Every year in Arkansas, thousands of drivers report crashing their vehicles into deer.
Hundreds more complain to their city officials about the animals eating precious rosebushes or grazing in backyard gardens. Deer in some areas have become such nuisances that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been organizing urban hunts over the past few years to thin herds around towns. Those hunters are allowed to use only bows and arrows.
Hunts are scheduled for September and January in Horseshoe Bend, Cherokee Village, Bull Shoals and Hot Springs Village.
"The main thing is we've been getting in a lot of car accidents with them. I've hit three over the last few years," Horseshoe Bend Mayor Bob Barnes said. "This was a very touchy subject. We put it to ballot, and having urban hunts passed with about 67 percent for it."
Brad Miller, a deer biologist for the Game and Fish Commission, said 1,215 people reported crashing into deer in 2007 compared with 1,216 and 1,213 in 2006 and 2005, respectively. The animals can often be seen grazing along roads, Miller noted.
"Basically, they eat weeds," he said. "If it's late in winter, they will likely be eating the grasses on the side of the road. At other times of the year, they like the clover or other various weeds like goldenrod."
A report on deer-vehicle-collision claims from State Farm Insurance lists 18,498 such accidents in Arkansas from 2007 through 2008. Nationwide, the report lists 1.2 million such collisions for the same time period.
Accurately calculating the number of deer-vehicle collisions each year is difficult.
"People aren't required to report the accidents to Game and Fish," Miller said. "So, our numbers are only those folks who called our 24-hour number where you can report accidents with wildlife or if you had something like a bear in your yard."
The State Farm data also include collisions with moose and elk. There is an elk herd in north Arkansas near the Buffalo River.
"This data is based on actual comprehensive and collision claims, and as such, would not include deer-vehicle collisions where the policyholder had only liability insurance coverage, which is typically carried on older vehicles in some states," the report reads.
Miller said that typically, city leaders contact the commission asking for help after resident complaints mount. Wildlife experts then go to the area and survey the deer population and make recommendations to city leaders.
After conducting surveys in 2006 and 2007, the Game and Fish Commission recommended in 2007 that Little Rock consider allowing urban hunts. So far there haven't been any.
The highest density of deer was found in the Two Rivers Park area near Pinnacle Mountain. The June 2007 survey found that the area had one deer for every 3.4 acres. The June 2006 data showed one deer for every 2.5 acres (256 deer per square mile).
Assistant City Manager Bryan Day said having a hunt inside the Little Rock city limits will require much discussion.
He said that eight or nine years ago, the city amended an ordinance to prohibit the discharge of weapons - including bows - inside the city limits.
"Game and Fish came to us a couple of years ago and said a lot of places were having successful urban hunts in other areas of the state, and they would like us to consider it," Day said. "We have forwarded the Game and Fish request to the legal department for review. We're very much in an exploratory phase, and the staff does not have a recommendation yet for the city Board of Directors."
An urban hunt is the cheapest option for an area with nuisance deer herds the Game and Fish Commission found, listing the other options as:
Fertility drugs: $2 to $10 per dose, but $500 to $1,000 to trap or dart each deer.
Trapping and relocating: $400 to $1,000 per deer, with a low survival rate expected for the animals in unfamiliar habitat.
Sharpshooters: $150 to $400 per deer, with harvested animals donated to needy families.
In an urban hunt, each hunter is required to donate his first deer, which must be a doe, to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry.
In addition to reducing the number of collisions with vehicles, Miller said, keeping the deer population in check is important because the animals are a "keystone" species.
"That means they have the propensity to affect numerous other species, some positively and some negatively," Miller said. "For ground-nesting birds, deer can significantly reduce the amount of vegetative cover, and they can potentially eliminate some plant species altogether."
Sitting in his west Little Rock office, decorated with antlers and trophy art made from game fowl feathers, Miller pulled up a photo on his computer to illustrate his point.
The picture shows a wooded area with a fence running down the middle of the frame. On the side of the fence where there are no deer, there are wild fruit bushes, saplings and shrubs bunched between the towering trees. On the other side, the trees appear to be growing from a carpet of ferns. No other vegetation is visible.
"The deer don't eat the ferns," Miller said. "They don't like them much."
After completing the necessary education classes, 250 hunters will be selected at random for each urban hunting season with the exception of the hunt in Hot Springs Village where only 200 will be allowed to participate.
To be eligible, each hunter must complete the International Bowhunter Education Program either in the traditional classroom setting or online. Once a hunter passes the program, the certification is good for life, according to the Game and Fish Commission.
The final step for a hunter to become eligible to participate in the urban hunts is passing a shooting proficiency test.
"Basically they will be shooting at lifelike deer targets from 20 yards away," Miller said. "They'll have to hit a certain place with a certain number of arrows to qualify."
Barnes said that while the deer in Horseshoe Bend have been ravaging flower beds and gardens and crashing into vehicles, he's not planning to be a part of the hunt.
"It wouldn't be to my benefit," he said. "There's no way I could hit one using a bow."
Source: NWANews
Monday, July 06, 2009
GEORGIA NEWS: Berry College Studies Ways to Reduce Deer-Vehicle Collisions
Deer-vehicle collisions are a nationwide problem, killing an estimated 150 people each year and causing a billion dollars worth of damage, researchers say.
And, with as many as 2,500 deer roaming its property on any given day, Berry College is the perfect setting to study ways to avoid the collisions.
George Gallagher, professor of animal science, and his team of Berry students are collaborating with Bob Warren and Karl Miller of the University of Georgia to develop methods and devices to minimize deer-vehicle collisions. Their efforts are part of a seven-year study funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“We do all our preliminary lab work at UGA’s captive deer facility and all the field work at Berry,” said Gallagher. “Berry represents a very wonderful urban deer population.”
Their past experiments have been designed to measure how a deer perceives and reacts to sights and sounds — in order to better understand the anatomy and physiology of the animal.
A common misconception is that deer have excellent hearing, Gallagher said.
“The truth is, their hearing is much closer to our hearing,” he said.
The current, yearlong, study is focusing on the effectiveness of a new fence designed to keep deer off roadways and lessen the possibility of an accident.
As part of this study, a two-mile stretch of temporary fencing has been constructed along Lavender Mountain Drive, which connects Berry’s main and mountain campuses.
One mile consists of the standard eight-foot fence often seen along highways.
“A deer can typically jump an eight-foot to ninefoot fence,” Gallagher said. This type of fence will work 80 to 90 percent of the time, but it’s relatively expensive and unattractive, he said.
The second mile consists of a new cost-effective design previously tested on the captive deer herd at UGA.
The new design is a fence with Bayco wire lined along the top and angled away from the road.
“Because of the angle, deer are a lot less likely to want to jump the fence,” Gallagher explained.
At the same time, if a deer is on the side of the road and comes upon the fence, it is more likely to jump over the fence to the safer side.
“The goal is to provide a fence that balances the need to minimize deer-vehicle collisions with a more cost-effective design, better suited for implementation and maintenance by Georgia and other DOT operations,” he said.
Before building the fence, teams of researchers canvassed the area around Lavender Mountain Drive in an effort to fit deer with GPS radio collars. Once deer have been collared, researchers are able to track their movements and learn more about their habits.
“The GPS collars provide an unprecedented glimpse into deer behavior by giving us a location update every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, for an entire year,” Gallagher explained.
“This type of information allows us to develop a better understanding of their behavior, which, in turn, puts us in a better position to try to determine how to alter their actions.”
In an effort to be as humane as possible, researchers used both tranquilizer darts and rocket-propelled nets to capture the deer without causing undue injury.
With the fences up, and the GPS collars on approximately 20 deer around Lavender Mountain Drive, Gallagher and his team are now collecting data.
Gallagher said he is hoping to provide more insight about the new fence by January.
“I’m not a fan of the high fences. I’m hoping we’ll have a fence design that is cost-effective and effective for the deer,” he said. “Now, we’re just waiting and letting the deer be deer.”
Source: Rome News Tribune
And, with as many as 2,500 deer roaming its property on any given day, Berry College is the perfect setting to study ways to avoid the collisions.
George Gallagher, professor of animal science, and his team of Berry students are collaborating with Bob Warren and Karl Miller of the University of Georgia to develop methods and devices to minimize deer-vehicle collisions. Their efforts are part of a seven-year study funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“We do all our preliminary lab work at UGA’s captive deer facility and all the field work at Berry,” said Gallagher. “Berry represents a very wonderful urban deer population.”
Their past experiments have been designed to measure how a deer perceives and reacts to sights and sounds — in order to better understand the anatomy and physiology of the animal.
A common misconception is that deer have excellent hearing, Gallagher said.
“The truth is, their hearing is much closer to our hearing,” he said.
The current, yearlong, study is focusing on the effectiveness of a new fence designed to keep deer off roadways and lessen the possibility of an accident.
