deer population by state 2021
The most recent data I could find for white-tailed deer reported around 300,000 in 2016. West Virginia Department of Natural Resources: big game hunting information. If the deer population gets too large, it can damage forest growth and destroy native vegetation. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: White-tailed deer in Maine. In 2021 the Nevada Department of Wildlife started the Mule Deer Enhancement Program to bring together people from all areas of the state to look at and address causes. The Axis deer, also known as the chital, is native to the Indian subcontinent. Sampling of ticks in the ESA, conducted in May 2021 by the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife found a high number of black-legged ticks (42 juveniles and 1 adult), which are known vectors for a number of diseases, including Lyme disease . Harvest numbers come from harvest reports submitted by successful hunters and data collected from meat locker records. Upwards of 400,000 deer are hunted in the state each year. Every three years, the DNR approves population objectives for each deer management unit based on population metrics and CDAC input. However the accompanying article states estimates are likely conservative. This includes plant shoots, legumes, cacti, leaves, grasses, fruit, corn, acorns and mushrooms. The supply of deer food throughout the state was in generally good condition. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources: Kentuckys Deer Restoration. They are the most hunted big game in the state. While caribou, elk and moose are all Cervids, that is members of the deer family, we are not discussing them in this article. Some conservationists think the number of deer is too high. 3) Colorado: Deer population around 25,000. Indiana had almost deer left in 1900. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's 2021-22 deer hunting season concluded Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, with 196,988 deer checked, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. They are adaptable to a wide range of climate conditions. Maryland Department of Natural Resources: hunting in Maryland. Illinois Department of Natural Resources: deer hunting information. A 2021 article in the Press Herald quoted a state biologist as saying the 2019 whitetail deer population estimate was 230,000 250,000 and that today the numbers are likely closer to 280,000 300,000. White-tailed deer prefer the more agricultural and upland areas of the state, whereas the sika deer prefer marshes and forested wetlands. Newborn deer, or fawns, have white spots on their coats that help camouflage them in the forest. Slow down. Today, they are an important game animal and a key part of the states ecosystems. As recently as 1968 the in-state population estimate was only 25,000, but through conservation and management by 1990 that number skyrocketed to 100,000. The distribution of hunted deer is about 60% mule deer and 40% Coues deer. Mule deer make up the majority, with white-tailed deer mainly found in eastern parts of the state and a few pockets in central and mountain areas. Three of those are abundant enough to hunt, the white-tailed deer, mule deer and black-tailed deer. Besides hunting, deer watching is a popular activity among visitors to the states parks and wildlife management areas. 2021 population numbers listed by the state estimate 293,950 mule deer and 212,814 white-tailed deer. Oregon has two species of white-tail deer. As the population grew, the demand for market hunting increased and deer were hunted in greater and greater numbers. While the white-tailed deer more or less stop east of the Rocky Mountains, the mule deer take over west of the Rockies. All of Pennsylvanias deer are white-tails. She now has three rescue cats and two high-needs Pomeranian mixes to take up her love and attention. Regular hunting ensures that a state will only have the number of deer its ecosystems can support. They mostly live along the watersheds of the states major rivers. Since then, the introduction of white-tailed deer, habitat protection, and controlled hunting have allowed the deer to thrive again. Williamson, WV (25661) Today. In Mississippi, the deer herd is estimated at 1.75 million animals, which is higher on a deer-per-unit-area basis (density) than any other state, and only Texas has a greater number of deer. Their population is recovering due to prohibiting antlerless harvest for a few years and milder winters. Deer hunting in the state is an important tool to raise money for wildlife management and land acquisition. We will be looking at the population of white-tailed deer, mule deer, and black-tailed deer. White-tailed deer, also known as whitetails or Virginia deer, are a common game animal in the United States. Today, it is thriving. Hawaii does not have white-tailed deer or any native deer. The rut, which is their mating season, occurs in the fall and the fawns are born in the spring. State/Province Updates: Moderator: Sara Holm: 1:00-1:10 PM: California Deer and Elk Status Update: . Because of that, out-of-state hunters' dollars have been a huge boost to the Iowa economy. It is easy to see deer in most U.S. state parks, reserves, and even suburban yards. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. Depending on the time of year, they eat: The total population of all deer in the U.S. is around 25 to 35 million. Despite this, the deer population has remained stable for many years. Arizona has a small population of whitetails, though they tend to prefer areas with more vegetation. Deer Gestation Period: How Long Are Deer Pregnant? Potential Deer Population Growth in 10 Years. White tailed deer are found throughout the state, with the highest numbers in eastern half. Deer are thriving in the states forested areas. There is a great timeline of deer management through the years on the wildlife departments website. Thus far they report that the harvest has not met the numbers they want, and the state is continuing to work on management strategies. Efforts at management started as early as 1917 to save the remaining population. Mule deer are primarily found in the badlands alongside the Little Missouri River. Sika deer are native to Japan, but a small herd of them was introduced to the wild from a private farm. . The DNR estimated 574,000 hunters spent 8.7 million days afield during the 2017 deer season, and harvested 376,000 deer for a nearly 50% success rate. White-tailed deer population in Pennsylvania has been 1.4-1.5 million for the last few years. All of Alaskas deer are black-tail deer. They are mostly herbivores who eat browse, which is a collective term for all types of roots, twigs, bark, grass, leaves, and other vegetation. New Mexico is home to mule deer, Coue deer, and Texas white-tails. The Wisconsin DNR annually estimates the size of deer populations in each deer management unit (DMU). Deer populations and the deer kill across most of the state should be stable to increasing. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of the most populous animals in the United States, and it is found in almost every state. They now live on several Hawaiian islands, and their population is estimated at around 100,000. Growth has boomed since with an estimated population today of 700,000 750,000 white-tailed deer. Deer in the suburbs are well-known for eating the nice flowers and shrubs youve spent time planting in your yard. An article published in November of 2021 in the CT Insider quotes the CT DEEP stating that the three year average for total deer population in the state is 101,000. A separate mule deer survey put the mule deer population in 2021 at 53,400, so it would appear the large majority of deer in Kansas are white-tailed. There are six subspecies of mule deer found across California. This helps them avoid the harsher high elevation winter conditions such as deeper snow that covers up food. White-tailed deer were once common in Delaware, but hunting reduced their numbers. These deer live on a series of islands along the river. White-tailed deer are mainly found in the Black Hills, Bighorn Basin and Riverton regions. The good news seems to be that the white-tailed deer numbers have recovered from the hit they took in 2012-2013 from a bad outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Tag numbers are approximately 20% of the estimated mule deer population for the year (low . Many white-tailed deer live in forests and prefer habitat with young growth and forest edge. Deer Management Units divide the state into 10 geographical areas and were developed to group counties similar in land cover, hunter density, and development (read more in the 2018 Indiana White-tailed Deer Report). But numbers have been on the rise since then, from an estimated 20,000 in 1940 to 700,000 in 2014. Body. The states fish and game page describes mule deer as boom and bust, meaning their populations can vary quite a bit year to year based on environmental conditions such as drought. Colorados white-tailed deer mostly live in the eastern and central mountain areas. Arizona Game & Fish: deer hunting rules and regulations. Since at least 1962, WRD has used scientifically valid, survey methodology to get estimates of not only deer harvest, but also harvest estimates of other game species. Deer living in suburbs and areas not zoned for hunting are hard to monitor due to the fact that most of the data about the deer . Vermont has more deer hunters than any other New England state. Idaho is home to both mule deer and white-tailed deer. I live in the Pacific Northwest and am surrounded by nature. Since 2015, the statewide deer harvest has increased sharply, to a record high of 14,757 last year, with more deer killed east of 495 than the central and western parts of the state combined. With laws enacted and amount of farmed land decreasing, deer began to rebound. In the current Maryland white-tailed deer management plan the most recent population estimate I saw was 207,000 tailed deer in 2018. Thing have come a long way from the first post-conservation deer estimate of 500-700 deer in 1936. Finally, Maine's deer population grew prolifically through the 1990's as a result of the regulatory system that limited doe harvest, plus a series of mild winters. Ohio Department of Natural Resources: hunting and trapping regulations. The Kansas DWP reports that white tailed numbers have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. These sika deer were originally from Japan and were released from private property in Maryland during the early 1900s. It was estimated at 376,450 in 2018 but took a sharp decline in recent years. At that time, many state wildlife agencies were formed with the goal of conserving the nation's depleted wildlife