Deer Management News
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Virginia is a top state for wildlife-vehicle collisions, and this bill could help reduce them February 13, 2026 Virginia, Smith Mountain Eagle
... House Bill 597 ... to create a nonreverting grant fund in the state treasury, supported by voluntary contributions, to be used for wildlife corridor and wildlife crossing projects... “There’s already this wildlife corridor action plan,” Simonds said. “Now, the question is having some funding that’s stable to try to implement some of these goals.”...
Maryland Hunters Harvest 71,649 Deer for 2025-2026 Season February 12, 2026 DNR News
.... The statewide harvest reported to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources included 29,814 antlered and 37,925 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,874 antlered and 2,036 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 14.9% lower than the 2024-2025 total of 84,201 deer and 7.2% lower than the previous 5-year average of 77,221...
The Surprising Texas Law About Roadkill February 12, 2026 KLAQ
... Before the rule change, someone could illegally shoot a deer and then claim it was “salvaged roadkill.” By outlawing possession entirely, Texas eliminated that defense so there’s no gray area. No roadside excuses...
Michigan’s CWD testing strategy February 12, 2026 DNR News
Testing has identified a total of 376 CWD-positive wild deer in Michigan out of about 148,800 tested. Samples have been collected through a variety of efforts, including focused testing of hunter-harvested deer, response to public reports of sick deer, direct hunter submissions of deer to the MSU lab, and testing of donated deer.
The DNR began surveillance efforts for CWD in Michigan’s wild deer in 2002, and the disease was first detected in Michigan in 2015. After initial intensive testing near the first CWD detections in the state, the DNR began a rotational approach to testing harvested deer in 2021...
Winter habitat key to deer survival February 12, 2026 Minnesota, The Timberjay
... DNR wildlife biologists note that snow depth is the most critical factor for deer winter survival, and that’s why dense conifer stands, particularly white cedar, are so valuable..... Under the protection of the trees, the snow was manageable ... The woody browse they rely on in winter is low in nutrition, helping mostly to slow the depletion of their fat reserves. They use deer yards not as a place to find food, but rather to as a protected location that helps them reduce their daily energy demands...
DNR reports Gladwin County’s first CWD-positive wild deer February 12, 2026 Michigan DNR
... Gladwin is now the 18th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. A hunter-harvested deer from Clement Township recently tested positive for the disease... “The detection of chronic wasting disease in Gladwin County is consistent with the slow, incremental spread we have observed across Michigan,” ...
Deer danger: Massachusetts hunts for solutions in population problem spots February 12, 2026 Yahoo
... Dr. Allan Rutberg, director of the Center for Animals & Public Policy at Tufts University, says the proposed hunting solutions “nibble around the edges” of the problem... says injectable fertility control and sterilization have helped reduce deer populations by up to 50% over five years in some small, localized studies in other states...
Europe’s “untouched” wilderness was shaped by Neanderthals and hunter-gatherers February 12, 2026 Science Daily
... "The computer modeling made it clear to us that climate change, the large herbivores such as elephants, bison and deer, and natural wildfires alone cannot explain the changes seen in ancient pollen data. To understand the vegetation at that time, we must also take human impacts into account -- both direct and indirect. Even without fire, hunter-gathere34ers changed the landscape simply because their hunting of large animals made the vegetation denser," ..,
The most common reasons hunters wound deer and don’t admit it February 11 2026 The Avid Outdoorsman on MSN
... The reason hunters don’t admit it is simple: it feels like failure, and nobody wants to be the guy who lost one ... Wounding isn’t random. It’s the predictable result of rushed decisions, sloppy confirmation, and gear or technique that hasn’t been pressure-tested in the same conditions you hunt in...The follow-up fails: poor tracking decisions turn a bad hit into a lost deer ...
Senate Soundly Rejects Landowner Hunting Tag Sales As Supporters Vow To Try Again February 10, 2026 Wyoming, Cowboy State Daily
... A bill that would have allowed the sale of landowner hunting tags was rejected before it could be introduced to the Wyoming Senate by a vote of six to 25, effectively killing it for the 2026 Legislative session...
