Wednesday, January 07, 2009

ILLINOIS NEWS: Final Population Management Recommendations Based in Part on Reducing Vehicle Collisions

The Joint Task Force on Deer Population Control (JTF) has made final recommendations on ways to manage the deer population, provide additional deer hunting opportunities, and reduce deer/vehicle accidents throughout the state. The recommendations include extending portions of some deer seasons, expanding educational outreach efforts, and making certain seasonal permits more readily available for longer periods of time to the public.

“I want to thank the members of this task force and the public, for their dedication to this important issue,” said IDNR Acting Director, Sam Flood. Managing the state’s deer population is an ongoing responsibility, and I commend this group for its well thought out, data driven recommendations to better manage populations,”

The JTF recommends that the rate of deer/vehicle accidents be used as the objective to guide deer management and to judge the success or failure of the management programs. The specific target rate (both statewide and at the county level) was set at halfway between the minimum and maximum rates measured during the period 1994 through 2007. The statewide target rate corresponds to a 14% decrease in the accident rate from the statewide peak observed during 2003.

Source: WIFR

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