected in free-ranging populations in 21 other states and two Canadian provinces — some very near the border with Montana...

Delmarva Daily Times
... If you could design the perfect natural feeding area for deer it would be long and narrow, to maximize the edges...  the very design of a road creates borders full of food for deer and at certain times of the year draws them right next to traffic...

With poaching in the news, how does Ohio set its deer hunting limits? June 9, 2017 Ohio, cleveland.com
... Despite deer culling in Northeast Ohio and debates over deer invading suburban yards, state officials say deer population has been relatively stable and actually could stand to grow... smaller populations in 2015 compared to most of the previous 10 years ...

... upon purchasing a hunting license, each South Carolina resident hunter will receive 3 unrestricted buck tags, plus 8 date-specific antlerless deer tags... hunters in Game Zones 3 and 4 can kill a maximum of 17 total deer ...

SDGFP Continues Monitoring Deer Numbers in Northeastern South Dakota June 8, 2017 South Dakota, theoutdoorforum.net
... in Brown, McPherson, Edmunds, Faulk and Spink counties... Annual survival rates for deer monitored in 2016 were estimated at 84 percent for adult does, 56 percent for adult bucks, 78 percent for juveniles five to 18 months old, and 68 percent for fawns zero to four months old...

... the moose population declined as settlers began over-hunting the animal and damaging its habitat... 1935 brought the first attempt to bring moose back ... a parasite called brain worm that doesn’t cause a problem in the deer, but when it gets into the moose, it will kill them ... As they cleared the forest up north, the deer population was able to increase, and that adversely affected the moose population..,

Driver beware: deer are active in June June 7, 2017 Wisconsin, WBAY
...  deer are active in June as the females search for places to give birth. Also, young deer are separating from the mothers.  Over the last five years, June has ranked among the worst months for driver injuries in deer crashes...

A Bill to Regulate the Practice of Hunting Deer with Dogs Stall ... June 7, 2017 North Carolina, The Independent Weekly
... More than eighteen thousand deer were taken across the state in the 2016–17 season by hunters using hounds... HB 648 would give the Wildlife Resource Commission the authority to regulate the hunting of deer with dogs...

... New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Douglas H. Fisher announced June 6 that the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) has approved $456,122 in cost-sharing grants to help 32 farmer applicants purchase and install deer fencing on preserved farms to protect their crops...

Environmentalists Sue to Stop 'Harmful' Feeding of Wild Elk June 6, 2017 Wyoming, Courthouse News Service
... endangering the herd and elevating its risk of getting and spreading a chronic wasting disease. In a June 5 complaint ... The practice has been around for a hundred years ...

... a 66-count indictment against a group accused of poaching deer. Hundreds of animals were illegally killed, resulting in nearly 3,000 pounds of deer meat ...

Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approves 2017 deer harvest quotas and season structure June 5, 2017 WDNR 
... The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approved deer hunting season framework and antlerless deer quotas for 2017 at its May 24 meeting in Madison.  Final season framework reflects recommendations from County Deer Advisory Councils – 2017 marks the third year these councils have played a key role in Wisconsin’s deer management efforts...

... a positive elk was collected in Searcy County last year within a few miles of the county line... Yearling bucks ... can range up to 50 miles, we based our CWD management strategy on the assumption of a 10-mile average dispersal radius ...

Natural Resources Board approves 8% hike in antlerless deer quota June 3, 2017 Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
... For the first time since the CDAC process was originated in 2014, the final deer rules did not mirror all the recommendations of the citizen groups... In Bayfield County, the antlerless quota recommendation was reduced from 3,800 to 2,500 in response to hunter concerns that the local CDAC sought "excessive antlerless tag levels." ...

... Following several years of tight hunting restrictions and mild winters, Minnesota’s deer population has recovered ... 




Searching the internet to find and conserve deer information.

Deer in the News

  Trooper's family takes in orphaned baby deer after crash June 22, 2017 North Carolina,  FOX Carolina
... a woman who struck a deer ... had given birth as she died, due to the impact...  no way he would have had any chance of survival ...  "He's like a part of the family now," ... Buckshot will have to leave them because of State Wildlife Laws...

Does engage in a tricky ritual in trying to raise fawns June 21, 2017 Wisconsin, Chron.com
... For the first four or five weeks of a fawn's life, its mother spends relatively little time in direct contact with it. Using verbal and physical cues hard-wired into both mother and fawn, the doe each morning leads her spindly legged fawn to a spot the doe picks. It's usually a spot offering thick, grassy ground cover ...

Davidson County high school student rescues drowning deer June 21, 2017 North Carolina, myfox8.com
... baby deer ... he was drowning ... After Pressley dried the deer off, he thought it would run into the woods. Instead the fawn remained in his lap... next day the family turned the fawn over to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator ...

  Baby deer breaks into New Jersey pool for daily swim June 19, 2017 New York Daily News
... “She’s young and skinny enough that she just walks right through the fence,” Benincasa says. “I’ve seen her. It’s awesome... She was actually enjoying the jets up against her body like a massage...

If this doesn't;'t make you grin from ear to ear... The baby fawns has been released into the brand new deer pen. Look how happy they are!! - June 19, 2017



... Every summer, TWRA officers ... are flooded with calls from people who have picked up a baby deer thinking it’s been orphaned... it’s actually normal for mother doe to leave their newborn deer alone for six to eight hours at a time...

This deer has a shot in the NBA with that vertical jump. Watch as one Staten Islander caught footage of a deer hopping over a fence into his driveway. - June 14, 2017 New York


Southern pudu, world's smallest deer species, born at Queens Zoo June 13, 2017 New York, New York Daily News
... native to Chile and Argentina, don’t grow more than 14 inches tall...


