Deer Management News This Week

...  A year after a video of deer trapping in Lakeway went viral and sparked public outrage ... leaders also voted to extend that trapping suspension until Jan. 31, 2020...
     Lakeway adopts deer program to 'manage impact of the herd' August 20, 2019 Texas, Austin American-Statesman
... “Despite 15 years of trapping and killing the deer to control the deer population, that number (of deer carcasses picked up) has not changed,” Windecker said. “So, trapping and killing the deer or trapping and taking them somewhere else isn’t solving that problem at all.” ... 

DEC kills 10-point buck that was walking in circles for hours August 21, 2019 New York, The Daily News Online
...The deer was sent to Cornell Wildlife Health Lab for a full necropsy and examination for brain injuries or infection, including testing for chronic wasting disease...

... For every acre of mule deer habitat taken by roads, well pads and other oil and gas development infrastructure in Wyoming’s Green River Basin, an average of 4.6 other acres of available forage is lost ... because deer avoid areas close to such human disturbance, even when there’s quality forage in those areas, says the research published in the journal Ecological Applications...

... In general, deer and pronghorn recruitment was low in many areas heading into winter. This is likely due to drought conditions last fall resulting in little/no fall green-up in many areas. Some areas of eastern Oregon, including Baker, northern Harney and Malheur counties, and some parts of Union County, have deer and pronghorn herds that have not fully recovered from the severe winter of 2016-2017...

... controlling the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease... mandatory CWD testing is expanded in a new hunting zone in Central Minnesota around a deer farm where deer tested positive for CWD... also expanded in southeastern Minnesota ...

Oregon license plates to feature mule deer August 20, 2019 The Bulletin
...  Funds generated from the sale of the plates and the auction will benefit wildlife conservation projects... will put the license plates into production if the Oregon Wildlife Foundation can sell 3,000 vouchers ...

...  The release of these 60 elk marks the fifth and final year of Wisconsin's elk translocation efforts and the second release of elk into the northern elk range in Sawyer County. Thirty-one elk were released here in 2017.  "We're happy to have the translocation effort complete and look forward to seeing the herd continue to grow," ...

Drones plant trees on burned lands August 20, 2019 Washington, The Columbian
... drones carrying hoppers full of seeds encapsulated within gel packets the size of a hockey puck.  According to DroneSeed, “This medium provides an ideal growing condition for the seed, and even deters deer and elk from eating it.” ...

Game Commission wants ban on feeding deer, but request faces opposition August 19, 2019 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
... The request was prompted by agency biologists who are battling the spread of a fatal deer malady — chronic wasting disease... A ban is not likely to happen soon... More than 1 million Pennsylvanians are believed to enjoy watching deer ...

De-listing Key deer is not a done deal. The public must make itself heard August 19, 2019 Florida, Miami Herald
... Some recent media reports suggest that the Service has made the decision to remove the Key deer from the Endangered Species list. We have reached out to Service leadership and we are assured that a final agency decision has not been made...

Freeway crossing to give wildlife room to roam August 19, 2019 California, Detroit News
... The span along U.S. 101 will only be the second animal overpass in a state where tunnels are more common. Officials say it will be the first of its kind near a major metropolis and the largest in the world, stretching 200 feet above 10 lanes ...

Parks Director Says Deer Solution Must be Regional August 19, 2019 New Jersey, Pascack Press & Northern Valley Press
... “The average person has no connection to this [forest understory impacts],” said Koth...  towns and residents are more concerned with deer impacts such as public safety (car vs. deer accidents), Lyme disease transmission, and landscape damage... the deer situation is “not such an epidemic that we need to come up with a response to it.” ...

... WDFW is beginning a study to collar wolves, cougars, bobcats, moose, deer and elk to track predator and prey interactions. There has been no baseline assessment to understand how a wolf's prey, like deer, elk, etc. have changed as wolf numbers have grown...

CWD Hunt Aims To Inform FWP Disease Management Strategies August 19, 2019 Montana, Montana Public Radio
... The hunt isn’t intended to eradicate CWD in the management zone, which encompasses the 10-mile radius around Libby, but it could help managers understand CWD’s prevalence. Five white-tails have tested positive so far...