As part of this study, a two-mile stretch of temporary fencing has been constructed along Lavender Mountain Drive, which connects Berry’s main and mountain campuses.
One mile consists of the standard eight-foot fence often seen along highways.
“A deer can typically jump an eight-foot to ninefoot fence,” Gallagher said. This type of fence will work 80 to 90 percent of the time, but it’s relatively expensive and unattractive, he said.
The second mile consists of a new cost-effective design previously tested on the captive deer herd at UGA.
The new design is a fence with Bayco wire lined along the top and angled away from the road.
“Because of the angle, deer are a lot less likely to want to jump the fence,” Gallagher explained.
At the same time, if a deer is on the side of the road and comes upon the fence, it is more likely to jump over the fence to the safer side.
“The goal is to provide a fence that balances the need to minimize deer-vehicle collisions with a more cost-effective design, better suited for implementation and maintenance by Georgia and other DOT operations,” he said.
Before building the fence, teams of researchers canvassed the area around Lavender Mountain Drive in an effort to fit deer with GPS radio collars. Once deer have been collared, researchers are able to track their movements and learn more about their habits.
“The GPS collars provide an unprecedented glimpse into deer behavior by giving us a location update every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, for an entire year,” Gallagher explained.
“This type of information allows us to develop a better understanding of their behavior, which, in turn, puts us in a better position to try to determine how to alter their actions.”
In an effort to be as humane as possible, researchers used both tranquilizer darts and rocket-propelled nets to capture the deer without causing undue injury.
With the fences up, and the GPS collars on approximately 20 deer around Lavender Mountain Drive, Gallagher and his team are now collecting data.
Gallagher said he is hoping to provide more insight about the new fence by January.
“I’m not a fan of the high fences. I’m hoping we’ll have a fence design that is cost-effective and effective for the deer,” he said. “Now, we’re just waiting and letting the deer be deer.”
Source: Rome News Tribune
Thursday, June 25, 2009
SPECIAL REPORT: All You Need to Know About Deer Exclosure Construction
The website deerfacts.org has just posted an excellent report entitled "Deer Exclosures: A Comprehensive Practical Guide." The report has excellent photos and drawings, and provides five levels of cost and quality for different types of fencing. I highly recommend the report.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
NEW JERSEY NEWS: Park Employee-Only Hunt Shot Down
A plan to allow only Monmouth County Park System employees to participate in a special "culling" deer hunt next winter at Tatum Park is dead, although hunts open to the public will continue.
A storm of complaints from excluded sportsmen as well as opposition from the anti-hunting community led the county Board of Recreation Commissioners to defeat the employee-only hunt resolution in a split vote Monday night.
The seven residents who spoke during the public hearing mostly ridiculed the idea of park system employees hunting for deer while on the taxpayer's clock, and Commissioner Kevin Mandeville agreed, saying, "I am totally opposed to paying staff to hunt."
The vote was 6-3 against the resolution. Siding with Mandeville were Frederick C. Kniesler, Michael G. Harmon, Violeta Peters, N. Britt Raynor, and Michael W. Brim. Voting in favor of the employee-only hunt were board Chairman Edward J. Loud, Thomas E. Hennessy Jr. and Fred J. Rummel.
However, the commissioners unanimously approved all other elements of the deer management plan for the coming year, which allows deer hunting to continue in the same 15 park areas as last season. The hunts will begin in October at various scheduled times over a 4 1/2-month period and take place in parks in Middletown, Marlboro, Millstone Township, Upper Freehold, Howell, Roosevelt, Holmdel, Wall, Tinton Falls, Neptune and Freehold Township.
New to the program is the establishment of a $20 fee for a so-called deer harvest access permit. Officials said that the revenue is needed because of the county's budget woes and that the money can also offset "program expenses," though they conceded that people who were infrequent hunters in the past may be unlikely to sign up for the permit.
West Long Branch resident Gerard P. Natale, who is an official with several sportsmen's clubs, said hunters already pay for use of the parks through their tax dollars and shouldn't have to pay an additional fee.
"I'm a Monmouth County resident," said Steve Ferrara, Red Bank. "If someone from Ocean County wants to hunt here and you want to charge them, I guess it's OK, but don't charge your own county residents."
Harmon said the fees will be primarily used to ensure program safety.
"We're trying to cover some of the expenses. Maybe you don't see or notice it, but the park rangers are there monitoring you and protecting other people using the park. We appreciate your health and safety, and $20 is nominal for that," Harmon said.
Source: Asbury Park Press
A storm of complaints from excluded sportsmen as well as opposition from the anti-hunting community led the county Board of Recreation Commissioners to defeat the employee-only hunt resolution in a split vote Monday night.
The seven residents who spoke during the public hearing mostly ridiculed the idea of park system employees hunting for deer while on the taxpayer's clock, and Commissioner Kevin Mandeville agreed, saying, "I am totally opposed to paying staff to hunt."
The vote was 6-3 against the resolution. Siding with Mandeville were Frederick C. Kniesler, Michael G. Harmon, Violeta Peters, N. Britt Raynor, and Michael W. Brim. Voting in favor of the employee-only hunt were board Chairman Edward J. Loud, Thomas E. Hennessy Jr. and Fred J. Rummel.
However, the commissioners unanimously approved all other elements of the deer management plan for the coming year, which allows deer hunting to continue in the same 15 park areas as last season. The hunts will begin in October at various scheduled times over a 4 1/2-month period and take place in parks in Middletown, Marlboro, Millstone Township, Upper Freehold, Howell, Roosevelt, Holmdel, Wall, Tinton Falls, Neptune and Freehold Township.
New to the program is the establishment of a $20 fee for a so-called deer harvest access permit. Officials said that the revenue is needed because of the county's budget woes and that the money can also offset "program expenses," though they conceded that people who were infrequent hunters in the past may be unlikely to sign up for the permit.
West Long Branch resident Gerard P. Natale, who is an official with several sportsmen's clubs, said hunters already pay for use of the parks through their tax dollars and shouldn't have to pay an additional fee.
"I'm a Monmouth County resident," said Steve Ferrara, Red Bank. "If someone from Ocean County wants to hunt here and you want to charge them, I guess it's OK, but don't charge your own county residents."
Harmon said the fees will be primarily used to ensure program safety.
"We're trying to cover some of the expenses. Maybe you don't see or notice it, but the park rangers are there monitoring you and protecting other people using the park. We appreciate your health and safety, and $20 is nominal for that," Harmon said.
Source: Asbury Park Press
IOWA NEWS: Municipality Allows Public Bow Hunting to Reduce Deer Numbers
Beginning later this summer, qualified Johnston residents concerned about a high deer population in the city will be able to take matters into their own hands.
As in past years, the city of Johnston is making plans to allow bow hunting in the community between September and January. Under regulations that will be established by the City Council, some residents will be able to hunt deer in certain locations inside city limits.
City administrator Jim Sanders said city staff members have been fielding increased concerns this year about the local deer population.
"The primary concerns are damage caused to plants and gardens, and concerns about deer near the traveled portion of roadways," Sanders said.
The specific dates for this year's hunt will be established by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the council will determine in August or September the areas in which hunting will be allowed, Sanders said.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, deer hunters harvested about 4,000 fewer deer in the most recent season than during the previous season's harvesting of 142,194 statewide.
On its Web site, the Polk County Conservation Board reports deer populations are reaching threatening levels in some parts of the county. When deer populations exceed 20 deer per square mile, overuse of the natural vegetation can lead to destruction of the forest understory, and without a native vegetative habitat, many other species of wildlife may not be able to remain in the area.
In addition to wildlife-related concerns and property damage, deer-vehicle collisions have increased by two-thirds in Polk County during the past 20 years, resulting in greater numbers of personal injuries and higher costs to repair and replace vehicles involved in those collisions, the conservation site said.
Johnston joins Urbandale, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Clive, Pleasant Hill and Polk County in allowing bow hunting in city limits during a designated time frame, Sanders added.
According to permit regulations for last year's hunt, applicants for bow hunting in Johnston must be at least 18 years old and meet the following requirements:
- Possess a valid deer-hunting license from the DNR
- Pass an approved International Bow Hunters' Education Foundation safety education course
- Pass a bow-hunting proficiency test with a score of at least 80 of a total 100 points
- Obtain written permission from the owner of the private property on which he or she wants to hunt. The property must be located within a "deer-management zone" as established by resolution of the City Council.
- Take all bow and arrow shots from an elevated stand and shoot no further than 75 feet
- Refrain from shooting within 300 feet of any street, road, school or electrical facility; within 200 feet of a home or building; or within 100 feet of any recreational trail or bike path.
- Recover and remove all deer carcasses shot
- Follow Iowa DNR hunting guidelines
- Adhere to designated shooting hours, a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset
- Refrain from stalking or driving deer
- Wear a blaze-orange hat when entering and exiting the hunting area, and carry the bow in a case to and from the stand
- Report to the city all deer taken within city limits.
