This is quite a noticeable decline from the population high of 250,000 seen in 1988. Try these articles next! Once present in only a few counties, they are now abundant in each of the states 95 counties. Deer prefer forested areas where they can find vegetation to eat. When resources are scarce, they will eat insects and small animals. It also has about 320,000 black-tail deer, and the rest are mule deer. . While their historic range expanded further east, today you can find them in western Oregon, northern California, Washington, the Alaskan panhandle and areas of British Columbia. All of Alaskas deer are black-tail deer. The state does not count its two species separately. The only population estimate I could find for sika deer was approximately 10,000 in 2016. By 1930 less than 500 deer remained. Outdoor Alabama: Deer hunting information and regulations. On the one hand they cause a lot of damage to crops and use up many natural resources. While the white-tailed deer more or less stop east of the Rocky Mountains, the mule deer take over west of the Rockies. The states Department of Natural Resources and other groups want to attract more hunters to reduce deer populations. Plant them closer to your house, and put a border around them of stronger smelling plants such as lavender, mint or garlic. Once the objectives are set, wildlife biologists and the CDACs work together to set hunting quotas and seasons to move the local deer population in the direction of that objective. The North Carolina Wildlife Commission estimated the white-tailed deer population in the state to be around 1 million. In the issue: Big-game preference points and herd counts! This means they fork as they grow. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. They mostly live along the watersheds of the states major rivers. Hunting for mule deer is more popular in Wyoming than hunting for white-tail deer. The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. Potential Deer Population Growth in 10 Years. Deer Harvest Map. The Wyoming Fish & Game Department notes, Many hunters choose where they hunt deer based on the type of terrain and scenery they want to experience in Wyoming.. There is a really nice timeline of events affecting the deer on the states history of deer management page. This represents a 2.4 percent increase in harvest from 2019 (193,073) and is 38 percent below the record harvest established in 2002 (319,902). Post hunt population estimates are the starting point for setting antlerless quotas and harvest of antlerless deer is the primary way to manage deer herd abundance. 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). 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. About 74,000 hunters participated in the state's 2017 spring turkey season, and killed 33,000 birds. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, deer populations had plummeted across the country and some states were in danger of loosing deer entirely. According to one source, the introduction of the white-tailed deer did not negatively impact the mule deer, elk or moose in the state as they occupy different types of habitat. During the past deer season, 191,731 deer were reported killed by deer hunters in Virginia. Iowas first conservation law came around in 1856, restricting what time of year deer could be hunted. According to the Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, most of the state conservation efforts are funded through hunting and fishing license sales and firearms sales. . They have adapted well and currently coexist peacefully with the states native ecosystems. According to data from State Farm, U.S. drivers had 1.9 million animal collision insurance claims in the U.S. between July 2021 and June 2022, down 5.5 percent from the same period a year ago. This 2015 article states the Arizona Big Game Management estimated Coues population at about 50,000-60,000 deer. 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. During this time anyone could hunt deer and they were often a life line, providing meat and skin to the early settlers. Besides hunting, deer watching is a popular activity among visitors to the states parks and wildlife management areas. Nevada is one of the few states where deer populations have declined in recent decades. Alabama has more than 1.5 million white-tailed deer. It was estimated at 376,450 in 2018 but took a sharp decline in recent years. How many deer are in Wisconsin 2021? This includes flowers, grass, tree and shrub fruits, nuts, acorns, berries and lichen. March 29, 2021 6:10 am. Enough that the Fish & Game Department created a pamphlet outlining why too much food assistance from humans is problematic for people and deer alike. That includes white-tail deer, mule deer, black-tail deer, and a handful of rare deer species. . Most deer live in the western part of the state. Hawaii has about 1,000 black-tail deer and 110,000 Axis deer. The mule deer working group states it is difficult to estimate black-tailed deer numbers, however the 2004 estimate of 320,000 is likely close as the population has been stable since then. Damage to landscape overpopulation of deer in the suburbs makes them more and more apt to use your flower beds and gardens as a snack station. Courtesy of onX Hunt, here are the eight states in the USA with the highest deer density: Mississippi: 38 deer per square mile. So what are the problems that come with too