A Community Decision
... The number of deer that a community wants is a community decision. There is no biologically correct number. The biological carrying capacity of many of our urban areas can be over 100 deer per square mile. What the community needs to determine is the social carrying capacity, how many deer the citizens are willing to tolerate... From: “Urban Deer Management in Wisconsin” Wisconsin Urban and Community Forests, A Quarterly Newsletter of the Wisconsin department of Natural Resources Forestry Program. Volume 8, No. 1, Spring, 2000, p. 1
Middleburg Heights deer population far exceeds state average, study shows February 16, 2025 Ohio, Cleveland.com
... “At the end of the day, (Wildlife Services officials) don’t like to give you a hardline number (for acceptable deer per square mile) because they say it’s about what your community is willing to tolerate,” Swanson said...
Jurisdictions struggle over how many deer are enough May 15, 2017 Minnesota, Minneapolis Star Tribune
... deer densities ... Shawn Riley, who teaches human dimensions of wildlife management at Michigan State University, said ...“There is no magic number that I can tell you or anyone else can tell you is right for a community ... Citizens living right next door will disagree on whether there are too many or too few.” ... ...
Lakeway, Living with Deer, Relocation of Urban Deer February 5, 2016 Texas, City of Lakeway
... Determination of the “acceptable” number of deer in Lakeway is a subjective matter. The primary criteria are: health and safety of both deer and residents; cost to the public and to individual residents for deer-related damage to public and private property, and to related costs for maintenance. These are tempered by the desire of many Lakeway homeowners to retain a resident deer population for esthetic value. ..
Deer hunts coming to Bloomington June 30, 2012 Indiana, The Bloomington Alternative
... urban ecosystems, in fact, are good for the deer, according to the Bloomington task force... "Indeed, due to the use of fertilizers, plants in suburban yards are often more nutrient-rich than food found in the forest." ... "It is likely that the local urban environment could actually support many more deer than it currently does," the task force website says. "When it comes to urban deer, wildlife biologists often advise that instead of asking how many deer an urban environment could biologically support, the more salient task is assessing how many deer a community finds acceptable – the social carrying capacity.”
Deer Wars and Death Threats November 8, 2021 New York, The New Yorker
... Allen Rutberg, a research associate professor at Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine ... told me that the first question most people ask him is what the “right” number of deer is—as if there were a “natural” world to which we could return, as if nature were ever static to begin with, as if we hadn’t transformed it into something new... “Deer are a convenient focus for our concerns about what we’re doing to the environment. But removing them won’t fix what we’ve done.” ...
Deer management program reaches 15-year mark September 30, 2021 Iowa, Clinton Herald
... the City of Clinton ... the Iowa Department of Natural Resources decided that the population shouldn’t exceed 35 deer per square mile...
Large numbers of whitetail deer are hard to figure October 26, 2013 Florida, Florida Times-Union
...“Years ago we thought we knew how many deer the land could support, and biologists offered numbers of whitetails per square mile as a maximum — ‘carrying capacity’ in other words,” explains Illinois deer biologist Paul Shelton. “But in many areas of the U.S. we don’t know what the true ‘biological deer carrying capacity’ of land actually is because whitetail numbers would never be allowed to reach those high figures. Public tolerance – ‘cultural carrying capacity’ — of deer is much lower in than what land can actually support.” ...
Tega Cay Receives Results Of DNR Deer Survey February 16, 2016 South Carolina, WRGI
... results of its December deer survey to the Tega Cay City Council... one deer for every 11 acres of land [58 deer per square mile] ... you may want to reduce the population,” Witt said [DNR wildlife biologist Jeff Witt] “It’s just a matter of what the residents feel like they can live with,” ...
Tecumseh City Council approves lethal deer cull funding February 6, 2019 Michigan, The Daily Telegram
... the city contracted with the USDA to conduct a trail survey of the city’s deer population, which revealed an estimated deer population of 194 deer per square mile — an amount considered on the high side compared to similar areas...
2018 – 2019 Union County Deer Management Program August 9, 2018 New Jersey
... Forest ecologists recommend that white-tailed deer populations in Northeast hardwood forests should not exceed an overwintering density of 20 deer per square mile in order for deer browse to not impair forest health. In areas where the forest health is already compromised, deer density needs to be as low as 5 per square mile.