Source: DesMoines Register
As in past years, the city of Johnston is making plans to allow bow hunting in the community between September and January. Under regulations that will be established by the City Council, some residents will be able to hunt deer in certain locations inside city limits.
City administrator Jim Sanders said city staff members have been fielding increased concerns this year about the local deer population.
"The primary concerns are damage caused to plants and gardens, and concerns about deer near the traveled portion of roadways," Sanders said.
The specific dates for this year's hunt will be established by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the council will determine in August or September the areas in which hunting will be allowed, Sanders said.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, deer hunters harvested about 4,000 fewer deer in the most recent season than during the previous season's harvesting of 142,194 statewide.
On its Web site, the Polk County Conservation Board reports deer populations are reaching threatening levels in some parts of the county. When deer populations exceed 20 deer per square mile, overuse of the natural vegetation can lead to destruction of the forest understory, and without a native vegetative habitat, many other species of wildlife may not be able to remain in the area.
In addition to wildlife-related concerns and property damage, deer-vehicle collisions have increased by two-thirds in Polk County during the past 20 years, resulting in greater numbers of personal injuries and higher costs to repair and replace vehicles involved in those collisions, the conservation site said.
Johnston joins Urbandale, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Clive, Pleasant Hill and Polk County in allowing bow hunting in city limits during a designated time frame, Sanders added.
According to permit regulations for last year's hunt, applicants for bow hunting in Johnston must be at least 18 years old and meet the following requirements:
- Possess a valid deer-hunting license from the DNR
- Pass an approved International Bow Hunters' Education Foundation safety education course
- Pass a bow-hunting proficiency test with a score of at least 80 of a total 100 points
- Obtain written permission from the owner of the private property on which he or she wants to hunt. The property must be located within a "deer-management zone" as established by resolution of the City Council.
- Take all bow and arrow shots from an elevated stand and shoot no further than 75 feet
- Refrain from shooting within 300 feet of any street, road, school or electrical facility; within 200 feet of a home or building; or within 100 feet of any recreational trail or bike path.
- Recover and remove all deer carcasses shot
- Follow Iowa DNR hunting guidelines
- Adhere to designated shooting hours, a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset
- Refrain from stalking or driving deer
- Wear a blaze-orange hat when entering and exiting the hunting area, and carry the bow in a case to and from the stand
- Report to the city all deer taken within city limits.
Source: DesMoines Register
Friday, June 19, 2009
KANSAS NEWS: Controlled Hunt Approved for Shawnee Mission Park
SHAWNEE, KS - A controversial plan to kill deer at Shawnee Mission Park got a thumbs-up on Wednesday night, as officials say the deer population has exploded to nearly seven times the normal rate at the suburban park.
According to officials, the deer are overrunning the park, with the population estimated at 200 per square mile. Since there are no natural predators for the deer in the park, officials say that disease or starvation could wipe out the entire herd unless the population is thinned.
"Because there is no natural predator, and our biodiversity policy address this very clearly, we must intervene and we must try to replicate the role mother nature has played before when there was a perfect balance, that balance no longer exists," said Johnson County Parks and Recreation director Michael Meadors.
The plan calls for sharp shooters, made up of park police and other law enforcement agencies, to thin the deer herd. The sharp shooters would likely head out in the Fall.
Source: Fox4kc
According to officials, the deer are overrunning the park, with the population estimated at 200 per square mile. Since there are no natural predators for the deer in the park, officials say that disease or starvation could wipe out the entire herd unless the population is thinned.
"Because there is no natural predator, and our biodiversity policy address this very clearly, we must intervene and we must try to replicate the role mother nature has played before when there was a perfect balance, that balance no longer exists," said Johnson County Parks and Recreation director Michael Meadors.
The plan calls for sharp shooters, made up of park police and other law enforcement agencies, to thin the deer herd. The sharp shooters would likely head out in the Fall.
Source: Fox4kc
MINNESOTA NEWS: New Deer Warning System Tested
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The state is testing a warning system in southwest Minnesota aimed at reducing the number of deer traffic collisions.
The state has stopped putting up the yellow "deer crossing" signs because a University of Minnesota study found drivers were desensitized to them. And, with a deer herd estimated at 1 million, the animals are everywhere.
The system set up along Highway 23 near Camden State Park stretches nearly a mile and includes a wall of light beams that trigger flashing roadside lights to warn drivers when deer approach.
MnDOT says the deer warning system cost $150,000 and reduced collisions by 57 percent over 18 months of study.
Minnesota has averaged nearly 4,500 deer-vehicle crashes annually over that past 10 years.
Source: MLive
The state has stopped putting up the yellow "deer crossing" signs because a University of Minnesota study found drivers were desensitized to them. And, with a deer herd estimated at 1 million, the animals are everywhere.
The system set up along Highway 23 near Camden State Park stretches nearly a mile and includes a wall of light beams that trigger flashing roadside lights to warn drivers when deer approach.
MnDOT says the deer warning system cost $150,000 and reduced collisions by 57 percent over 18 months of study.
Minnesota has averaged nearly 4,500 deer-vehicle crashes annually over that past 10 years.
Source: MLive
Sunday, June 07, 2009
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: A View on Deer Management Policy from Latham's Acre
EMPORIUM, Pa.—Thousands of bright green buds reached through the forest floor or peaked from the tips of branches in the shady patch of forest. On the other side of the fence: a conspicuous absence of new growth.
By late April, spring sprouts were everywhere at Latham's Acre, one of a series of cyclone-fence islands erected nearly 60 years ago on a McKean County mountaintop at North America's east-west continental divide, about 50 miles northwest of State College.
The fenced "deer exclosures" were built in 1950 by Roger Latham, a biologist and head researcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission before he became the outdoors editor of the former Pittsburgh Press.
Latham died in a mountain accident in the Alps in 1979, but each spring the sprouts return to Latham's Acre, demonstrating the level of forest regeneration possible in the absence of over-browsing deer.
The sprouts, and the lack of them outside the exclosure, provided a timely lesson for a dozen members of the Village Garden Club of Sewickley, based about 10 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Members traveled over 150 miles northeast to Emporium to compare the impacts of deer over-browsing in McKean County with the white-tail problems they face at home in Allegheny County.
The spring growth at Latham's Acre coincided with new skirmishes in an ideological battle that pits the Game Commission against many deer hunters, who question the science behind a controversial plan to balance regional white-tail populations with habitat by manipulating hunting seasons, bag limits and antler restrictions.
A national study of white-tail management conducted by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Washington, D.C., found that Pennsylvania is ahead of many states in attaining parity in deer population and habitat, but problems exist with the program's methodology.
The Pinchot study examined agencies throughout the United States that use science-based methods to manage deer populations and maintain healthy forest ecosystems. It cited 2002-2003 stakeholder surveys conducted by the Game Commission in which Pennsylvanians told the commonwealth they ranked "healthy, sustainable forest ecosystems" as their top goal for deer management.
Pinchot researchers noted the state is one of only a few with a written deer plan, calling it "one of the most progressive deer management programs in the country." But they found the program's goals "fall short of what the public has said it wants." The study recommended the Game Commission take critical new steps, including:
—Developing better science-based indicators of deer impacts on forests.
—Employing more staff to focus on ecosystem science.
—Improving methods for determining public expectations on what deer management should achieve.
This April in Harrisburg, the state House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee hired another Washington, D.C.-based conservation organization to conduct an independent audit of the deer management plan. The audit stems from a House bill authored by state Rep. David Levdansky, D-Elizabeth, and unanimously approved by the House in 2008.
Levdansky, treasurer of the Budget and Finance Committee and member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said the goal is to "remove the guesswork" from the deer management program.
"This independent audit...will help us determine if we are harvesting the right number of deer, of the right age and sex ratio, in the right places," he said. "It has been a challenge to locate a qualified and objective company from outside Pennsylvania to perform the audit, which is important for obtaining an independent review."
A Game Commission representative said the agency welcomes the audit.
Up at Latham's Acre, in State Game Land 30, the ground is awash with new wildflowers, and fresh buds shoot from shoulder-high branches. Outside the fence, the forest is barren of new growth from the carpet of dead leaves to the browse line about 5 feet off the ground. Soil acidity, rainfall and other factors are identical on both sides of the fence. Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer John Dzemyan, who's worked on the mountain since the 1970s, hikes past muddy patches surrounding the exclosure pocked with telltale deer tracks.
State Game Land 30, like most of Pennsylvania, was clear cut for timber in the late 1800s and early 1900s, nearly decimating the deer population, said Dzemyan. As vegetation re-grew, the state became a white-tail smorgasbord and populations soared. But by the late 1930s, as forests matured and the canopy grew out of reach, deer found it increasingly difficult to find food. With natural predators removed and hunting managed to put unnatural numbers of deer in front of hunters, he said, a problem grew with the state's deer herd—too many to be sustained by habitat in some places, not enough in others.