Bluffton neighborhood divided over targeted deer removal decision February 10, 2026 Wouth Carolina, WSAV-TV
... The vote to move forward with the culling this year was nearly split down the middle among around 1,000 residents... the other said they worried about the safety and legality of the process... “The entity chosen to do the cull has been a main concern due to him doing the survey to count the deer that are going to be culled. He will also be doing the culling ...
Iowa City considers professional sharp-shooting for deer population control February 9, 2026 Iowa, KCRG
... Last year marked the first time drones were used to guide management efforts... City leaders say the data helps target population reduction strategies, including possible sharp shooting...
Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust announces permanent protection of over 800 acres in Southeast Idaho February 9, 2026 Idaho State Journal
... Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust is pleased to announce the permanent conservation of over 800 acres of open space, wildlife habitat and agricultural land through conservation easements on two adjacent properties in Franklin County... The conserved lands provide important habitat for mule deer, elk, moose ... The properties connect thousands of acres of public lands ...
Can Mountain Lions Survive as Humans Close In?California Is Trying to Find a Way. February 9, 2026 California, The New York Times
...Perhaps 4,000 mountain lions, also known as cougars and pumas, live in California. About 1500 of them inhabit pockets throughout the state’s most populous regions, from around San Francisco down through San Diego. These animals are the ones that the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has recommended for protection...
ADAI Supports CWD Genomic Testing for Alabama Deer Breeders February 9, 2026 Ag Information Network
... The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) funding to help the captive cervid herd in Alabama become less susceptible to chronic wasting disease (CWD) by furthering USDA research related to genomically estimated breeding value (GEBV) of deer. To date, research has shown that deer with a GEBV value below -0.056 may be less susceptible to CWD ..,
How To Unite Hunters & Animal Rights Groups? Announce Plans To Gun Down 2000 Mule Deer February 8, 2026 Californa Cowboy State Daily
... Mule deer are native to mainland California, but are considered an invasive species on Catalina Island about 22 miles off the southern coast... the Mule Deer Foundation has come out against the Catalina Island deer eradication... Mule deer herds are meanwhile struggling across Wyoming, Utah and other Western states ...
Existence, stability, and bifurcation analysis of a three-species model of deer, tiger, and leopard 2026 International Journal of Modelling and Simulation, 2026
... we develop a three-species interaction model involving deer, tigers, and leopards... An increase in the growth rate of the deer population improves food availability for both predators, thereby enhancing ecological stability. Conversely, increased aggression by tigers toward leopards may destabilize the system. It is found that higher efficiency of deer capture by tigers can benefit the tiger population but may drive both deer and leopards to extinction...
Video Below: The Milu deer are making a comeback at Poyang Lake. From just 47 individuals released into the wild in 2018, the herd has grown to around 80, a recovery made possible by sustained ecological protection, community involvement and the use of modern conservation technology. February 7, 2025 China TV
65 fewer deer killed in third year of hunt February 7, 2026 Ohio, The Vindicator
... “After two years of harvest efforts that emphasized antlerless (female) deer, one could expect to see some reduction in the overall population,” she said. “At the same time, extreme cold and heavy snowfall this winter may have limited hunter participation and deer movement.” ...
Conservancy gets final approval to launch long-awaited restoration February 6, 2026, California, Catalina Islander
... While Conservancy officials were pleased with the state’s permit approval, some over at city hall in Avalon, apparently, not so much, as the Avalon City Council voted unanimously (3-0) in closed session to challenge the permit’s approval in court (see related story) ... For more information and key details of “Operation Protect”, visit catalinaconservancy.org/protect...