many deer? Body. In a 2020 article the state DNR estimated a white-tailed deer population of about 900,000 1,000,000. If the deer population gets too large, it can damage forest growth and destroy native vegetation. The rut, which is their mating season, occurs in the fall and the fawns are born in the spring. The deer population in the United States varies by state. The most recent data I could find for white-tailed deer reported around 300,000 in 2016. It is a tough balance for the Axis deer on the islands. Thats an impressive comeback from the near extinction they faced in the state at the turn of the 20th century. Washington has the most variety of deer. The overall size, length, and branches on antlers depends on how well-fed the deer is, how old it is, and some is just genetics. Georgia Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) Current Deer Management Plan, 2015-2024; Deer Management Plan 2005-2014; Urban Deer Management Plan 2005-2014; Controlling Deer Damage; DNR Deer Restocking 1928-1974 2021 population numbers listed by the state estimate 293,950 mule deer and 212,814 white-tailed deer. Wolves and mountain lions, their natural predators, no longer live in the state. The more recent 2021 mule deer survey (linked at bottom of article) lists about 80,600 mule deer. White-tailed deer prefer the more agricultural and upland areas of the state, whereas the sika deer prefer marshes and forested wetlands. Found in forests as well as the suburbs, deer are often thought to have spiritual meaning and can bring nature close to home since they are often seen in backyards and neighborhoods. . Read more about New Yorks deer abundance on the DEC site here. DEC determines desired deer population changes using data on public preferences and deer impacts to forests. According to the same state estimates, White-tail populations have consistently increased since 1989 where they were estimated to number around 3.5 Million. RALEIGH, N.C. (May 10, 2022) Results from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's annual deer harvest summary indicate hunters across the state reported harvesting 168,427 deer during the 2021-22 hunting season a 6.3% increase . The states only deer species is thriving in every region. They are small deer with fully grown males rarely weighing over 100 pounds. Learn more about the gestation period of fawn in this article. Deer species in the U.S. are split into eastern and western groups, with some cross over in the middle. This is according to the most recent (2019) population estimates conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife (TP&W).. Black-tailed deer have a white patch on rump, which their tail mostly covers. Idaho is home to both mule deer and white-tailed deer. They theorize habitat change, two decades of aggressive antlerless deer harvest, and the complete colonization of the state by coyotes and their impact on fawn survival as possible causes. Small herds also exist on prairies in Fall River, Meade, Butte, Bennett and Gregory counties. For both species females are smaller than the males. However, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game recently added white-tailed deer to the states hunting regulations since the species is slowly migrating into the state. 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. Generally cloudy. Predators kill white-tailed deer. Deer Overabundance. White-tailed deer are not native to Alaska and do not have well-established populations there. The state is also home to the rare, endemic Key deer, which is the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer. The white-tailed deer is the most common game species in the state today, however hunting was banned between 1841 and 1954 to allow the population to rebound after a huge decline in the early to mid 1800s. White-tailed deer population in Pennsylvania has been 1.4-1.5 million for the last few years. Most other western states have between 100,000 to 540,000 deer per state. Vehicle collisions as population density increases, so does the likelihood of deer-vehicle collisions. Population has been on a slow increase for many years. 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.. Each year, hunters take 40 to 70 percent of the antlered bucks and up to 25 percent of the does within many areas of Missouri. The white-tail deer is the most common type of deer hunted in the United States. White-tailed deer are an important game animal in the state. Growth has boomed since with an estimated population today of 700,000 750,000 white-tailed deer. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac, What Do White-Tailed Deer Eat? Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. If you ever see a deer in the woods and they spot you, you might catch them flagging as they run away. Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife: hunting rules and regulations. That brings us to the topic of this article, where we will dive into what the deer population is in each U.S. state, and which types of deer you can find there. Missouris white-tailed deer population sits at about 1.4 million. All of these states are located east of Texas. This is due in part to lack of predators and changes in land use (less mature forest, more transition zones). These deer live on a series of islands along the river. Many towns are trying to figure out programs that will work for them to keep the deer population in check.