The state game land is located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds, in Wildlife Management Unit 2G, where the deer population has been intentionally reduced as part of the deer management plan.
"By going to some of these fenced areas you can see the difference," said Dzemyan. "You can get an idea of what kind of wildflower understory there should be over perhaps hundreds of thousands of acres up here."
A prolific understory, he said, is essential to the health of the deer herd and vital to other animals. Latham and the Game Commission were preaching deer control decades ago.
"But when it came to actually getting it done," said Dzemyan, "there was so much political and social pressure against that, due to misunderstanding, that we couldn't get it through. (Some in the Game Commission) wanted to keep that deer herd high, not understanding that keeping it that high was going to cause long-term problems."
After intentionally reducing the deer herd in 2G, the 2009-2010 doe tag allocation of 26,000 licenses reflects an effort by commission biologists to continue stabilizing the population. Dzemyan said he's seen deer numbers rising incrementally, but it's still "less than hunters are used to."
To Ann Coburn, president of the Village Garden Club, the absence of browse just outside Latham's Acre offered a stark contrast to the flower show inside.
"I was very impressed to learn that the reduction in the deer herd from the issuing of doe licenses has made a reduction in the number of deer and a noticeable gain in the quality and variety of plant life," she said. "The major lesson that we learned going north was how pervasive the problem of deer overgrazing is and how almost scary it was to see huge tracks of woods that are cleared bare, (much like) the limited tracts we have here in Allegheny County. In short, something needs to be done."
Source: York Daily Record
By late April, spring sprouts were everywhere at Latham's Acre, one of a series of cyclone-fence islands erected nearly 60 years ago on a McKean County mountaintop at North America's east-west continental divide, about 50 miles northwest of State College.
The fenced "deer exclosures" were built in 1950 by Roger Latham, a biologist and head researcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission before he became the outdoors editor of the former Pittsburgh Press.
Latham died in a mountain accident in the Alps in 1979, but each spring the sprouts return to Latham's Acre, demonstrating the level of forest regeneration possible in the absence of over-browsing deer.
The sprouts, and the lack of them outside the exclosure, provided a timely lesson for a dozen members of the Village Garden Club of Sewickley, based about 10 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Members traveled over 150 miles northeast to Emporium to compare the impacts of deer over-browsing in McKean County with the white-tail problems they face at home in Allegheny County.
The spring growth at Latham's Acre coincided with new skirmishes in an ideological battle that pits the Game Commission against many deer hunters, who question the science behind a controversial plan to balance regional white-tail populations with habitat by manipulating hunting seasons, bag limits and antler restrictions.
A national study of white-tail management conducted by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Washington, D.C., found that Pennsylvania is ahead of many states in attaining parity in deer population and habitat, but problems exist with the program's methodology.
The Pinchot study examined agencies throughout the United States that use science-based methods to manage deer populations and maintain healthy forest ecosystems. It cited 2002-2003 stakeholder surveys conducted by the Game Commission in which Pennsylvanians told the commonwealth they ranked "healthy, sustainable forest ecosystems" as their top goal for deer management.
Pinchot researchers noted the state is one of only a few with a written deer plan, calling it "one of the most progressive deer management programs in the country." But they found the program's goals "fall short of what the public has said it wants." The study recommended the Game Commission take critical new steps, including:
—Developing better science-based indicators of deer impacts on forests.
—Employing more staff to focus on ecosystem science.
—Improving methods for determining public expectations on what deer management should achieve.
This April in Harrisburg, the state House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee hired another Washington, D.C.-based conservation organization to conduct an independent audit of the deer management plan. The audit stems from a House bill authored by state Rep. David Levdansky, D-Elizabeth, and unanimously approved by the House in 2008.
Levdansky, treasurer of the Budget and Finance Committee and member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said the goal is to "remove the guesswork" from the deer management program.
"This independent audit...will help us determine if we are harvesting the right number of deer, of the right age and sex ratio, in the right places," he said. "It has been a challenge to locate a qualified and objective company from outside Pennsylvania to perform the audit, which is important for obtaining an independent review."
A Game Commission representative said the agency welcomes the audit.
Up at Latham's Acre, in State Game Land 30, the ground is awash with new wildflowers, and fresh buds shoot from shoulder-high branches. Outside the fence, the forest is barren of new growth from the carpet of dead leaves to the browse line about 5 feet off the ground. Soil acidity, rainfall and other factors are identical on both sides of the fence. Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer John Dzemyan, who's worked on the mountain since the 1970s, hikes past muddy patches surrounding the exclosure pocked with telltale deer tracks.
State Game Land 30, like most of Pennsylvania, was clear cut for timber in the late 1800s and early 1900s, nearly decimating the deer population, said Dzemyan. As vegetation re-grew, the state became a white-tail smorgasbord and populations soared. But by the late 1930s, as forests matured and the canopy grew out of reach, deer found it increasingly difficult to find food. With natural predators removed and hunting managed to put unnatural numbers of deer in front of hunters, he said, a problem grew with the state's deer herd—too many to be sustained by habitat in some places, not enough in others.
The state game land is located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds, in Wildlife Management Unit 2G, where the deer population has been intentionally reduced as part of the deer management plan.
"By going to some of these fenced areas you can see the difference," said Dzemyan. "You can get an idea of what kind of wildflower understory there should be over perhaps hundreds of thousands of acres up here."
A prolific understory, he said, is essential to the health of the deer herd and vital to other animals. Latham and the Game Commission were preaching deer control decades ago.
"But when it came to actually getting it done," said Dzemyan, "there was so much political and social pressure against that, due to misunderstanding, that we couldn't get it through. (Some in the Game Commission) wanted to keep that deer herd high, not understanding that keeping it that high was going to cause long-term problems."
After intentionally reducing the deer herd in 2G, the 2009-2010 doe tag allocation of 26,000 licenses reflects an effort by commission biologists to continue stabilizing the population. Dzemyan said he's seen deer numbers rising incrementally, but it's still "less than hunters are used to."
To Ann Coburn, president of the Village Garden Club, the absence of browse just outside Latham's Acre offered a stark contrast to the flower show inside.
"I was very impressed to learn that the reduction in the deer herd from the issuing of doe licenses has made a reduction in the number of deer and a noticeable gain in the quality and variety of plant life," she said. "The major lesson that we learned going north was how pervasive the problem of deer overgrazing is and how almost scary it was to see huge tracks of woods that are cleared bare, (much like) the limited tracts we have here in Allegheny County. In short, something needs to be done."
Source: York Daily Record
Friday, June 05, 2009
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: Deer Browsing on Mayapple
Last weekend a student of mine was out in south central Ohio, where she observed a significant amount of deer browsing on mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum). There is no question it was deer (and not a mower or slugs or groundhogs).
This is something I have not observed directly. Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin, which is lethal to people in relatively small doses. LD50s for mice and rabbits are 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively.
Any observations (both observations of browsing and observations of never having seen the plant browsed) would be appreciated. Please include your location (western North Carolina, southeastern Maine, etc.).
This is something I have not observed directly. Mayapple contains podophyllotoxin, which is lethal to people in relatively small doses. LD50s for mice and rabbits are 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively.
Any observations (both observations of browsing and observations of never having seen the plant browsed) would be appreciated. Please include your location (western North Carolina, southeastern Maine, etc.).
MICHIGAN NEWS: Another Good Year for Deer Hunters, But U.P. Harvest Down
The number of deer killed during the 2008 hunting season rose slightly statewide, but fell nearly 11 percent in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The Mining Journal of Marquette reports Thursday that 480,638 deer were taken last fall, up from 476,595 in 2007. That's an increase of just under 1 percent, although the buck harvest was down 7.1 percent.
In the U.P., the Department of Natural Resources says 51,769 deer were killed last fall, down from 57,988 in 2007.
DNR wildlife biologist Brian Frawley says nearly 694,000 people took part in the hunt.
Source: Chicago Tribune
The Mining Journal of Marquette reports Thursday that 480,638 deer were taken last fall, up from 476,595 in 2007. That's an increase of just under 1 percent, although the buck harvest was down 7.1 percent.
In the U.P., the Department of Natural Resources says 51,769 deer were killed last fall, down from 57,988 in 2007.
DNR wildlife biologist Brian Frawley says nearly 694,000 people took part in the hunt.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
CHINA NEWS: Overabundant Pythons Threaten Rare Deer
And now for something completely different: a species of deer impacted by an overabundant native species.
Chinese conservationists say rapid the propagation of pythons at a nature reserve in south China's Hainan Province has endangered the increase of a rare deer species living there.
Both conservationists and researchers are at a loss to offer efficient ways that will guarantee a success in protection of the rare deer species, Eld's deer or Cervus eldi hainanus in Latin, while reining in the population of pythons from fast propagation around Datian Nature Reserve in southwestern part of Hainan.