Another CWD-infected Mule Deer Found in Cimarron County February 6, 2026 Oklahoma, ODWC
... A hunter-harvested mule deer from Cimarron County in Oklahoma’s Panhandle has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD ... harvested about 3.5 miles west of Felt, near the location where a CWD-positive deer was confirmed last year..,
‘Profoundly encouraging’ for conservation efforts: Rare sambar deer seen with fawn at Mandai February 6, 2026 Singapore, The Straits Times
... Sambar deer are listed as vulnerable – threatened with extinction ... In Singapore, about 15 of these animals are estimated to live in the wild ... The deer is believed to have given birth around 2pm on Feb 3 near Mandai Columbarium ...
From deer to chickadees: How fewer social encounters could raise extinction risk February 6, 2026 Colorado, Phys.org on MSN
... Nearly a century ago, American ecologist Warder Clyde Allee showed that animals often do better when they are in larger groups, a phenomenon known as an Allee effect... In a new study ...researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder ... show that much more common "loosely social species," those that make temporary friends rather than living in stable groups, might be more vulnerable to extinction ....Deer, squirrels, chickadees ... all fall into this category...
VA Department of Wildlife Resources releases harvest data on black bears, deer, and wild turkeys February 5, 2026 Virginia, WDBJ on MSN
... hunters say 227,302 deer were harvested. A 10% decrease from the year before that had the total as 205,759 ... The current year’s totals included: 108,163 antlered bucks. 14,631 button bucks. 973 shed bucks. 103,535 does (45.5%)...
Louisiana proposes letting hunters use drones to find wounded prey, but not shoot them February 6, 2026 New Orleans City Business
... The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission is considering changes to state 2026-28 hunting season regulations that currently prohibit the use of drones to find hunted animals. If approved, drones could be used to track wounded or dead deer and bears that permitted hunters shot during approved hunting hours...
Highway-adjacent fencing project aids wildlife, cattle February 5, 2026 Idaho, Capital Press
... A three-mile stretch of tall, strong fencing that funnels big game animals away from State Highway 28 and toward safe Lemhi River crossings at recently rebuilt bridges proved effective to an extent that biologists, ranchers and others reunited to expand it...
Lift of deer baiting ban passes State House, headed to Senate February 5, 2026 Michigan, FOX 17
... The ban targeted bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease. CWD is an always fatal neurological disease with no known cure. The idea behind the baiting ban was to remove any artificial forms of feeding that would cause deer to gather in large quantities in ways they might not normally do...
Catalina Island Deer eradication opponents pitch managed hunting February 4, 2026 California, Action News Now
... Charles Whitwam, founder and president of Howl for Wildlife ... suggested a five-year management plan through strategic hunting to reduce the deer population instead of eradication. He also offered to fund a thermal drone survey to provide more accurate deer population data...Whitwam argued that grazing is beneficial for wildfire prevention and criticized the Conservancy for ignoring other invasive species like bison ... [video below]
EHD, Washington County deer harvest dropped by over 80% this season February 4, 2026 Ohio, Athens County Independent
... State officials and hunters described the regional outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease last summer and fall as unprecedented. Ohio Wildlife Council Chair Mike Rex said “that’s an understatement. I don’t think that anybody that pays attention to deer and wildlife could have ever imagined the scope and the magnitude of die-off that we saw in this part of the state,” ...
Elk numbers down at feeding sites in Baker, Union counties February 4, 2026 Oregon, East Oregonian
...Normally, the crew feeds alfalfa hay to a total of nearly 2,000 elk by mid-winter ... But this winter, with snow scarce and temperatures above average on most days, about half as many elk as usual are showing up ... purpose isn’t to stave off starvation during the region’s long winters, but rather to keep famished elk from plundering cattle ranchers’ haystacks ...
Board of Game restricts Zarembo elk hunt to residents only February 4, 2026 Alaska, Wrangell Sentinel
... In 1987, the state transplanted elk to Etolin Island from Oregon, allowing hunters in 1997 to start taking the animals after the herd had grown in size. But as the population grew, some elk swam over to Zarembo, establishing a herd there too — which led to the conflict with deer ...“Cougars seem to be migrating into Southeast Alaska. Cougars are an ambush predator,” the Wrangell committee said in explaining its proposal. “This style of predation is unknown to prey species in Southeast Alaska...