Browse survey gives better deer picture February 14, 2016 Oklahoma, Enid News
... “A property can have a deer per 20 acres [32 per square mile] and actually be understocked ... ”
Avon Lake, As deer-gun season opens in Ohio, Avon Lake plans nuisance controls November 30, 2015 The Morning Journal
... example of a population measurement of 32 deer per square mile. Few people understand what that means, Westerfield said, and if all the deer stay out of backyards, the population is not an issue. “If they’re in the industrial park and not causing any problems, who cares? It’s about where they’re causing problems,” ...
Tellico Village community debates merits of deer control December 26, 2015 Tennessee, Knoxville News Sentinel
... studies indicate his neighborhood has approximately 400 deer — six times greater than the density recommended by wildlife biologists based on the community's habitat and housing density ... Bill Orcutt, who has owned property ... said the deer aren't a serious problem ... Wildlife are a huge attraction to a great number of people ...John Cherry, public relations manager for Tellico Village, said ... deer overpopulation doesn't appear to be a pervasive problem ...
Examples of the wide range of deer density recommendations
Syracuse deer management program: Sharpshooters killed 159 deer in the city this winter May 28, 2020 New York, syracuse.com
... the program is not a one-and-done situation. He said the city expects to continue the program for “multiple years” to get closer to the optimum numbers of deer in a suburban/urban area (about 10 per square mile)...
Des Peres, Firm Hired To Reduce Deer Population March 6, 2020 Missouri, Webster-Kirkwood Times
... resolution allows the board to hire White Buffalo Company to conduct the hunt for up to 50 deer at a cost of $50,000... would bring the number of deer down to the optimum number of 15 to 20 deer per square mile. The last count by White Buffalo showed 51 deer per square mile ..
DeWitt begins deer culling through March December 24, 2018 New York, Eagle News Online
... Deer management is a significant challenge for the Town of DeWitt; while “natural” levels for deer are generally accepted to be approximately 8.5 per square mile, some areas of the Town of DeWitt have approximately 85 deer per square mile, according to town information...
Bloomington City council: Vote against killing more deer September 19, 2018 Indiana, by Maria Katrien Heslin, former Bloomington deputy mayor, heraldtimesonline
... There’s no public demand for the kill... The city doesn’t know how many deer remain in the preserve ... it was stated 10-to-30 deer per square mile was sufficient for plant regeneration; inexplicably now staff says it should be 5 per square mile ...
Saddle River, Animal group files complaint against Saddle River's deer culling plan September 13, 2018 Mew Jersey, MSN.com
... council was advised that a "healthy deer density is 10 deer per square mile," ... "Defendants surprised the public by changing the language of the resolution after the resolution had been published with the agenda," reads the complaint...
Extended Hunt Aims To Control County Deer Population September 7, 2018 New Jersey,
... The exact number of deer was 127 deer per square mile, county officials said ... 12 times what it should be, wildlife experts told Mercer County officials [10.6 deer per square mile]
DeWitt begins deer reduction program through March 31 January 15, 2018 New York, WSYR
... While "natural" levels for deer are generally accepted to be approximately 8.5 per square mile, some areas of DeWitt have approximately 85 deer per square mile... the goal is to reduce the crisis-level Lyme Disease problem, often attributed to the deer population [this type of cull not shown to be effective] ...
Colorado Springs, County considers urban hunting to combat exploding deer population December 7, 2017 Colorado, KKTV 11 News
... "There are 20 deer per square mile here," McGee explained. "Which compared to the mountains only have three deer per mile." ... Wildlife officials mentioned sterilization, or birth control, as an option too, but just like relocation, they said it's not the most effective option to combat growth... [see non-lethal options]
Fayetteville deer control looks hopeful despite permit changes August 17, 2017 New York, WSYR
... The goal is to bring the population down to eight deer per square mile...
Registration now open for annual archery hunt at Neshaminy State Park August 13, 2017 Pennsylvania, The Intelligencer
... The higher the deer population at Neshaminy State Park, the slower the woodland regeneration that can take place ... The carrying capacity of the 339-acre park is four individual deer ... [about 8 deer per square mile]
South Euclid Councilwoman seeks way to manage deer population; Lyndhurst again has permit to cull January 9, 2018 Ohio, cleveland.com
... South Euclid was among the other suburbs that made up the EWMP, which also included Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Cleveland Heights and University Heights, that each were found to have eight to 15 deer per square mile. The report lists as an overabundance of deer 10-20 per square mile...