Pythons and Eld's deer are both listed for top state protection in China, according to Xu Shiying, chief of the administration for Datian Nature Reserve.
Datian Nature Reserve, which is in Dongfang City and a rainforest base, was established in 1976 with the mission to protect Eld's deer, which used to be on the verge of extinction.
The number of the rare deer species has increased and topped 1,600 at Datian Nature Reserve thanks to conservation efforts in the past three decades.
The exact number of pythons in this nature reserve, however, is not known.
Datian is now home to 690 deer after conservation workers have moved some of the deer to other nature reserves on the island province, according to Xu.
"We have been patroling the nature reserve and found that the actual number of fawns is far below 100," Xu said.
Conservation workers have spotted deer remains in the pythons' manure. One python was found dead in April 2008 as its belly was burst open by an antlered buck it had swallowed earlier. Another python was also found in early May to have swallowed a muntjac, a kind of minor deer species, according to Xu.
"We can't kill pythons for the sake of protecting Eld's deer, so the only thing we can do is to move pythons elsewhere as long as we find them at Datian," said Xu.
Conservation workers have found and moved 28 pythons from Datian Nature Reserve to Hainan Python Institute since 2007.
Zhang Liling, head of Hainan Python Institute, said it was necessary to have pythons around Datian Nature Reserve to keep an ecological balance there.
"Pythons don't have a natural enemy around Datian, but without the presence of pythons, rabbits, wild boars and other rodents will propagate at an even alarming speed and will eat away limited food sources that Eld's deer depend on," said Zhang, who is also a professor with animal science department of Hainan University.
According to Zhang, female pythons produce 20 to 50 eggs each year, of which, 70 to 80 percent could be hatch successfully.
While echoing Xu's stand about the need to restrict the number of pythons in Datian for the sake of maintaining an ecological balance in the nature reserve, Zhang failed to come up with a clear vision of how to do so.
Experts say Eld's deer, a sub-species of swamp deer and also known as "slope deer," among the locals, were living on Hainan four million years ago, long before any human activity on the island. They numbered just 26 by 1976 as a result of increased human activity and environmental degradation.
The government identified Eld's deer for top protection in 1988. It has been listed as one of the world's most endangered species by the World Conservation Union or the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The natural habitat area for the rare deer species in Hainan Island, including Datian nature reserve, has increased from 1,314 hectares in 1976 to 20,000 hectares, alongside a rise in the population in the deer species.
Source: xinhuanet
Chinese conservationists say rapid the propagation of pythons at a nature reserve in south China's Hainan Province has endangered the increase of a rare deer species living there.
Both conservationists and researchers are at a loss to offer efficient ways that will guarantee a success in protection of the rare deer species, Eld's deer or Cervus eldi hainanus in Latin, while reining in the population of pythons from fast propagation around Datian Nature Reserve in southwestern part of Hainan.
Pythons and Eld's deer are both listed for top state protection in China, according to Xu Shiying, chief of the administration for Datian Nature Reserve.
Datian Nature Reserve, which is in Dongfang City and a rainforest base, was established in 1976 with the mission to protect Eld's deer, which used to be on the verge of extinction.
The number of the rare deer species has increased and topped 1,600 at Datian Nature Reserve thanks to conservation efforts in the past three decades.
The exact number of pythons in this nature reserve, however, is not known.
Datian is now home to 690 deer after conservation workers have moved some of the deer to other nature reserves on the island province, according to Xu.
"We have been patroling the nature reserve and found that the actual number of fawns is far below 100," Xu said.
Conservation workers have spotted deer remains in the pythons' manure. One python was found dead in April 2008 as its belly was burst open by an antlered buck it had swallowed earlier. Another python was also found in early May to have swallowed a muntjac, a kind of minor deer species, according to Xu.
"We can't kill pythons for the sake of protecting Eld's deer, so the only thing we can do is to move pythons elsewhere as long as we find them at Datian," said Xu.
Conservation workers have found and moved 28 pythons from Datian Nature Reserve to Hainan Python Institute since 2007.
Zhang Liling, head of Hainan Python Institute, said it was necessary to have pythons around Datian Nature Reserve to keep an ecological balance there.
"Pythons don't have a natural enemy around Datian, but without the presence of pythons, rabbits, wild boars and other rodents will propagate at an even alarming speed and will eat away limited food sources that Eld's deer depend on," said Zhang, who is also a professor with animal science department of Hainan University.
According to Zhang, female pythons produce 20 to 50 eggs each year, of which, 70 to 80 percent could be hatch successfully.
While echoing Xu's stand about the need to restrict the number of pythons in Datian for the sake of maintaining an ecological balance in the nature reserve, Zhang failed to come up with a clear vision of how to do so.
Experts say Eld's deer, a sub-species of swamp deer and also known as "slope deer," among the locals, were living on Hainan four million years ago, long before any human activity on the island. They numbered just 26 by 1976 as a result of increased human activity and environmental degradation.
The government identified Eld's deer for top protection in 1988. It has been listed as one of the world's most endangered species by the World Conservation Union or the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The natural habitat area for the rare deer species in Hainan Island, including Datian nature reserve, has increased from 1,314 hectares in 1976 to 20,000 hectares, alongside a rise in the population in the deer species.
Source: xinhuanet
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
OHIO NEWS: City Approves Bowhunting Ordinance to Control Deer
Heath City Council on Monday approved an ordinance to permit bowhunting of deer in selected areas of the city.
Residents have complained for many months about deer crossing roads, getting hit by vehicles and damaging property in residential areas.
The massive herd in the city has been estimated at more than 100 deer per square mile, or more than 1,000 within city limits. The mayor said it might take five years to get the numbers cut in half to about 500.
The city administration will organize the program for bowhunting season, which generally begins in October.
Source: Newark Advocate
Residents have complained for many months about deer crossing roads, getting hit by vehicles and damaging property in residential areas.
The massive herd in the city has been estimated at more than 100 deer per square mile, or more than 1,000 within city limits. The mayor said it might take five years to get the numbers cut in half to about 500.
The city administration will organize the program for bowhunting season, which generally begins in October.
Source: Newark Advocate
TEXAS NEWS: New Law Allows Farmers to Hunt Deer All Year
A bill aimed at reducing damage to crops by limiting whitetail deer in fields was signed into law on Friday by Gov. Rick Perry. Authored by state Rep. Drew Darby, R-San Angelo, House Bill 1965 was the culmination of several years of work initiated by Concho Valley farmers.
When an increased deer population nibbled away an estimated 60 percent of the 2005 cotton crop across the Lipan Flats east of San Angelo, Tom Green County Farm Bureau members voted to send a resolution to the annual state convention asking for help to save the 2006 cotton crop.
Long story short, the Waco-based Texas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm and ranch organization, endorsed the issue and brought the deer problem to the attention of the Texas Legislature. After some wrestling, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department established a pilot program to allow farmers to shoot grazing deer out of season with a special permit.
Gene Gully, a Lipan Flats cotton grower and past president of Tom Green County Farm Bureau, said only two farmers registered to participate in the test pilot program in 2005. He said the farmers were required to give the venison to needy folks or food-handling charities. The biggest problem with that, he said, was field-dressing the harvested animals in hot weather and finding a cooler for the carcass while locating people who wanted the meat.
Gully said the deer problem was twice as bad in summers with the dry weather driving them to anything green. He said the irrigated cotton was the deer’s major target on his farm near Mereta, about 15 miles east of San Angelo, until a neighbor’s maize started heading out. “They like maize better than cotton,” he said.
Farmers in eastern Tom Green and western Concho counties are excited about the pilot program becoming permanent, Gully told me on Monday. “The new law will allow the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to immediately begin issuing permits to control the deer,” he said. “No one wants to eradicate the deer. We just want to control them by limiting their access to our fields.”
Gully said farmers will be allowed to harvest deer year-round that are destroying crops, provided they don’t waste the carcass. In turn, farmers are determined to find ways to work with meat processors to save the venison.
“This legislation will remove some of the more cumbersome and unnecessary aspects of the current permitting process for controlling wildlife, and would authorize the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission to develop new criteria for the program,” Darby said.
Sutton Page of San Angelo, Texas Farm Bureau field representative for the Concho Valley and the Big Country, said some cotton farmers with fields that border pastureland resorted to building high fences around their cotton fields several years ago.
“Although the high fencing has helped to keep deer out of some cotton fields, it is very expensive and in many situations only allows the deer to double up on neighboring fields not fenced,” Page said.
Darby said the wildlife bill drew support from not only the Texas Farm Bureau, but also the Texas Wildlife Association, the Exotic Wildlife Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
Source: Go San Angelo
When an increased deer population nibbled away an estimated 60 percent of the 2005 cotton crop across the Lipan Flats east of San Angelo, Tom Green County Farm Bureau members voted to send a resolution to the annual state convention asking for help to save the 2006 cotton crop.