resources. Deer are an important game animal in Georgia, and the state is among many that used conservation efforts to increase its population of these deer. There is also a small population of black-tailed deer on the island of Kauai that were introduced from Oregon in 1961. Pennsylvania: 34 deer per square mile. That number sure has come a long way from 1900 when they were thought to have been completely wiped out with no wild populations left. Preliminary figures show that hunters registered 175,667 deer during the What Is The Deer Population In Wisconsin? Using Remote Sensed Data to Monitor Mule Deer Population Performance: Mark Hurley: 10:25-10:55 AM: . In 1960, there were 22 deer management areas and most deer seasons were only 2 to 4 weeks, with the longest at 56 days. The data are then monitored over time to improve deer management and inform decisions about harvest goals. While overall the deer population is considered to be stable, the migratory populations in the Sierra Nevada and the black-tailed deer in the northwest are likely in decline, while suburban populations are increasing. The state department of wildlife and fisheries began to manage deer by setting hunting seasons and restocking in the late 1940s. I have seen some debate on this but at the time of writing this article the consensus is that black-tailed deer are a subspecies of the mule deer. The over-arching goals of this mule deer plan are: 1) Preserve, protect, perpetuate, and manage deer and their habitat to ensure healthy, productive populations; 2) Manage deer for a variety of recreational, educational, and . Those areas where populations are rapidly increasing are typically urban/suburban areas where the utilization of hunting as a management tool has been greatly hindered. Iowa has produced some of the largest bucks in the history of our country. You can find blacktail deer in western Oregon, whitetail deer in northeastern Oregon and mule deer east of the Cascade range. In the 1950s, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission brought deer from other states to repopulate parts of Florida. Deer are found throughout the state with three subspecies broken up by geographic location. Learn more about the gestation period of fawn in this article. Habitat, not predators, is the major factor determining mule deer numbers in Nevada. This time the population grew to 212 deer in only 6 years. The white-tailed deer found in Arizona belongs to the subspecies called Coues. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. The population is thriving, and Louisiana permits controlled hunting to manage it. They are also an important food source for the endangered Florida panther. After many years of stability, the state reports deer population trended downwards between 2003 and 2015. . Fall deer densities [PDF] in 2018 varied from 4 to 80 deer per square mile of land area. See the 2021 report. But by that time, damage to deer herds had already been happening for almost 30 years. She grew up in rural Pennsylvania where you can regularly encounter anything from elk to black bears to river otters. The New Hampshire Fish & Game page lists the population estimate for the state at 100,000 white-tailed deer. 2021-2023 Deer Population Objectives. This is mainly white-tailed deer however there is a small population of mule deer in the state also, about 1,750 3,000. Wyoming is home to both mule deer and white-tailed deer. While overall population is down from the peak years of the mid to late 1990s, density of deer still remains a problem in many suburban parts of the state. However Texas is also home to mule deer, who live in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle regions. Cattle and sheep began competing with deer for space and grazing by the 1860s, combined with the 1859 Gold Rush that brought 100,000 people into the state soon to be followed by a railroad bringing even more settlers. Combined with habitat protection measures, this ban allowed deer to thrive. File Layout [< 1.0 MB] Annual State Resident Population Estimates for 5 Race Groups (5 Race Alone or in Combination Groups) by Age, Sex, and Hispanic Origin: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021 (SC-EST2021-ALLDATA5) [< 1.0 MB] With each new release of annual estimates, the entire time series of estimates is revised for all years back to the last . These deer gained the name mule due to their elongated ears that resemble a donkey. If you ever see a deer in the woods and they spot you, you might catch them flagging as they run away. Predators kill white-tailed deer. Idaho Fish & Game: Deer Hunting information. The antlers grow in late spring, and are covered with tissue called velvet during this growth period. Washingtons deer thrive in the mountain regions. They are most populous in states like Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and New York, but they are slowly infiltrating other areas like Alaska as well. The emphasis is a science-based approach to managing of mule deer populations and factors affecting deer populations. There are nearly 2,000 different species! Deer Population by State: How Many Deer are in the U.S.? According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the return of this deer is a tribute to good landowner attitude and progressive management, research, and enforcement programs..
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