CWD setting deadly records in Wisconsin February 4, 2026 Janesville Gazette
... The Department of Natural Resources found a record 2,022 CWD cases in a record 41 counties for a record detection rate of 11.2%, up from 10.3% in 2024 and 7.7% in 2021. The DNR learned all that by testing 18,046 hunter-killed deer ... for Wisconsin’s top 12 CWD counties, where the combined CWD infection rate rose from 22% in 2024 to 23.6% in 2025..,
Migration Pays Off: Study Links Long-Distance Movement of Mule Deer to Robust Population Growth February 4, 2026 University of Wyoming
... New research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Wyoming, published this week in Current Biology, reveals that migrating mule deer access more productive summer ranges, have higher adult survival and raise more offspring compared to resident mule deer that remain year-round in a desert ecosystem...
New World screwworm detected in Florida February 4, 2026 Farm Progress
... The announcement earlier this week stated that a horse from Argentina, presented for routine inspection at an import quarantine facility in Florida, was found by Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspectors to have an open wound with larvae, a common visible sign of a potential screwworm infection... the animal will remain in quarantine until it has been reexamined and determined to be free of the pest...The last major outbreak was in 2016, which affected Key deer in the Florida Keys...
Pennsylvania's hidden wildlife crossings save animals, drivers September 4, 2026 GoErie.com on MSN
... In 35 places across Pennsylvania, wildlife has special corridors to travel underneath state highways to avoid motorists ... With new road projects, PennDOT looks for places where crossings can be planned and programmed... We’ll look at crash data to see if there’s a high occurrence of maybe deer strikes in the area ...
Puma protections could become permanent February 3, 2026 California, MSN
... in December 2025, the department announced that based on its status review of the mountain lions, protections were warranted under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The protections that have been in place since 2020 will become permanent if the Fish and Game Commission votes to list the six mountain lion populations as endangered...
Iron Mountain to remove deer pen from city park February 3, 2026 Michigan, Upper Michigan's Source
... For 75 years, the Iron Mountain City Park has allowed visitors to observe deer from the deer pen in the park... Last year, the USDA deemed the pen not up to the organization’s standards... would cost the city around $22,000 dollars... the deer will have to be killed... [Video Below]
Video Below: What is a healthy whitetail deer herd—and are we managing deer the right way? In this podcast episode, we dive deep into the science of whitetail deer management, focusing on what actually creates healthy deer herds in Michigan and the Midwest. This conversation breaks down age structure, buck-to-doe ratios, habitat carrying capacity, selective harvest, and long-term herd sustainability ... - February 3, 2026
Bill to put antler restrictions on a second buck fails at the state house January 3, 2026 West Virginia, WV MetroNews
... Legislation which would have placed restrictions on a West Virginia deer hunter’s second buck during hunting season has died at the State Capitol... Raleigh County Delegate Eric Brooks ... said he also favored the bill.“I can appreciate, I’ve been told and we know this to be true in every state that it’s in, if you let some of these smaller bucks walk, you’ll get bigger bucks,” ...
Commission studies controversial deer-baiting law February 3, 2026 Tennessee, Main Street Media of Tennessee
... The Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission is wrangling with a new law that allows hunters to bait deer – a practice it has adamantly opposed throughout its 75-year history... it considers it unethical ... skeptics doubt that baiting licenses will generate much revenue, and enforcement will be virtually impossible on private land where game wardens can’t go without the landowner’s permission...
California approves controversial plan to wipe out deer herd on Catalina Island February 3, 2026 California, Yahoo on MSN
... The proposal drew strong opposition from Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn — whose district includes the 22-mile-long island — just days before its approval by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Mule deer have been part of Catalina’s landscape for nearly a century, and their presence has become an important part of the island’s identity,” Hahn said in a letter to CDFW. “This plan disregards the deeply held values of many Catalina residents and visitors...