Long story short, the Waco-based Texas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm and ranch organization, endorsed the issue and brought the deer problem to the attention of the Texas Legislature. After some wrestling, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department established a pilot program to allow farmers to shoot grazing deer out of season with a special permit.
Gene Gully, a Lipan Flats cotton grower and past president of Tom Green County Farm Bureau, said only two farmers registered to participate in the test pilot program in 2005. He said the farmers were required to give the venison to needy folks or food-handling charities. The biggest problem with that, he said, was field-dressing the harvested animals in hot weather and finding a cooler for the carcass while locating people who wanted the meat.
Gully said the deer problem was twice as bad in summers with the dry weather driving them to anything green. He said the irrigated cotton was the deer’s major target on his farm near Mereta, about 15 miles east of San Angelo, until a neighbor’s maize started heading out. “They like maize better than cotton,” he said.
Farmers in eastern Tom Green and western Concho counties are excited about the pilot program becoming permanent, Gully told me on Monday. “The new law will allow the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to immediately begin issuing permits to control the deer,” he said. “No one wants to eradicate the deer. We just want to control them by limiting their access to our fields.”
Gully said farmers will be allowed to harvest deer year-round that are destroying crops, provided they don’t waste the carcass. In turn, farmers are determined to find ways to work with meat processors to save the venison.
“This legislation will remove some of the more cumbersome and unnecessary aspects of the current permitting process for controlling wildlife, and would authorize the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission to develop new criteria for the program,” Darby said.
Sutton Page of San Angelo, Texas Farm Bureau field representative for the Concho Valley and the Big Country, said some cotton farmers with fields that border pastureland resorted to building high fences around their cotton fields several years ago.
“Although the high fencing has helped to keep deer out of some cotton fields, it is very expensive and in many situations only allows the deer to double up on neighboring fields not fenced,” Page said.
Darby said the wildlife bill drew support from not only the Texas Farm Bureau, but also the Texas Wildlife Association, the Exotic Wildlife Association and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
Source: Go San Angelo
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
WEST VIRGINIA NEWS: Growing Human-Deer Conflicts in Putnam County
Deer have become such a problem in Putnam County that residents should be able to shoot them even when they're not in season, a man complained to county commissioners Tuesday.
Arnold Cyrus of Trace Fork asked commissioners to declare deer in the county a public nuisance so he and other residents could shoot them during the hunting off-season to prevent the animals from destroying crops.
"We need help on this some way or another," Cyrus said.
He said farmers growing alfalfa, clover, soybeans and a variety of flowers are constantly battling against a growing deer population.
State Division of Natural Resources representatives recommended he and other farmers put up fences around their property to keep the deer out. But residents would need fencing at least 8 feet high, and "we farmers don't have that kind of money," he said.
Cyrus said he's tried all the "old wives' tales" to deter the animals from eating his plants, but nothing seems to work.
Commissioner Joe Haynes agreed something needs to be done: "But the question is what?" Commissioners can't override state law and allow residents to shoot deer in the off-season, he said.
After Tuesday's meeting, DNR Capt. Stephan Stewart said county residents can apply for kill permits to shoot deer if they are causing substantial damage to gardens or other private property. The property can't be within 500 feet of another residence, highway or business, he said.
"We can authorize to use a bow and arrow to destroy the deer, and if that cannot be safely done, then the people ... will have to try fencing and repellents to prevent the deer from destroying their property," he said.
Source: Charleston Gazette
Arnold Cyrus of Trace Fork asked commissioners to declare deer in the county a public nuisance so he and other residents could shoot them during the hunting off-season to prevent the animals from destroying crops.
"We need help on this some way or another," Cyrus said.
He said farmers growing alfalfa, clover, soybeans and a variety of flowers are constantly battling against a growing deer population.
State Division of Natural Resources representatives recommended he and other farmers put up fences around their property to keep the deer out. But residents would need fencing at least 8 feet high, and "we farmers don't have that kind of money," he said.
Cyrus said he's tried all the "old wives' tales" to deter the animals from eating his plants, but nothing seems to work.
Commissioner Joe Haynes agreed something needs to be done: "But the question is what?" Commissioners can't override state law and allow residents to shoot deer in the off-season, he said.
After Tuesday's meeting, DNR Capt. Stephan Stewart said county residents can apply for kill permits to shoot deer if they are causing substantial damage to gardens or other private property. The property can't be within 500 feet of another residence, highway or business, he said.
"We can authorize to use a bow and arrow to destroy the deer, and if that cannot be safely done, then the people ... will have to try fencing and repellents to prevent the deer from destroying their property," he said.
Source: Charleston Gazette
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
ARKANSAS NEWS: 2008 Season Second Highest Deer Harvest in History
If you thought that last deer season was a good one, you were right. It was the second best ever for Arkansas, according to Brad Miller, Ph.D., Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's deer program coordinator.
Miller gave a report on the 2008-09 deer season to AGFC's commissioners at their May meeting in Little Rock Thursday. He said the deer totals are preliminary, with reports from a few deer hunting clubs still to come in. In the last season, over 184,000 deer were checked by hunters, Miller said. This is second only to the all-time high of 194,687 in the 1999-2000 season.
The last season was about a 7 percent increase over the 2007-08 hunt, Miller said.
The number of bucks taken by hunters was down lightly, but the number of doe deer checked showed a significant increase. The doe increase was in all deer zones of the state except Zone 17, which is the land inside the main Mississippi River levees.
Overall, Miller said, the mountain areas of Arkansas showed a decrease in deer taken by hunters, but the Delta, the Gulf Coastal Plain (south Arkansas) and the Arkansas River valley were up.
The number of deer taken by hunters in Arkansas has climbed steadily since 1938, when just 203 were reported. The deer checked total passed 100,000 for the first time in 1987. Top years were 1998 with 179,225, 1999 with its record 194,687 and 2000 with 182,132. Then the totals declined with a fewer number of days for deer hunting and other restrictions, before rebounding the past three years.
In other action Thursday, the commissioners:
Heard a report that repairs to damage from recent storms on AGFC lands and facilities will cost $6,242,585. This will be reimbursed to the agency by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), 75 percent, and the state of Arkansas emergency funds, 25 percent.
Accepted a donation of two tracts of land totaling 1.81 acres at Sneed's Creek, on the White River upstream from Calico Rock, with the land to be used for a public access area.
Agreed to purchase two tracts on the South Fork of the Spring River in Fulton County for access areas. One is known as the Sturkie Site on Sunrise Road, and the other is at the Arkansas Highway 385 crossing of the river upstream form Salem. AGFC will pay $32,800 for the two sites, with 75 percent of the money to be reimbursed from the federal Sport Fish Restoration fund, which uses excise taxes paid on fishing and related equipment.
Source: thecabin.net
Miller gave a report on the 2008-09 deer season to AGFC's commissioners at their May meeting in Little Rock Thursday. He said the deer totals are preliminary, with reports from a few deer hunting clubs still to come in. In the last season, over 184,000 deer were checked by hunters, Miller said. This is second only to the all-time high of 194,687 in the 1999-2000 season.
The last season was about a 7 percent increase over the 2007-08 hunt, Miller said.
The number of bucks taken by hunters was down lightly, but the number of doe deer checked showed a significant increase. The doe increase was in all deer zones of the state except Zone 17, which is the land inside the main Mississippi River levees.
Overall, Miller said, the mountain areas of Arkansas showed a decrease in deer taken by hunters, but the Delta, the Gulf Coastal Plain (south Arkansas) and the Arkansas River valley were up.
The number of deer taken by hunters in Arkansas has climbed steadily since 1938, when just 203 were reported. The deer checked total passed 100,000 for the first time in 1987. Top years were 1998 with 179,225, 1999 with its record 194,687 and 2000 with 182,132. Then the totals declined with a fewer number of days for deer hunting and other restrictions, before rebounding the past three years.
In other action Thursday, the commissioners:
Heard a report that repairs to damage from recent storms on AGFC lands and facilities will cost $6,242,585. This will be reimbursed to the agency by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), 75 percent, and the state of Arkansas emergency funds, 25 percent.
Accepted a donation of two tracts of land totaling 1.81 acres at Sneed's Creek, on the White River upstream from Calico Rock, with the land to be used for a public access area.
Agreed to purchase two tracts on the South Fork of the Spring River in Fulton County for access areas. One is known as the Sturkie Site on Sunrise Road, and the other is at the Arkansas Highway 385 crossing of the river upstream form Salem. AGFC will pay $32,800 for the two sites, with 75 percent of the money to be reimbursed from the federal Sport Fish Restoration fund, which uses excise taxes paid on fishing and related equipment.
Source: thecabin.net
Friday, May 22, 2009
VIRGINIA NEWS: A Recent Spate of Deer Attacks
Officials are testing one deer for rabies after getting reports that three people were attacked by deer last week in Pulaski County.