Wildlife corridors need protection August 17, 2019 Colorado, The Durango Herald
... U.S. Highway 160 and others become greater barriers to safe passage of deer and elk herds... the new management plan just announced by the Rio Grande National Forest ... ignored widespread calls for action to elevate wildlife corridors... To find out more about the corridors at risk in the Rio Grande watershed, visit www.connectedcorridors.com...

... “The fact that she was able to walk almost 60 miles in one direction and turn around and walk that same path back shows that something neat is going on here,” Jakopak said. “And calls attention to how smart mule deer are and how much we don’t know about them.” ... a multi-year study looking at fawn survival in the Wyoming Range...

Proposed bike trail moved out of migration bottleneck August 16, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide
... Plans that originated with a cycling group were considered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest, but the project didn’t pass muster when it was being vetted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others...


... has a permit for deer culling ...  one of the seven rounds fired from the hunting rifle struck the sunroom of a residence nearby while the homeowners were home...

When biologists stocked Alaska with wolves August 16, 2019 juneauempire.com
... in 1960:  on Coronation Island  ... a high density of blacktailed deer and no wolves... biologists from Fish and Game released two pairs of wolves ... in 1964:  at least 13 wolves...  in 1965:  no sign of deer on the north side of the island ... February 1966:   only three wolves ...wolf scats ... suggesting the animals had resorted to cannibalism ... August 1966:   just three sets of fresh deer tracks... in 1983: no evidence of wolves, but the deer were once again plentiful...

Des Peres City Grapples Over Growing Deer Population August 16, 2019 Missouri, timesnewspapers.com
... Mayor Mark Becker asked Schaefer to look into the PZP vaccine for sterilization.  “Let’s see what the conservation department thinks about sterilization,” he said. “We want this issue to be transparent and we want to make sure we have the answers.” ...

... "We've had two deer counts and need more ... We need more data about how many deer we have, how much the herd is growing, how much it needs to be reduced and how much chronic wasting disease is present." ...

... yesterday, the Trump administration signaled its intent to remove the deer from the list of endangered species. The Florida Key deer is one of the first casualties of a revised Endangered Species Act (ESA), which no longer recognizes climate change as a threat to wildlife...

Public hunting in suburban deer programs will increase in Allegheny County August 15, 2019 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
... In July, the commission voted to require municipalities applying for cull permits to provide more information verifying that public hunting has occurred in deer-control areas... To remain in compliance with their cull agreements, Mt. Lebanon and Fox Chapel will staff their controlled hunts with vetted archers from the general public ...

Ungulate migration group asks Gov. Gordon for protective executive orderAugust 14, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide
... A diverse committee charged with shaping Wyoming’s policies for safeguarding ungulate migration is asking Gov. Mark Gordon for an executive order that will keep designated routes largely unscathed...

Peters Township business owner plans deer cull to help cut losses August 14, 2019 Pennsylvania, The Almanac
...  Because the Pennsylvania Game Commission considers his property to be for agricultural use, he does not need a permit to carry out culling activities...

...  last winter the environmental advocacy law-firm Earthjustice sued, asking a federal judge to compel the refuge to release a feeding-reduction plan... In the Wyoming Game and Fish director’s view, a fatal flaw of the plan is a lack of flexibility...

Preview of Kentucky's fall hunting seasons August 14, 2019 Richmond Register
... Populations are stable but fluctuate slightly each year based on food availability.  The Kentucky Division of Forestry estimates that 48 percent of Kentucky, some 12.4 million acres, is forested and that 75 percent of these forest lands are composed of oak-hickory forest type, the most advantageous to wildlife...

Elko wildlife crossings win award August 13, 2019 Nevada, elkodaily.com
... The wildlife overpasses are covered with native soil and vegetation to replicate the natural environment and encourage crossing by mule deer and other animals. In total, roughly 60 miles of eight-foot-high wildlife fencing was installed on both sides of the roadway to help direct animals to the crossings...

Rift within DNR over logging in state wildlife areas August 12, 2019 Minnesota, Duluth News Tribune
...  While logging and young forests are good for some species at some times of year — deer, grouse and bear all favor young aspen, for example — the same species also need bigger, older trees in winter...

Weaning Jackson elk off refuge feed may start this winter August 12, 2019 Wyoming, Jackson Hole News&Guide
... In a worst-case scenario, the refuge’s prized winter range will become an infected area where wildlife congregate, leading to the long-term decline of a diseased Jackson Elk Herd. But the fate of the refuge still remains uncertain since CWD and wild, fed elk have never before mixed...