Grass Valley, How to live (peacefully) with deer in a mountain oasis June 12, 2017 California, The Mercury
... “We have five to a dozen deer hanging out here all the time,” Leroy said. “If we leave the gate open, they’ll walk right in. It’s amazing how smart they are; I tell them to leave and they go back through the gate.”...

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Issues Reminder to Not Disturb Deer Fawns June 6, 2017 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
... Does will forage nearby and return periodically to nurse the young fawn. The lack of flight and hiding strategy phase of a newborn fawn often creates the illusion of abandonment. However, as fawns grow and develop, they will begin to forage for food alongside the mother...

Fawn killed by Metroparks' mower horrifies Facebook fans June 2, 2017 Michigan, Detroit Free Press
... A photo zipping around the internet of a fawn run down by a tractor at Stony Creek Metropark triggered a rash of protest comments on Facebook and charges of wildlife abuse ...

... crew members from the Manistee station were doing routine training Wednesday morning when they saw the deer struggling to free itself...

... the dead deer placed onto a folding chair, forced into clothing, and duct taped to a street sign on the side of the Willacoochee Highway...

... . A gaggle of geese in the water nearby swam towards the deer as it struggled on the shore. “They kept squawking at it and scaring it or encouraging it ... Either way, the deer eventually made its way up the rocks and onto a nearby walking path. “If it wasn’t for [the geese] I don’t know if the deer would have made it up the bank ...

I went down to the lake. What I came across was shocking, a deer in the lake without an easy escape.


Summer is growing season in the Deer Woods May 27, 2017 Oklahoma, Stillwater News Press
... While the local doe groups have fractured for the summer to raise their young, the opposite is true for local bucks. Low testosterone levels means that they can be friends once again, typically spending the spring and summer in groups of three to six...

Our rescue deer has given us much joy and much worry and heart break ... May 31, 2017


... [deer from Staten Island killed in New Jersey because New Jersey officials said they were concerned about chronic wasting disease] .... Chronic wasting disease hasn't been found in New York State since 2005, when five white-tailed deer from breeding facilities in Oneida County were confirmed to have it, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. No deer in New Jersey have been confirmed to have it, according to the NJ DEP...
     Sad ending for deer found roaming in Jersey City May 24, 2017 New Jersey, NJ.com
... A one-year-old male deer spotted strolling through the city's McGinley Square
neighborhood this morning was later caught and killed by state wildlife officials... based on tags found on the deer the DEP discovered it was part of a research study of deer population control being performed in the New York City borough...

  Deer Whisperer' cop rescues scared fawn trapped in sewer May 24, 2017 New Jersey, New Jersey Online
... rescuing a fawn trapped in a sewer. It was his third save of a distressed deer in the past year... [video below]

Driver attempts CPR on deer in Chisago County May 23, 2017 Minnesota, KARE
...  a car versus deer crash on Interstate 35... driver of the car in the ditch, attempting CPR on the deer...

Deer abuser gets jail time May 19, 2017 Washington, Whidbey News-Times 
... man who broke a fawn’s pelvis with his bare hands and shot a doe with a pellet gun is serving time in Island County jail...

Fawn season! Admire from afar, mom is near May 16, 2017 Wisconsin, WDNR News
... "It is normal for deer mothers to leave their fawns unattended because keeping fawns hidden and alone is actually an adaptation to protect them from predators ... well-meaning people discover fawns alone, mistakenly believe they are in trouble and take unneeded action that may harm the animal ...

Peoria man was at his mother's house to celebrate the holiday, when their family wound up rescuing what they estimate was a newborn fawn. Julie Foster says she heard a noise Sunday, but initially thought it was a bird. Then, they noticed a mother deer hanging around the house. And as they got closer they quickly realized mom was close by for a reason, there was a fawn stuck in Foster's window well. - May 17, 2017, Illinois


  Officers rescue baby deer from hole in the ground at Trenton home May 16, 2017 New Jersey, New Jersey Online
... found the deer, crying and weak, in a hole from which the mother was unlikely to pull her from ...

6 Deer Species That Are Kept as Pets May 12, 2017 pethelpful.com
... Deer can actually make wonderful pets with the right owners. When they are raised by humans and socialized with humans, they are not "wild animals." ...  one small species, the muntjac deer, that can be kept as a house pet ...

... The same pack of coyotes that killed a deer Monday morning in an Iredell County man’s front yard turned its attention next to his two dogs, killing one of them in less than a minute ...

...  posted a video showing him petting and scratching the deer. The little guy even nuzzles right up against him for the perfect “selfie” shot at about one minute in...

Moving, helping deer fawns does more harm than good May 9, 2017 Minnesota, fox9.com
... DNR is offering the following tips for what to do if you find fawns in the wild ... Deer and moose nurse their young at different times during the day, and often leave their young alone for long periods of time...

... A fawn’s spots are excellent camouflage and will help it stay hidden from predators. In addition to being hidden by its mother and having its own spotted camouflage, fawns have another adaptation to help them survive – they are virtually odorless when they are young... 

... The state seized the images last month as part of an anti-poaching operation. They show dozens of animals illegally killed ... The men involved filmed themselves in the violent acts... photos show deer whose heads were taken, but their meat left to rot in fields...

The search for shed antlers has become a popular pastime April 30, 2017 Maine, Press Herald
... Shed hunters are outdoorsmen and women who immerse themselves in the quiet of the woods in winter and spring to look for the antlers shed by moose and deer... Antlers have long been used as handles, tools and decorations...

... the botulism illnesses may be connected with drinking deer antler tea obtained in March...