An aggressive deer was shot and killed after it charged at an officer investigating the incidents, said Julia Dixon, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The rabies test results are expected to come back today, she said.
DGIF is asking anyone else who may have seen aggressive deer to contact its office.
"While some does with fawns may be protective of their offspring," Dixon said in a news release, "this type of extremely aggressive behavior is unusual."
The DGIF was notified Saturday by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office that a deer had attacked a man and his son in the Delton area of the county.
The man and his 7-year-old were attacked in their front yard after they pulled up into the driveway and got out of a car, Dixon said.
The man suffered a broken arm and bruises. The child had an abrasion on his face.
A conservation officer immediately responded to the home but was unable to find the deer, Dixon said.
Another man, after hearing about that attack, reported Tuesday that he also had been attacked by a deer, Dixon said. That incident happened Monday morning.
The man told a conservation officer that he was bitten and kicked by a deer while clearing brush off his property -- about half a mile from the other attack.
While an officer interviewed that victim Wednesday, he saw three deer. Two of them fled, but a third circled and exhibited aggressive behavior, Dixon said.
"When the deer approached the officer in an aggressive manner," Dixon said in the release, "he shot and killed the animal."
A wildlife biologist took the deer to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lab in Wytheville, where tissue samples were collected and transferred to the Virginia Department of Health to be tested for rabies.
Conservation police officers from DGIF asked people in that area of Pulaski County whether they had seen deer exhibiting unusual behavior or whether anyone was feeding deer or holding them in captivity, Dixon said.
"Wildlife biologists in other states have observed aggressive behavior by deer in captive situations," Dixon said. "When deer lose their natural fear of humans, they can become extremely aggressive.
Source: roanoke.com
An aggressive deer was shot and killed after it charged at an officer investigating the incidents, said Julia Dixon, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The rabies test results are expected to come back today, she said.
DGIF is asking anyone else who may have seen aggressive deer to contact its office.
"While some does with fawns may be protective of their offspring," Dixon said in a news release, "this type of extremely aggressive behavior is unusual."
The DGIF was notified Saturday by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office that a deer had attacked a man and his son in the Delton area of the county.
The man and his 7-year-old were attacked in their front yard after they pulled up into the driveway and got out of a car, Dixon said.
The man suffered a broken arm and bruises. The child had an abrasion on his face.
A conservation officer immediately responded to the home but was unable to find the deer, Dixon said.
Another man, after hearing about that attack, reported Tuesday that he also had been attacked by a deer, Dixon said. That incident happened Monday morning.
The man told a conservation officer that he was bitten and kicked by a deer while clearing brush off his property -- about half a mile from the other attack.
While an officer interviewed that victim Wednesday, he saw three deer. Two of them fled, but a third circled and exhibited aggressive behavior, Dixon said.
"When the deer approached the officer in an aggressive manner," Dixon said in the release, "he shot and killed the animal."
A wildlife biologist took the deer to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services lab in Wytheville, where tissue samples were collected and transferred to the Virginia Department of Health to be tested for rabies.
Conservation police officers from DGIF asked people in that area of Pulaski County whether they had seen deer exhibiting unusual behavior or whether anyone was feeding deer or holding them in captivity, Dixon said.
"Wildlife biologists in other states have observed aggressive behavior by deer in captive situations," Dixon said. "When deer lose their natural fear of humans, they can become extremely aggressive.
Source: roanoke.com
Monday, May 18, 2009
CONNECTICUT NEWS: Deer Kill Up, Deer Collisions Down
Road kills of deer in town have declined dramatically over the last decade, as the number of deer taken by hunters has risen.
“If you kill deer by hunting them, you get fewer car accidents,” Conservation Commission Chairman Ben Oko said. “That seems very clear.”
But a vast lowering of deer numbers — the culling of five out of every six deer now roaming Ridgefield’s forests — would be needed to bring the population down to levels that research has found can make a difference in keeping down ticks and Lyme disease.
The state counted 122 deer road kills in 1998, and just 35 in 2008. Deer taken by archery hunting rose from 55 in 1998 to 222 in 2008.
The pattern holds — with some ups and downs — across the 12 years from 1996 to 2008, according to statistics assembled by Howard Kilpatrick, a wildlife biologist with the state environmental department.
And Ridgefield no longer leads the state in the number of deer killed on its roads.
“Ridgefield was consistently ranked number one for many years — it was for three, four, five years anyway,” Mr. Kilpatrick said. “In 2007, they were ranked number seven.”
Ridgefield Police count more road deaths of deer than does the state, but the trend is similar. Road kills fell from 205 seven years ago to 90 last year, according to Police Chief John Roche.
Annual road-kill totals from 2001 to 2008 were: 205, 129, 172, 198, 146, 115, 127, 90.
No method of counting deer — hunted, killed on the roads, or running in the woods — can be taken as 100% accurate, Mr. Kilpatrick said. His numbers are based on Deer Kill Incident Report forms that police all across the state fill out when they go to the scene of an accident.
The higher numbers from the Ridgefield Police include those incidents, but also count carcasses found along roads when no accident is reported.
Mr. Kilpatrick’s numbers on deer harvested are based on tags turned in by hunters, and are likely low since not all hunters turn them in. Still, he said his numbers were meaningful because the methodology was consistent over the 12 years.
“We know the reported harvest is low. We know the reported deer road kills are low,” he said. “But our method for collecting that data is the same, so any trends should reflect what’s really happening out there.”
“What Howard is saying is that there is still a correlation, whether it’s reported as what he had, or what we had,” Chief Roche said. “There is still a drop in the number of deer found dead on the side of the road.”
Full story at: Acorn Online
Monday, May 11, 2009
KENTUCKY NEWS: CWD-Based Ban on Deer and Elk Importation Unconstitutional
The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the state's law banning the importation of deer and elk to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease in local herds was unconstitutionally vague.
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that Kentucky's law did not clearly define what it means to "import" animals into the state. At issue was the case of a Tennessee man arrested in 2007 on charges of illegally importing elk and deer into Kentucky.
McCracken County Circuit Court Judge Craig Clymer had ruled previously that the state law under which Timothy Cory Looper was charged was unclear and thus void. Looper was not convicted.
"He engaged in no deception," Chief Judge Sara Combs wrote in Friday's opinion. "It is reasonable to believe that he drove through Kentucky in good faith — having no fair notice from a statute lacking the precision to alert as to the possibility of criminal consequences."
Kentucky lawmakers in 2006 instituted a statewide ban on the importation of the animals into Kentucky. The law, as enforced, prohibited people from crossing Kentucky state lines with deer or elk — a measure intended to protect local herds.
Looper, of Livingston, Tenn., was arrested in 2007 near Paducah while transporting animals from Hostetler Wildlife Farms in Miller, Mo., to Wilderness Hunting Lodge in Monterey, Tenn. Looper was charged with six felony counts of illegally importing the animals into the state.
He had with him five elk, one deer, two antelope and 12 exotic sheep. The five elk and one deer were destroyed, according to the ruling.
Shane A. Young, Looper's attorney, said the law was poorly written and confusing. He said that made it difficult to understand exactly what was illegal.
The exact effect of Friday's appellate court ruling was uncertain. Attorneys for the state have the option of appealing to the state supreme court.
Bill Clary, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, said the "practical consequences" of the ruling "are not very great.
Kentucky's law was also challenged in federal court in a lawsuit brought by the North American Deer Farmers Association. But a federal judge dismissed the challenge in September 2008.
Mark Marraccini, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, said a new law that takes effect this summer also bans the importation of members of the deer family into the state, but allows for exemptions.
For example, the law will allow the animals to be imported if they are from a herd that has been disease-free for five years and is from a disease-free state, Marraccini said.
Source: kentucky.com
A three-judge panel ruled Friday that Kentucky's law did not clearly define what it means to "import" animals into the state. At issue was the case of a Tennessee man arrested in 2007 on charges of illegally importing elk and deer into Kentucky.
McCracken County Circuit Court Judge Craig Clymer had ruled previously that the state law under which Timothy Cory Looper was charged was unclear and thus void. Looper was not convicted.
"He engaged in no deception," Chief Judge Sara Combs wrote in Friday's opinion. "It is reasonable to believe that he drove through Kentucky in good faith — having no fair notice from a statute lacking the precision to alert as to the possibility of criminal consequences."
Kentucky lawmakers in 2006 instituted a statewide ban on the importation of the animals into Kentucky. The law, as enforced, prohibited people from crossing Kentucky state lines with deer or elk — a measure intended to protect local herds.
Looper, of Livingston, Tenn., was arrested in 2007 near Paducah while transporting animals from Hostetler Wildlife Farms in Miller, Mo., to Wilderness Hunting Lodge in Monterey, Tenn. Looper was charged with six felony counts of illegally importing the animals into the state.