... CWD has been confirmed in at least 26 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, with a notable increase in the past 5 years. The continued geographic spread of this disease increases the frequency of exposure to CWD prions among cervids, humans, and other animal species...
...  The project started earlier this summer and uses volunteers to identify dead animals on U.S. Highway 20 and State Highway 87...The list of roadkills includes White-tailed Deer Elk ...Mule Deer ...

... The overshooting by market hunters prior to 1897 and continued subsistence hunting (poaching) by settlers caused deer numbers to plunge to very low levels by about 1910.  ... Maximum deer carrying capacity (KCC) in the north was estimated during the 1980s and 1990s to average about 26–30 deer/2 miles of habitat... Density goals had been set by DMU at about 65–70% of KCC, which is higher than optimum for maximum sustained yield...

... A deer died from epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in southeast Indiana... The most recent significant outbreaks were in 2007 and 2012...

DNR confirms cougar report from Gogebic County August 12, 2019 Michigan, 
UpperMichigansSource.com
... the state’s 39th cougar report since 2008 ... photographed July 7 in daylight hours northwest of Ironwood, in the far western portion of the Upper Peninsula...

... a recently published study based on information collected in Yellowstone National Park shows that elk use much the same behavior to avoid mountain lions and wolves... Dan Stahler, Yellowstone Cougar Project manager...

Land acquisition will bolster I-40 wildlife corridor project August 11, 2019 North Carolina, The Mountaineer
... The property is particularly impactful for the elk population, which requires young forest — known as early successional habitat — for foraging ...  a box culvert under I-40 ... “We have a responsibility to help elk, deer, bear and other wildlife cross the interstate and other roads ...

...will begin its annual deer population management program in September 2019 into March 2020.  Eight park units have been added this year, for a total of 54 parks where archery and/or shotgun managed deer hunting or Park Police-based sharpshooting operations will take place... Initiated 23 years ago ... Over 19,500 deer have been removed from select parks since the inception ...

DEC Plans Changes to Deer, Moose Policies   August 11, 2019 New York, adirondackalmanack.com
... Proposed changes include:  Expanding the prohibition on the importation of carcasses and carcass parts of CWD-susceptible animals to include all jurisdictions outside of New York;  Clarifying that the only parts of CWD-susceptible animals that may be imported into New York are deboned meat, cleaned skull cap, antlers with no flesh ...

The culprit to blame for missing flower buds August 11, 2019 Pennsylvania, Tribune-Review
... The damage, at first, seems like it may be rabbits, deer or groundhogs nibbling off the flower buds before they can open, but after a bit of investigation, it’s often discovered that a small caterpillar known as the geranium or tobacco budworm is to blame...

Effectiveness of Seasonal Deer Advisories on Changeable Message Signs as a Deer Crash Mitigation Tool BM Donaldson, YJ Kweon - Transportation Research Record, 2019 Virginia
... The Virginia Department of Transportation began posting deer advisory messages on changeable message signs (CMSs) along a 16.7-mi segment of Interstate 64 in October 2015. The posting of these messages during the peak of deer activity ... Posting seasonal deer advisories every other day on the five existing CMSs in this study’s project area is expected to save approximately $700,000 to $1.4 million over the service life of the CMSs...

... The current elk population size (2,082 elk) and sex ratio (38 bulls per 100 cows) are within the ranges for the respective three alternatives, so we would expect to maintain current or slightly lower license levels depending on which alternative is selected...

... In 2017, there were 100,000 deer tested nationwide, but nearly 25,000 of those were tested in Missouri alone. Prior to 2015, Tennessee was testing only a few hundred samples per year ... Transporting dead deer—especially with brain and spinal tissue—from a CWD-positive area is believed to be a primary vector for spreading the disease...

Prescribed burn planned during fire season east of Groveland August 9, 2019  California, Union Democrat
... Other goals of the underburn are to enhance and protect wildlife habitat, including improvement of deer browse, which is defined as leaves, twigs, and buds of woody plants deer eat...

Woodland Stewards Worry About Deer Impact August 9, 2019 New Jersey, Pascack Press & Northern Valley Press
... Most North Jersey nature centers and sanctuaries have already taken action—at three nature preserves managers have built deer-excluding fences to help protect and regenerate forest understory ... Many public discussions come to a stalemate when experts or advocates present opposing views on deer impacts and methods to effect deer controls and population reduction...