Upper Dublin, Deer count underway in Upper Dublin April 12, 2017 Pennsylvania, Montgomery Newspapers
... bow-hunting program was started in 2009 ... has not reached its recommended sustainable population of 11 per square mile ... The decision to re-evaluate ... at the urging of residents who have continually questioned the safety and effectiveness of the plan...
Vassar to hold deer cull in January; groups to protest December 29, 2017 New York, Poughkeepsie Journal
... For the fourth consecutive year, Vassar College is planning to hold a deer cull in January. Activists on Sunday plan to protest ... the estimated deer population was 42 animals per square mile before fawns were born. The college said the optimal number is 10 to 20 deer per square mile...
DCR has plan for controlled deer hunt in Blue Hills September 4, 2015 Massachusetts, randolph.wickedlocal.com
... Ward 4 City Councilor Brian Palmucci, who represents West Quincy, said he was shocked by the email, and he accused the state of drafting a secret plan to allow for hunting without first getting public feedback... The state has reported ... far more [deer] than the healthy level, 10 deer per square mile.
Dearborn, Deer cull completed at University of Michigan-Dearborn March 3, 2015 Press and Guide
... Thirty-four deer were eliminated from the herd of 76... Ken Kettenbeil, director of communications for the university said ... The number of deer should about 8 to 10 per square mile.
Will County OKs more deer culling February 15, 2014 Illinois, Kankakee Daily Journal
... the district's goal of maintaining deer population at 20 to 30 per square mile...
Dearborn Council says no to deer cull, university does not plan to revisit January 6, 2015 Michigan, Press and Guide
..... there are about 57 deer living on about 300 acres of the university’s campus, but Department of Natural Resources officials say that number should be much lower, about 8 to 10 per square mile ... Councilman David Bazzy said he sees the deer in the area daily, and has never seen what he considers to be an unhealthy deer ...
Ridgefield, Deer count shows dense population March 24, 2015 Connecticut, The Ridgefield Press
... we’ve talked about 20 to 30 per square mile is a good goal,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said...
Eau Claire's deer question June 12, 2015 Wisconsin, Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
... urban deer management goals that aim for 10- to 20-deer per square mile... John Dunn, a retired Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, is working on the city’s deer management plan.
Green Bay, Aerial survey targets Green Bay’s urban deer population February 14, 2014 Wisconsin, Fox11
... The Department of Natural Resources recommends a target limit of 25 deer per mile.
Deer population rises in Cayuga Heights June 13, 2013 New York, Shreveport Times
... Paul Curtis, a wildlife specialist in Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources, ... recommends that suburban communities, like Cayuga Heights, have deer population densities below 15-20 deer per square mile.
Block Island deer herd will be thinned out by sharpshooters December 23, 2013 Rhode Island, theday.com
... The goal is 10 to 15 deer per square mile ... according to Brian Tefft, a deer biologist with the state Department of Environmental Management...
All God's critters big and small, deer population in Georgia March 30, 2013 Covington News
... DNR biologist Don McGowan estimates that the present deer population in this area is approximately 30-35 per square mile, considered healthy by current standards...
Fairfax City pursues deer sterilization program December 16, 2013 Virginia, Fairfax Times
... Dr. Anthony DiNicola ... estimates that the city’s deer population is between 50 to 75 deer per square mile, which is lower than areas considered to have a deer crisis... “I can’t guarantee that deer are going to become a problem here,” DiNicola told the City Council last week ...
Sunset Hills, Deer population growing problem in south Sunset Hills April 23, 2013 Missouri, STLtoday.com
... ... With 20 deer per square mile, it is ecologically viable for them to survive. They can eat without disturbing the land or eating vegetation favored by other animals. When the number is 40, the deer are on the limits of living off the land, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation...
Hendersonville, Deer feeding ban clears first hurdle February 10, 2016 Tennessee, The Tennessean
... City leaders enacted an ordinance to implement a program to control the urban deer herd in February 2015...bafter an aerial survey conducted in March and April showed the city’s deer population to be at around 19 deer per square mile, a USDA representative told committee members that the use of sharp shooters would not be feasible ...
Fairfax City, Council Deadlocked Over Deer Hunting, Instead Will Ban it Completely July 11, 2013 Virginia, Patch.com
... wildlife biologist Vicky Monroe ... aid, an optimum number would be 15 to 20 deer per square mile – but that the local City and County areas currently have an estimated 40 to 100 deer per square mile. She also said studies are showing that deer in northern Virginia are living twice as long as the average deer across the country...