He had with him five elk, one deer, two antelope and 12 exotic sheep. The five elk and one deer were destroyed, according to the ruling.
Shane A. Young, Looper's attorney, said the law was poorly written and confusing. He said that made it difficult to understand exactly what was illegal.
The exact effect of Friday's appellate court ruling was uncertain. Attorneys for the state have the option of appealing to the state supreme court.
Bill Clary, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, said the "practical consequences" of the ruling "are not very great.
Kentucky's law was also challenged in federal court in a lawsuit brought by the North American Deer Farmers Association. But a federal judge dismissed the challenge in September 2008.
Mark Marraccini, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, said a new law that takes effect this summer also bans the importation of members of the deer family into the state, but allows for exemptions.
For example, the law will allow the animals to be imported if they are from a herd that has been disease-free for five years and is from a disease-free state, Marraccini said.
Source: kentucky.com
RESEARCH NEWS: Economic Damage to Non-timber Forest Products
The nontimber forest products industry has been growing rapidly since the mid-1980s, contributing billions of dollars to the U.S. economy annually. Examples of nontimber forest products (NTFP) include edibles such as fruits and nuts, medicinal and herbal products, and specialty floral and decorative products. Standouts in the NTFP industry include U.S.-grown herbs used to satisfy increasing consumer demand for herbal medications.
American ginseng, for example, accounted for $32 million in U.S. export revenue to Asia during 1996. The emerging economic industry has its share of challenges, including the impact of wildlife that naturally inhabit forests where NTFPs grow. Of particular concern are white-tailed deer, which can reduce the quality, quantity, and profitability of NTFPs by "browsing" twigs and rubbing the stems of shrubs, trees, and plants.
When deer browse, or nibble on buds, twig-ends, and leaves of woody plants, shrubs and trees can be deformed, stunted, or, in the case of young plants, eaten completely. Deer browse year-round, but are most destructive during the winter when alternative foods are less available. Male white-tailed deer also rub the stems of trees and shrubs during autumn to remove velvet from their antlers and to communicate with other deer. Deer rubbing reduces the plants' health and can kill vulnerable trees and shrubs.
The financial impacts of deer browsing and rubbing on NTFPs, particularly woody ornamental plants, can be considerable. Heavily browsed tips or rubbed stems are not marketable, and thus are a direct loss to the grower. Losses of trees and shrubs due to deer damage can amount to over $2030/acre per year depending on the species.
To reduce damage and lessen economic losses, producers often turn to lethal and nonlethal techniques to control deer. Hunting is not always supported by the public, and may only be applicable in rural areas. Nonlethal techniques can be difficult to apply, expensive to implement, and are often temporary solutions; fences, repellents, and frightening devices provide varying degrees of success in reducing crop damage.
Researchers attempting to provide alternative solutions to deer damage to NTFPs are working to identify species of trees and shrubs that are not as attractive or even avoided by deer. Scott E. Hygnstrom from the University of Nebraska and research colleagues from New Mexico State University and the USDA National Wildlife Research Center published a study in the American Society for Horticultural Science journal HortTechnology that evaluated deer damage to 26 species of trees and shrubs.
"Our objectives were to determine the varying levels of deer damage sustained by 26 species of trees and shrubs; to relate morphological features of trees and shrubs to damage levels; and to evaluate the economic impacts of deer damage on the production of nontimber forest products", explained Hygnstrom.
The study was conducted at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center. The area included eight species of trees and 18 species of shrubs that produced commercially valuable nontimber forest products. The 40-acre complex was occupied by about 48 white-tailed deer per square mile during the study.
The team measured the frequency and intensity of browsing and rubbing by deer on various species of trees and shrubs after 1 year of growth. To assess the financial impacts of deer damage, the scientists recorded numbers of stems rendered unmarketable by deer browsing or rubbing while harvesting and processing selected woody florals in February and December 2001. The results showed that pussy willow suffered the least economic impact of deer browsing and rubbing; less than 1% of the total number of stems produced were rejected for market. High levels of damage were documented for 'Blood-twig' dogwood (more than 21% of the stems were rejected). Losses per year due to combined damage by browsing and rubbing amounted to about $26/acre for pussy willow, $2031/acre for 'Blood-twig' dogwood, and $1595/acre for curly willow.
The research also revealed that leaving some NTFPs (especially dogwood) in the field until late winter considerably increases the percentage of stems rendered unmarketable due to deer browsing. Harvesting these products in late fall and early winter can substantially reduce the percentage of stems damaged by deer.
Source: Science Daily
American ginseng, for example, accounted for $32 million in U.S. export revenue to Asia during 1996. The emerging economic industry has its share of challenges, including the impact of wildlife that naturally inhabit forests where NTFPs grow. Of particular concern are white-tailed deer, which can reduce the quality, quantity, and profitability of NTFPs by "browsing" twigs and rubbing the stems of shrubs, trees, and plants.
When deer browse, or nibble on buds, twig-ends, and leaves of woody plants, shrubs and trees can be deformed, stunted, or, in the case of young plants, eaten completely. Deer browse year-round, but are most destructive during the winter when alternative foods are less available. Male white-tailed deer also rub the stems of trees and shrubs during autumn to remove velvet from their antlers and to communicate with other deer. Deer rubbing reduces the plants' health and can kill vulnerable trees and shrubs.
The financial impacts of deer browsing and rubbing on NTFPs, particularly woody ornamental plants, can be considerable. Heavily browsed tips or rubbed stems are not marketable, and thus are a direct loss to the grower. Losses of trees and shrubs due to deer damage can amount to over $2030/acre per year depending on the species.
To reduce damage and lessen economic losses, producers often turn to lethal and nonlethal techniques to control deer. Hunting is not always supported by the public, and may only be applicable in rural areas. Nonlethal techniques can be difficult to apply, expensive to implement, and are often temporary solutions; fences, repellents, and frightening devices provide varying degrees of success in reducing crop damage.
Researchers attempting to provide alternative solutions to deer damage to NTFPs are working to identify species of trees and shrubs that are not as attractive or even avoided by deer. Scott E. Hygnstrom from the University of Nebraska and research colleagues from New Mexico State University and the USDA National Wildlife Research Center published a study in the American Society for Horticultural Science journal HortTechnology that evaluated deer damage to 26 species of trees and shrubs.
"Our objectives were to determine the varying levels of deer damage sustained by 26 species of trees and shrubs; to relate morphological features of trees and shrubs to damage levels; and to evaluate the economic impacts of deer damage on the production of nontimber forest products", explained Hygnstrom.
The study was conducted at the University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center. The area included eight species of trees and 18 species of shrubs that produced commercially valuable nontimber forest products. The 40-acre complex was occupied by about 48 white-tailed deer per square mile during the study.
The team measured the frequency and intensity of browsing and rubbing by deer on various species of trees and shrubs after 1 year of growth. To assess the financial impacts of deer damage, the scientists recorded numbers of stems rendered unmarketable by deer browsing or rubbing while harvesting and processing selected woody florals in February and December 2001. The results showed that pussy willow suffered the least economic impact of deer browsing and rubbing; less than 1% of the total number of stems produced were rejected for market. High levels of damage were documented for 'Blood-twig' dogwood (more than 21% of the stems were rejected). Losses per year due to combined damage by browsing and rubbing amounted to about $26/acre for pussy willow, $2031/acre for 'Blood-twig' dogwood, and $1595/acre for curly willow.
The research also revealed that leaving some NTFPs (especially dogwood) in the field until late winter considerably increases the percentage of stems rendered unmarketable due to deer browsing. Harvesting these products in late fall and early winter can substantially reduce the percentage of stems damaged by deer.
Source: Science Daily
MISSOURI NEWS: Deer Enters Airport, Chaos Ensues
Early morning passengers probably took a double-take this morning after a deer somehow got into and wandered through Terminal A at Kansas City International airport.
The deer was seen running through the terminal around 5:45 a.m. today before it was locked into an office for US Airways, according to Joe McBride, an airport spokesman.
Airport officials are waiting for representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to arrive and tranquilize the deer so it can be removed, McBride said.
Authorities are not sure how the deer got into the terminal. In the past, however, wildlife have walked up the airport’s terminals, triggering the opening of the doors.
“I’m sure there were some early morning passengers who when they saw the deer wondered if they had enough coffee,” McBride said.
Source: Kansas City Star
The deer was seen running through the terminal around 5:45 a.m. today before it was locked into an office for US Airways, according to Joe McBride, an airport spokesman.
Airport officials are waiting for representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to arrive and tranquilize the deer so it can be removed, McBride said.
Authorities are not sure how the deer got into the terminal. In the past, however, wildlife have walked up the airport’s terminals, triggering the opening of the doors.
“I’m sure there were some early morning passengers who when they saw the deer wondered if they had enough coffee,” McBride said.
Source: Kansas City Star
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