Video Below: A plan to restore Catalina Island’s ecosystem by killing roughly 2,000 nonnative deer has been approved by state wildlife officials. February 2, 2026 California
Ohio’s Final 2025-26 Deer Hunting Season Report February 02, 2026 DNR News
Ohio hunters checked 232,142 white-tailed deer during the 2025-26 season that concluded on Sunday, Feb. 1 ... Does: 111,921 (48%). Antlered bucks: 95,998 (42%). Button bucks: 21,257 (9%). Bucks with shed antlers or antlers shorter than 3 inches: 2,966 (1%) ..,
Experimental evidence for large carnivore risk cues reducing deer browsing intensity in a temperate forest 2026 Journal of Applied Ecology
... We used video camera collars to assess microhabitat selectivity by woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus in boreal forests of Ontario, Canada ... While habitat selection at landscape scales is important to avoid predation, the videos enabled an understanding of within stand selection among closely-related forest types, indicating habitat selection occurred at a finer spatial scale for different reasons ...
Catalina Island Conservancy Seeks to Eradicate 2,000 Mule Deer January 31, 2026 California, Sportsmen's Alliance
... Any day, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) could approve or deny a restoration management permit (RMP) application submitted by the Catalina Island Conservancy (Conservancy) to eliminate 1,800 to 2,000 mule deer that reside on the island... use the Take Action Button to email the Director of CDFW and the Governor urge them to deny the Conservancy’s permit to eliminate the Catalina Island mule deer population...
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is helping restore thousands of acres impacted by 2025 wildfires January 31, 2026 The Fence Post
... Beginning in spring 2025, persistent drought conditions contributed to an intense wildfire season, with more than 265,000 acres burned statewide ... including important mule deer and elk winter range...700 acres of mule deer and elk winter range treated using soil scarification with an Ely chain and aerial seeding...
Rescuers calls for better protection of deer January 31, 2026 United Kingdom, BBC on MSN.com
... A Shropshire wildlife rescue is calling for deer to be better protected and has urged landowners to properly maintain their fences... in 2025 ... 24 had been caught in fences or other foreign objects... "Many deer that have been caught in fences have tried to jump over and got their legs stuck between the layers of barbed wire," ...
Searching the internet to find and conserve deer information
Deer in the News
Video Below: Workers rescue deer from wastewater treatment tank in Jessamine County. February 11, 2026 Kentucky, WKYT
Michigan State Police rescue deer in East Grand Rapids Februaary 9, 2026 Huron Daily Tribune
... With help from the homeowner, Wehler was able to carefully free the animal... After being released, the deer ran off without issue ...
Firefighter bear hugs terrified deer on icy lake in daring rescue February 8, 2026 Washington, The Washington Post on MSN.com
... at Washington state’s Loon Lake ...A deer was stranded in the middle of it... firefighter Gavyn Gallagher, 26, and his team arrived ... managed to lasso her with a rope, then splayed his body on the ice and hugged her from behind ...
Inside Maine's surprisingly cutthroat shed-hunting world February 3, 2026 Bangor Daily News
... In recent years, shed hunting in Maine has exploded in popularity... stories circulate of stolen spots, sabotaged areas, false online accusations and even threats ...
Video Below: A deer with a plastic bucket stuck on its head has prompted at least a dozen calls to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Rock County. January 2, 2026, WMTV
Hunters Perform CPR on Deer and Save Its Life January 29, 2026 Texas, Newstalk KGVO
... him and his hunting partner stumble upon a partially alive buck stuck in a fence, choking, its neck wound tight in wire... Aldofo begins performing chest compressions ... [Video Below]
Video Below: How white-tailed deer survive in extremely cold temperatures. January 29, 2026
Lapeer County rescue saves fawns, educates locals on wildlife January 29, 2026 Michigan, ABC12
... Short’s Fawn Rescue in Lapeer County is a charity dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating sick, injured and orphaned fawns, returning them to the wild... Anyone interested in supporting the rescue can donate on their website or join their annual Run Wild for the Fawns Virtual 5K starting February 23rd...