... The sprawling neighborhood earlier this year voted in favor of killing and harvesting – and thus removing – deer in the area.  The vote was conducted via mail-in referendum. It passed by a noticeable margin: 1330 for, 746 against, according to City Council documents...

Fenton, Talk Turns To Speeding Motorists, Deer Population In Fenton August 9, 2019 Missouri, Webster-Kirkwood Times
... After it was noted at a July 25 board meeting that most other cities involved in deer killing are first prompted by current research that verifies deer overpopulation, Fenton staff were instructed to seek options regarding how to conduct an impartial survey of local deer numbers independent of Belleville’s estimated numbers...

Deer Management Committee to request another controlled hunt in West Bend parks August 9, 2019 Wisconsin, washingtoncountyinsider.com
... Some in the community have questioned whether the deer are still a problem and Butschlick said he is still fielding calls about deer cleaning out bird feeders and ravaging flowers and gardens... In 2018 the city hired sharpshooters on a managed hunt ...

... Despite deer pressure, a major transition in eastern forests has resulted in increased tree densities. Methods To reconcile conflicting trends, we applied generalized linear mixed models to compare deer densities during 1982 and then 1996 to tree stocking after about 30 years and 15 years of potential reductions of small trees by deer, for the entire eastern US and 11 ecological provinces... Deer densities and tree stocking were not related significantly for the entire eastern US...  Furthermore, major tree species trends did not match tree browse preferences. Conclusions Rather than too few trees, too many trees is an ecological problem where historical open oak and pine forests had herbaceous understories, and currently, trees have captured growing space. We attribute other drivers than deer to explain this transition...

... If confirmed, it would mark the sixth detection of CWD in Libby. The first detection occurred in late May and was the first time CWD had been detected in the wild west of the Continental Divide...

... The 2019 Oregon State Legislature has passed a bill that bans the possession and use of deer and elk urine scent lures that contain or are derived from any cervid urine beginning Jan. 1, 2020. HB 2294 was sponsored by Rep. Witt (D-Clatskanie) and Rep. Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) and is meant to reduce the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to the state’s deer, elk and moose populations..,

Hunters can take more deer ... August 8, 2019 Vermont, VTDigger12h
... Louis Porter, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, told committee members that the size of the state’s deer herd has been on the rise in recent years, despite a downtick last year due to the harsh winter... the total number of deer a hunter can take per season will increase from three to four under the new rule ..,

Zone A deer season opens Saturday August 7, 2019 California, Record Bee
...  in 1955 the estimated deer kill in Lake County alone exceeded 2,000 bucks. Compare that to the past few years when only about 500 bucks have been taken annually... the University of California showed that only one fawn in four will live to be a year old...

Step inside Minnesota's only lab for detecting CWD — the mad cow disease of deer August 7, 2019 MinnPost
... While sales of deer hunting licenses dropped 4.6 percent in Minnesota over the last two years, they fell as much as 11.5 percent in regions known to have CWD. The deer hunting industry generates more than $500 million for the state’s economy each year and helps pay for the budget at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)...

Three wolf pups were born in the Central Valley this spring August 7, 2019 California, Sacramento Bee
... While the exact number of gray wolves in California is uncertain, a wolf biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife told The Mercury News the three pups raise the total in the state to between seven and 10..,

...  create a formal deer cull for the late winter months with DEC permits issued to hunters. A more costly option would be to hire sharpshooters or task city police with the job of culling deer in a similar fashion.  The most expensive option ... would be to sterilize the deer through surgical or chemical contraceptive means ...

Fripp Island, SC island residents upset community leaders want to shoot deer to limit population growth August 6, 2019 South Carolina, Post and Courier Charleston
... board members seem set on culling the population, which has started to grow again since the birth control program ended ... using a birth control program is roughly six times more expensive than paying a sharpshooter... “But so many of us are against the sharpshooting, it’s not what we stand for being a wildlife sanctuary.” ...

Condition of deer as a result of Yazoo backwater flooding. August 6, 2019 Mississippi


Getting ready for the fall hunting season August 6, 2019 Idaho, KMVT
... the late winter and late spring was not good for the fawns. A lot of young deer didn't make it through the winter.  Mature deer numbers are the same as last year, but the numbers of elk are up..,

... Montana wildlife officials are planning to offer 600 special licenses to hunt deer in an effort to test for chronic wasting disease and contain its spread... near Libby ...







