Historically mountain lions and wolves helped to control the deer population, but with the absence of those predators today hunters are the only real population control. Clearly restocking, management efforts, and the shift away from clearing land for agriculture have worked, to the point where many counties are now trying to lower the number of deer to a more sustainable number. Trying to figure out their population in the state is challenging due to the remote and densely forested areas where they live. If it is just a garden you are trying to protect, you can net off that specific area rather than your whole yard, Motion detecting sprinklers can work great to startle them away. Estimates of deer density were: White = rare, absent, or urban area with unknown population, Green = less than 15 deer per square mile, Yellow = 15 to 30 deer per square mile, Orange = 30 to 40 deer per square mile, or Red = greater than 45 deer per square mile. Maryland Department of Natural Resources: hunting in Maryland. This has rebounded from the estimated 10,000 deer in 1900. Its the only state with this claim. The mule deer working group lists the 2021 population in the badlands at 21,000. Their tail is thinner than the white-tailed deer, with a distinctive black tip at the bottom. This has been accomplished through liberalized antlerless bag limits, liberalized deer tagging regulations, increased seasons, and increased non-quota antlerless hunting opportunities. However Texas is also home to mule deer, who live in the Trans-Pecos and Panhandle regions. Other states have deer and elk populations too, but some also have moose, mule deer and other big game cervids that sportsmen travel out of state to hunt. Hunting is now an important part in keeping populations managed in the state, especially to help reduce populations in urban areas. Hanberry, Brice B.; Hanberry, Phillip. While statewide estimates are gained mainly through harvest data, in 2021 a thermal imaging drone was flown over Arlington in efforts to gain more accurate data. This map is intended as a guide only, and its content is subject to change without notice. (Estimates & Examples), Bobcat Population by State (Estimates & Facts), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Maryland white-tailed deer management plan, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks site, 2017-2023 South Dakota white-tailed and mule deer management plan, 2021 Range-Wide Status of Black-tailed and Mule Deer, 12 Types of Animals With a Long Tail (with Pictures), 4 Types of Water Snakes in Iowa (With Pictures), 5 Water Snakes in South Carolina (Pictures), 460,420 (black-tailed and mule deer combined), 427,500 (combined white-tail and mule deer), central to eastern Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New England and Nova Scotia, Key deer / Florida Keys white-tailed deer, Florida keys, mainly from Sugarloaf Key to Bahia Honda Key, Coues white-tailed deer / Arizona white-tailed deer / fantail deer, Arizona and parts of New Mexico into Mexico, Dakota white-tailed deer / northern plains white-tailed deer, western and central Canada, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, North & South Dakota and western Minnesota, Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County South Carolina, south-central Oregon and southern Washington/northern Oregon border, U.S. central plains including Texas panhandle, parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, McIntosh county Georgia, Rocky Mountains white-tailed deer / northwestern white-tailed deer, western Canada and northern Rocky Mountains, Gulf coast of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, Virginia white-tailed deer / southern white-tailed deer, Pacific Northwest and northern California, southeastern coastal Alaska, south central Alaska, coastal British Columbia, California mule deer (Westside of Sierra Nevada down to south coast), Desert/burro mule deer (southwest California, northwest Mexico and Arizona), Southern mule deer (Southernmost California and Baja California), Rocky Mountain mule deer (Northwest California, western and central North America), Inyo mule deer (Sierra Nevada, California). 2021 population numbers listed by the state estimate 293,950 mule deer and 212,814 white-tailed deer. A 2021 estimate puts mule deer at a population of between 90,000 130,000. 5. They were essential as a source of food, clothing, tool materials and currency for Native Americans and European settlers. A 2020 study by the Mule Deer Working Group put total deer population (including black-tailed and mule deer) in California at 460,420. 2009. Focus on plants that arent as attractive to deer (marigold, verbena, snapdragon, butterfly bush, boxwood, juniper, bee balm). The main deer population in Utah is mule deer, with a 2021 estimate of 314,850. While populations still continue to fluctuate due to habitat loss, weather, disease and other factors, it remains in the hundreds of thousands. Alternatively, yearling males disperse away from their mother; which is thought to prevent inbreeding. This number doubled over five years and in 1996, hunters poured in over $909,687,000 to the local economy. As part of the states deer management plan, the state is divided up into numbered permit areas, each with their own deer population goal. That leaves you with the average number of whitetails per square mile. Cattle and sheep began competing with deer for space and grazing by the 1860s, combined with the 1859 Gold Rush that brought 100,000 people into the state soon to be followed by a railroad bringing even more settlers. Read more about white-tailed deer in Michigan at Michigan.gov. Sponsorship: Quality Deer Management Association; US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service-Northern Research Station; Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. Mule deer are the most populous with a 2020 estimate of 85,000-100,000 mule deer in Arizona. Deer are found throughout the state with three subspecies broken up by geographic location. This is mainly white-tailed deer however there is a small population of mule deer in the state also, about 1,750 3,000. The most credible white-tailed estimate I could find came from the 2017-2023 South Dakota white-tailed and mule deer management plan, which listed the 2016 preseason population estimate at 425,000. Theres a lot more interesting history you can in Colorados Mule Deer Story. In 2021 the Nevada Department of Wildlife started the Mule Deer Enhancement Program to bring together people from all areas of the state to look at and address causes. The white-tailed deer is Tennessee's most popular big game animal. Hunting is the number one cause of mortality for adult white-tailed deer in many parts of their range, including Tennessee. As mentioned, some areas will be higher and some will be lower. Deer are one of the most populous and hunted big game animals in North America. The Agency's white-tailed deer program began in the 1940's with the initiation of deer restoration activities. 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. Black-tailed deer have a white patch on rump, which their tail mostly covers. To get this data, we simply divided the states deer populations by their total number of claimed square miles. Webpage with information and links to data files for download. We searched 702 plots (10-m radius), collecting 352 pellet-group samples on 197 of the plots. The mule deer population has been in decline since 1980, decreasing from 300,000 to todays estimate of 170,000 190,000 in 2020. Hunting of black-tailed deer is allowed, and at the time of writing this article so is hunting of mule and white-tailed deer, in order to help get more information on these new populations entering the state. Antlers remain on the bucks until after the breeding season, when they are shed. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2019-0053. The total deer population in Kansas was listed in this article as being 700,000. Click here to learn more on deer hunting in Kansas. Deer farming creates high-density populations of deer, making it an ideal environment for transmitting CWD. This state isnt what it once was. Recently the state has been increasing their any-deer (does or bucks) permits in an effort to bring down the population due to complains about too many deer and high levels of Lyme disease in certain areas. While caribou, elk and moose are all Cervids, that is members of the deer family, we are not discussing them in this article. Deer populations are actually higher than they were historically in many areas, or they are at the point of exceeding the carrying capacity of their local environment. White-tailed deer density estimates across the eastern United States, 2008. Strict measure were taken to improve this, including closing all hunting for many years, restocking from other states, and cracking down on enforcing regulations. Ideally 8 feet and solid (not opaque). The North Carolina Wildlife Commission estimated the white-tailed deer population in the state to be around 1 million. See Region 1 WMA regulations starting on page 37 to see which public lands are open during this hunt. The economy of Tennessee has benefited from the rise in deer numbers in terms of increased revenues to small businesses in rural areas, sporting goods businesses, hotels and restaurants, etc. All this brings us to today. Iowa finds itself at No. In fact the 2020-21 hunting season is reported as one of Ohios most successful with 197,735 deer harvested. In the early 1900s not many deer remained in Alabama after overhunting, estimates were down to about 2,000. The lighter shades of green determine the lower percentage rates of deer being harvested in Tennessee. See table on backside of brochure for bag limits. I have seen some debate on this but at the time of writing this article the consensus is that black-tailed deer are a subspecies of the mule deer. The 2021 mule deer survey put their population within the state at 227,392. 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. QDMA Whitetail Report, 2009. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, deer populations had plummeted across the country and some states were in danger of loosing deer entirely. Native plant suppression when there are more deer than the ecosystem can sustain, native plants may be grazed to the point where they are never allowed to grow, reducing food for other animals and allowing invasive species to thrive. Deer become infected after being bitten by a midge carrying the virus. SET OPTIONS. And its certainly one of the best in the Midwest with 17.4 deer per square mile. They are only found in the Florida keys and are an endangered species. But one thing is for sure, hunters wont mind seeing as many deer as the land can healthily support. The Sooner State comes in at No. Growth has boomed since with an estimated population today of 700,000 750,000 white-tailed deer. The site is secure. Utah: 315,000 Only about 1,000 of these deer are white-tail deer. The rest are mule deer. This includes during the winter and early spring, they feed on Douglas fir, western red cedar, red huckleberry, salal, deer fern, and lichens growing on trees. According to the state of Massachusetts deer management page, there are an estimated 95,000 white-tailed deer in the state. mile. DATA INPUT. A 2018 estimate puts the white-tailed deer estimate around 18,000 for Rhode Island. Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries: Deer Research, Management and Reports. Value for Tennessee (No. The Vermont fish & wildlife page reports that the pre-hunt estimate for white-tailed deer population in the state was approximately 133,000. Efforts at management started as early as 1917 to save the remaining population. Which came first, the black-tailed deer or the mule deer? Late spring to fall, they consume grasses, blackberries, apples, fireweed, pearly everlasting, forbs, salmonberry, salal, and maple. The state manages land to focus on quantity of deer in some areas, and quality of deer in others. They are an attractive deer with a bright orange-brown coat covered in white spots, much like the fawn of white-tailed deer. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. The only population estimate I could find for sika deer was approximately 10,000 in 2016. It will be something the state keeps an eye on going forward. Young fawns have white spots on their coats as camouflage for hiding from predators. White-tailed deer are statewide but more populous in the east, while mule deer are found in the western two-thirds of the state. Montana has a large population of two types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Some might not consider Kentucky a true midwestern state, but it practically is one. Today, white-tailed deer continue to be a highly-valued resource forTennesseans, especially for hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts. In 2017 the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division reported an estimated population of 1.27 million. Unfortunately that number decreased in 2001 due to the slight decline in hunter numbers. In Tennessee, they are classified as a species . In Tennessee cervids include deer and elk. Sexually mature males, known as bucks, grow antlers in the spring/summer of each year. Plant them closer to your house, and put a border around them of stronger smelling plants such as lavender, mint or garlic. Maryland also has a population of sika deer. Vehicle collisions as population density increases, so does the likelihood of deer-vehicle collisions. However the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says that they are both crossing the border with Canada and starting to colonize. As conservation efforts increased, deer restocking programs helped bring in just over 4,000 deer from other states between 1928 and 1992. Whereas the size of white-tailed deer can vary greatly, mule deer dont show as much of a difference across their range. And the numbers show its an incredible hunting destination. Additional Sources used in this article : WildlifeInformer.com is your #1 source for free information about all types of wildlife and exotic pets. Copy-Paste or input your values into our Excel template. Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Maps This map is intended as a guide only, and its content is subject to change without notice. South Dakota is home to both the white-tailed and mule deer. They are most populous on the western Great Plains, in the Rocky Mountains, the southwestern states, and on the west coast of North America. Females typically mature at 1.5-2.5 years of age and give birth to 1-2 young annually (although they may occasionally have 3). Arizona Game & Fish: deer hunting rules and regulations. Its important to understand that within these states, actual populations will be different. The summer coat of a white-tailed deer is reddish-brown, while its winter coat is gray. Missouri Department of Conservation: deer hunting regulations. After the 2021-2022 deer hunting season, Fayette County had the highest county-wide prevalence of CWD at 17.7% and Hardeman County had the next highest at 11.8%. In Tennessee, white-tailed deer are found throughout the entire State. Human dimension studies conducted by the University of Tennessee show a deer hunting satisfaction rate of approximately 80% between the years 2000-2004. However, at an application level, density analysis can provide valuable insight into natural and social phenomena. On average in North America, males weigh 150-300 pounds and females weigh 88 198 pounds. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks, national parks, national forests, and wildlife management areas. Our mission at Wildlife Informer is to share free information and pictures of wildlife with our readers. By 2000 the deer population in the state was estimated at 1.75 million. There are many legal ways summarized here to control this immensely destructive pest. QDMA Whitetail Report, 2009. White-tailed deer are classified as the species Odocoileus virginianus, the Virginia white-tailed deer. This 2021 article in the Greenville Sun quoted the states wildlife resource agency as estimating 900,000 white-tailed deer in the state. Studies of mule deer populations have shown that they have been recorded as eating nearly 800 different plant species. Conversely, buck fawns only have small bony growths, which do not protrude through the skin, during the fall and winter after their birth. Vermont is near the northernmost part of white-tailed deers range, and the deer must look for areas of shelter with mature evergreen trees to withstand the low temperatures and deep snow of winter. They also state the greatest density of deer can be found in Rockingham, Hillsborough and Cheshire counties, as well as along the Connecticut River Valley in Grafton County. Due to less productive habitat and other factors, eastern Tennessee has been the slowest area of the state for deer population growth. This flash can alert other deer that danger has been spotted, and is known as flagging. South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks: deer hunting information. According to a quote in the Michigan Bridge made by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, there may be as many as 2 million deer in the state today. This includes plant shoots, legumes, cacti, leaves, grasses, fruit, corn, acorns and mushrooms. I merged the data together to find the total area of land that can support a mountain lion and then limited the federal data to just Tennessee using the intersect tool. In the late 1800s, India gifted eight Axis deer to King Kamehameha V. These eight ended up on Molokai and have since been introduced to most of the other Hawaiian islands. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. White tailed deer are found throughout the state, with the highest numbers in eastern half. Carter County hunters harvested 1397, while Johnson County had 976 and Unicoi County had 352 total deer harvested, one of the lowest counties in the state. Estimated Harvest of Furbearers. By 1930 less than 500 deer remained. "We saw a record harvest for the 2020-21 deer season of 216,835," said Ralph Meeker, deer program coordinator with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Herd growth has been such that hunting is allowed in all Tennessee counties with the Tennessee deer herd numbering approximately 900,000 animals. 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. This is quite a noticeable decline from the population high of 250,000 seen in 1988. They may occasionally eat small animals like mice or birds, but it isnt very common. All males and some females have a tuft of modified feathers on the chest called a beard. The Kansas DWP reports that white tailed numbers have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. Perhaps number one among these challenges are the problems caused by the stabilization and/or reduction in the numbers of hunters. These population trends and goals should continue into the near future. Wild Hog Regulations. The .gov means its official. Needless to say, I live and hunt in the Bluegrass State. Deer Harvesting Rates Determining the Best Counties This map below is a comparison between the counties in Tennessee with the highest deer population density and the highest harvest rates. Deer density remains highest in the Tennessee portion of LBL. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission: white-tailed deer overview. Providing Central Access to USDAs Open Research Data, POLYGON ((-125.570437 23.246347, -65.705075 23.246347, -65.705075 50.962115, -125.570437 50.962115)), 005:059 - Department of Agriculture - Management Activities, These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. Click here to learn more on deer hunting in Ohio. Deer are one of the most populous and hunted big game animals in North America. Antlers are vascular extensions of the skull covered with hairy skin, called velvet, during the growing period. But it is a really solid figure. Estimated Hunter-days by Species. 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. The tail is straight and black on top with white underneath. Walters, Brian F.; Woodall, Christopher W.; Russell, Matthew B.. (2016). The male white-tailed deer will grow a new set of antlers every year. In 1927 a huge flood in the eastern part of the state forced deer into small areas of high ground where they were unfortunately picked off by opportunistic hunters. Thank you for visiting! Also the growth of suburbs that broke up large swaths of forested land into smaller chunks actually benefited the deer. Factors causing deer populations to grow in recent years include expansion of homes into rural areas that are hospitable for deer but are not suitable for hunting. Deer hunting in Tennessee started strong during the summer and finished strong in January with the harvest almost 20% larger than the previous season. Like other deer species they grow new antlers each spring and shed them during the winter. Like many states, Oklahoma had nearly lost all its deer by the early 1900s. Both Fayette County and Hardeman County have seen significant increases in prevalence since 2018. TWRA has made a reasonable effort to assure the accuracy of the map; nevertheless, some information contained therein may not be accurate. Deer hunting is a huge sport in the state, and the 2020-21 season saw a whopping 435,180 deer harvested, one of the largest in the country. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation: Click here for more information on deer hunting in Minnesota. Tennessee hunters harvested 159,879 deer in the state this hunting season. And here comes the biggest shock of all. Unfortunately, this is also where the majority of the states human population live, and too many deer can increase car crashes and crop loss. The map is intended to reflect the approximate boundaries of the TWRA Huntable Lands generally available for the use of sportsmen/sportswomen with proper licenses. portion of LBL have increased to two deer, only one antlered and by any means (gun, muzzleloader, or archery). The largest deer are often found along the northern portions of their range, while the tiny Key Deer of Florida barely make it to 100 pounds. The Agencys deer management program has achieved an 82% approval rate utilizing this philosophy (University of Tennessee 2004). 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. 2004 ) ), collecting 352 pellet-group samples on 197 of the state this season... 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