Video Below: Dramatic video shows a deer smashing through a bank window and running wild as officers try to wrangle it. January 22, 2026
Video Below: Brownville’s Food Pantry for Deer helps provide essential nourishment to the local deer population in Brownville, Maine. The organization feeds approximately 700 pounds of oats daily to 150-200 deer. - January 12, 2026
3 New York Hunters Illegally Kill Trophy Deer, Leave It To Die January 12 ,2026 Q105.7
... men drove through fields in the town of Richford, spotlighting for deer ... shot an 11-point buck from their vehicle ... the landowner found the deer still alive but not moving...
Read More: 3 Upstate New York Hunters Caught Poaching Trophy Deer | https://q1057.com/deer-hunting-violations-new-york/#google_vignette?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Read More: 3 Upstate New York Hunters Caught Poaching Trophy Deer | https://q1057.com/deer-hunting-violations-new-york/#google_vignette?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral ...
Seeds, Survival, and Predators: Inside the Relentless Cycle of New Hampshire's Deer January 10, 2025 A-Z Animals
... To the Abenaki people, who are still honored throughout New England today, the white-tailed deer is symbolic of life and community. The Abenaki use deer hunting as a test and coming-of-age ritual, often using every part of the animal so none goes to waste. Deer are also called “animal people,” emphasizing the connection between humans and animals. When a deer is hunted, many bury the animal’s heart where it was slain...
Brave young man rescues baby deer from icy Irondequoit Bay January 10, 2026 New York, WROC
... a baby deer in frozen Irondequoit Bay. In the video, you can see Shutter swim a few hundred feet to get to the deer, but it takes a few tries to get the animal out...
Video Below: A 13kg deer decided to take on a 1.7-tonne rhinoceros in a curious confrontation at Wroclaw Zoo in Poland on Friday (9 January). The Chinese Muntjac, a small deer species native to Asia, fearlessly engaged with its huge opponent... - January 9, 2026
Video Below: Training Santa's reindeers in Washington state. - Decembere 30, 2025
Video Below: Helped a Deer Stuck in a Fence. - December 30, 2025
The Biggest Deer Story Of The Year December 27,, 2025 Nebraska, The Post-Journal
... an antler collector paying $1 million for the biggest set of typical antlers a deer ever grew ... a deer no hunter ever shot... way back in 1959 a Nebraska rancher found this pair of shed antlers that were second to none, and still are...
Maine deer eat from trough on live stream, have become internet darlings December 23, 2025 The Washington Post on MSN.com
... Every winter day in a Maine backyard, dozens of deer eat oats, apples and acorns from wooden troughs. Unbeknownst to the deer, four cameras live-stream their every move to thousands of people...
Escaped reindeer cause havoc as they desperately search for Santa's sleigh December 17, 2025 California, Daily Star on MSN
... The animals, lovingly named, Cookie and Noel, had gone loose close to an incredibly busy intersection with the 118 Freeway in the San Fernando area. Stunned drivers looked on as the deer ran across different lanes, tiring themselves out as several cars raced by... The deer had managed to escape its own enclosure at Santa's Enchanted Forest, held each year in Formby ...
Texas Hunter Shoots Buck's Antler Off To Free It From Deadlocked Deer December 16, 2025 Cowboy State Daily
... found the helpless bucks on Dec. 7 in the Texas Panhandle country, there wasn’t enough time to hike all the way back home to retrieve a hacksaw. So he turned to plan B, blasting off one of the dead buck’s antlers with the Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol ... friend caught video ...
Upstate NY firefighters rescue deer stuck on ice in the Finger Lakes (video below) December 15, 2025 New York, newyorkupstate
... members of the Ithaca Fire Department assisted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in rescuing a deer that had become stuck on the ice along the Cayuga Inlet...
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