Fairfax, City to Consider Deer Sterilization to Help Manage Overpopulation ... December 10, 2013, Patch.com
... Vicky Monroe ... said an optimal number of deer to have in a suburban area such as Fairfax would be 15 to 20 deer per square mile...
Cape Girardeau, Deer count results presented to Cape City Council March 5, 2013 Missouri, Southeast Missourian
... A survey of Cape Girardeau's whitetail deer population presented to the city council Monday night found an average density of 37 deer per square mile ...Matt Bowyer, a conservation department wildlife biologist ... told the council the department keeps three numbers in mind when looking at survey results: a 20-deer-per-square-mile "optimal" density, a 40-deer-per-square-mile social carrying capacity and a 60-deer-per-square-mile biological carrying capacity ... Thirty-seven deer per square mile is an indication, according to Bowyer, that the local deer population is healthy ...
West Des Moines looks to thin out herds of deer June 29, 2013 Iowa, DesMoinesRegister.com
... Polk County Deer Task Force recommendation of 20 to 30 deer per square mile... in Des Moines, where more than 1,000 deer have been harvested in the last seven years, according to Mike Gaul, Des Moines’ controlled bow hunt coordinator...
Eden Prairie, Deer Management Program November 10, 2012 Eden Prairie News
The City of Eden Prairie's 2012 Deer Management Program ... The goal is to manage the white tail deer population to 25 deer per square mile, according to the Minnesota DNR guidelines.
Amberley, A (Lone) Wolf in the Village: Deer Management June 29, 2012 Ohio, lonewolfinthevillage.blogspot.com
... According to [Cincinnati] Park representatives Dave Gamstetter and Jim Godby, in their opinion, the optimal number of deer to ensure a sustainable ecosystem is 15-20 deer per square mile. When asked specifically about French Park, they estimated that the park could sustain six deer before exhibiting signs of deer defoliation or a "browse line." ...
Shawnee, New deer cull set for Shawnee Mission Park November 30, 2012 Kansas, Kansas City Star
The Johnson County Park & Recreation District said law enforcement sharpshooters will be killing deer on several dates to reduce the population ... The park board has said it wants to keep the deer population at 50 per square mile...
Morgantown Council discusses urban deer population June 29, 2011, West Virginia, The Daily Athenaeum
Dave Samuel, a West Virginia University professor of wildlife and biology, presented the results of an infrared count of the number of deer in the area and ... ...showed a deer population far in excess of the desired ecological standard of five deer per square mile. [This is the lowest standard publicly reported anywhere in the U.S.,]
West Lakeland, Bowhunting scheduled to thin deer population December 22, 2012 Minnesota, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The township has sought Urban Deer Management's help controlling the deer population every year since 2006, said Dan Kyllo, town board chair ... "What we found out through the DNR is that they claim that a healthy population of deer is seven to 10 deer per square mile," Kyllo said. "In counts by hunters, we were approaching 30 deer per square mile."
Valley Forge National Historical Park proceeds with deer culling December 17, 2012 Pocono Record
It has set off a heated debate, a federal lawsuit ... But for the third consecutive year, Valley Forge National Historical Park is proceeding with a deer-culling program ... Before the culling began, the park counted 291 deer per square mile. A "sustainable" population would be closer to 35 per square mile, said Deirdre Gibson, the park's chief of resources. About 1,000 deer were killed during the first two years of the program, reducing the herd to 71 per square mile ...
Radnor Board of Commissioners OKs deer cull June 20, 2012 Pennsylvania, Main Line
... The recommendation is a result of a recent study involving the police department and the USDA’s Wildlife Services ... Last year 144 deer incidents were reported to police, the majority of which involved automobiles.The deer-density study indicated that the current deer density in the township was 101 per square mile while the desirable level of deer density should be 30 per square mile.