Searching the internet to find and conserve deer information.  

Deer in the News

Deer found with arrow sticking out of its neck in Leavenworth August 21, 2019 Washington, IFiberOne News
...  Crews were able to remove the arrow, which had a field/target point on it. The deer got up and immediately started feeding again ...

... crew doing work in the area had removed a manhole cover, when the buck fell in, dropping about 10 feet below ground ...

... Siberian musk deer are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat fragmentation and illegal hunting. The Columbus Zoo is one of only four AZA-accredited facilities that house Siberian musk deer...

... the fawn did not appear to be injured and wandered off on its own...

  Lovable baby deer gets bright pink cast after being hit by car August 12, 2019 North Carolina, Fox News
...  she was separated from her mother and hit by a car that broke her right back leg below the hip bone ... “She can’t run yet but I do believe in time we will be able to release her," ...

Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of RI seeking donations to help animals August 9, 2019 Rhode Island, Turn to 10
... From white-tailed deer fawn and baby raccoons to small squirrels and tiny opossums that are only a little more than a month old, the Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island is caring for many animals in need...

... The animal's mother was recently hit and killed by a vehicle in Safford...

Reward grows to $6,000 for information leading to arrest of poacher in Morrison August 9, 2019 Colorado, 7News and TheDenverChannel.com
... Neighborhood outrage is growing in Morrison after a poaching incident.  Colorado Parks and Wildlife had to put down a doe because someone shot her twice with a bow and arrow...

  Woman spots rare deer in her Johnson City backyard August 9, 2019 Tennessee, WJHL-TV
... the deer has piebaldism ... a genetic anomaly...  in Tennessee ... it’s illegal to kill albino whitetails...

Fifty years of deer August 9, 2019 Arizona, AZDailySun.com
... the Grand Canyon Deer Farm opened in Williams on Aug. 15, 1969 ... While some animals are born at the farm, many are rescues... “The ones that come as rescues, they need you and they really bond to you well,” ... opportunities for visitors to feed the fallow, coues, Japanese sika and mule deer “snacks” ...

... Sgt. Smith ... was able to immobilize her with a tranquilizer dart within 30 yards of their residence and use wire cutters to remove what he believes to be wire from the top of a tomato cage. When the yearling doe revived, she walked off into the woods to rejoin the herd...

'I can't imagine it would be all that nice to live with a swing around your neck' August 5, 2019 Washington, Bellingham Herald
... taking a wait-and-watch approach with a female deer that has been seen wearing a child’s swing around its neck ... 


NM man charged letting his dog kill baby deer in CO July 30, 2019 Colorado, Albuquerque Journal
... A Las Cruces man faces several wildlife crimes charges in southern Colorado after he posted images and video of his dog chasing and killed a fawn ...
     He bragged about his ‘big game’ hunt on Instagram. It was a baby deer he let his dog kill. July 29, 2019 Colorado, Washington Post
... Based on its size and markings, the fawn was no more than a month or two old, not old enough to be foraging on its own. But after the kill, Garcia, 36, skinned the baby deer and displayed the hide and bones for a photo ...



Small herd of adorable deer spotted “chilling” on Hilton Head beach July 25, 2019 South Carolina, Raleigh News & Observer
... she came across something she had never seen before in the 15 years since she moved to Hilton Head —a pack of three deer hanging out in the middle of the beach, enjoying the morning with the rest of the beachgoers...

Trail camera video of white-tailed deer - July 28, 2019


... threatening to shoot any law enforcement officers if he saw them hunting deer as part of a deer management plan approved by the city of Reedsburg...

... injured in a farm accident. Two broken legs ... Within three weeks of placing the splints, Allen had [the deer] Victor walking again ... But another two weeks and Victor was able to join Allen’s other 11 deer in rehabilitation in her outdoor enclosure...


... right before I got to her, you could see she just kinda gave up and her legs went up, and that’s when I pulled her out of the water ... released her Thursday morning once she had recovered her strength and several adult deer seemed to be waiting for her in their backyard...
...  spokesperson for the DNR says because the deer has been exposed to humans the worry is that it could become dangerous. In the meantime its being monitored. If his behavior does change, the DNR is considering tranquilizing it for relocation... [link to deer's twitter account]
... 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...