Wildlife Too Close for Comfort in Fairfield County? January 29, 2012 Connecticut, The Daily Greenwich
... A mountain lion, later traced to South Dakota, is killed by a motorist on the Merritt Parkway within days of repeated sightings in Greenwich ... Experts estimate there are between 50 to 100 deer per square mile compared to the desired 12 to 25 [per square mile]
Redding: Deer Management: Study results are revealed December 8, 2011 Connecticut TheReddingPilot.com
... 75% of the female herd still needs to be culled to reach the town’s goal of 10 to 12 per square mile.... According to an aerial survey, there are 68.8 deer per square mile, or about 1,900 deer currently inhabiting the town.... The homeowners’ survey, to which 66% responded, indicated about 40% thought the deer population was stable. However, 38% said they think the population is still increasing... more than two-thirds ... said they would like to see fewer deer. ...51% of homeowners supported the concept of sharpshooting, while 49% were opposed.
Wilton: Deer control: Hunting alone is not getting it done January 8, 2012 Connecticut, Wilton Bulletin
Wilton's density of deer is presently about 69 deer per square mile, based on the Department of Environmental Protection's flyover count. "It should be about 10 to 20 psm (per square mile), eight psm to eradicate Lyme disease [not supported by Center for Disease Control]," said Patricia Sesto, Wilton's director of Environmental Affairs. [deer cull not effective against Lyme] ... "If we harvest 300 a year it could take us maybe seven years." But of course that does not include baby deer, which tend to come in twos. [Wilton's deer cull program has been in place since 2,000, hunting not providing effective control]
Islesboro, Hunters to thin Islesboro deer herd November 9, 2012 Maine, Bangor Daily News
...voters approved killing about 400 of the estimated 500 deer that live on the island. The vote was 100-28, according to BDN reports at the time... In one study the density was established at 50 deer per square mile; in the other, the estimate was 48 deer per square mile. According to published BDN accounts, a healthy deer population density in Maine is about 10 deer per square mile...
Weston opens public lands to first deer hunt in memory October 28, 2012 Massachusetts, Boston Globe
... The new policy has provoked fierce debate in Weston ... State wildlife officials estimate that Weston has 25 deer per square mile, while the community is more suited to just six to eight deer per square mile
Weston, Deer Hunt Starts Wednesday In Devil's Den Preserve In Weston November 13, 2012 Connecticut, The Daily Voice
... The goal is to cut the population to eight to 12 deer per square mile, which maintains healthy forests, said Steve Patton, the conservancy’s director of Devil’s Den.
Eden Prairie, Sharpshooters Will Target Eden Prairie Deer Starting Thursday November 13, 2012 Patch.com
The shooters, part of a professional wildlife management company, will kill roughly 100 deer in 2012 with the goal of reducing the population to 25 deer per square mile, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources guidelines
Kirkwood, Counting Deer Can Be A Challenge December 14, 2012 Missouri, Webster Kirkwood Times
... initiatives are underway to gain a more accurate idea of how many of the animals are wandering suburban streets.... Erin Shank, an urban wildlife biologist at Powder Valley, said ... "We'd like to see it below 40 per square mile.... We know that's a big attraction for folks who come here," Shank said. "They like to see the deer and there are lots of opportunities for that here at Powder Valley ..."
Sunset Hills hires firm for deer survey December 19, 2012 Missouri, St. Louis Post-Dispatch ·
White Buffalo Inc., a firm that specializes in population control of white-tailed deer in urban areas, will conduct a study to determine if Sunset Hills has a deer problem. The aldermanic board approved Dec. 11 a $2,500 contract for the study. ... For suburban areas, 20 to 30 deer per square mile is a desired number, according to the conservation department.
Helena once again gets FWP approval to remove urban deer December 20, 2012 Montana, Independent Record
... police officers will try to lure about 200 urban deer in Helena into traps and kill them with bolt guns ... more comments opposing the measure were received this year than in past years by FWP, prompting Commissioner Ron Moody to note that they should be open to some other options to drop the deer population to the goal of about 25 deer per square mile... An estimated 377 deer — mostly mule deer — live in Helena, which equates to about 34 per square mile ...
Hopewell Township December, 2012 New Jersey
The Hopewell Township Deer Management Committee estimated the deer
population in the township to be 54 deer per square mile. Published literature suggests that 10 deer per square mile is associated with low rates of Lyme disease [the Center For Disease Control finds no peer reviewed research for a general deer density shown to reduce Lyme] and deer collisions, and healthy forests ...
Gettysburg, Park staff thin the deer herd at Gettysburg November 3, 2013 Pennsylvania, witf.org
... the Park Service plans to shoot between 200 and 250 deer, which would help them reach their goal of 25 deer per square mile of forest...
