The deer population has seen a dramatic increase since the late 1800s. Before that time, the deer census had been threatened. In the 1900s the deer population rebounded from about 20,000 to more than 1 million. This drastic increase can be attributed to changes in habitat, including reverting abandoned farm fields to forests, and migrations in human population to rural and suburban areas. Both of these progressions created open and forested habitats preferred by deer. In addition, landowners have excluded hunters out of many areas, subsequently, deer populations have increased. “Although the recovery of deer populations from only about 500,000 nationwide in the early 1900s to more than 15 million today is considered a wildlife management …show more content…
High populations of deer result in numerous deer-vehicle collisions and pose a serious threat to motorists. As was mentioned previously, it is estimated that each year in the United States 29,000 people are injured and more than 200 lose their lives in deer-vehicle collisions. More than 50,000 deer-vehicle collisions are estimated to occur in New York alone each year. According to McShea, “In 2009, the insurance industry estimated that 2.4 million deer–vehicle collisions had occurred over the previous 24 months, with an estimated cost of over 7 billion dollars and 300 human fatalities” (p.3). It is hard to ascertain an accurate number of collisions because many incidents go unreported. Research indicates that preventative methods currently being implemented, such as deer whistles and reflectors are ineffective. Nighttime imposes demanding and critical driving conditions that cannot be accommodated sufficiently or satisfactory by drivers. Deer are mainly nocturnal beings but are not restricted to night movement only. Autumn is deer breeding season and in many areas, deer hunting season. During this time, deer are more active and, as a result, they are on roadways more often. Deer and vehicle collisions are a major problem and occur nationwide. From little rural areas to densely urbanized communities, no community is
There are too many deer in the Wesselman Woods. The deer have eaten all the flowers and other flora. There have also been 8 car crashes involving deer, this imposes a dangerous threat to the civilians of Evansville. The deer have been invading people’s yards and eating their gardens. The deer are causing many problems that can’t be solved until the deer population is reduced.
The causes of rising conservation include overhunting, recognizing its importance. These newfound awareness results in new policies that preserve everyone equally. When people started to see the decline of wildlife animals including bison and many colorful birds it caused a rise in conservation. A cause of the extermination of bison is “From the Great Slave Lake to the Rio Grande, the home of the buffalo was everywhere overrun by the man with a gun; and, as had ever been the case, the wild creatures were gradually swept away, the largest and most conspicuous forms being the first to go. ”(Doc.2)
amount of game allowed to kill. Today we have an abundance of deer in Kentucky,
I am studying the White-tailed Deer populations that are located at Fort Indiantown GAP Pennsylvania. This area has a diverse biome that consists of populated areas, deciduous forests, fields, waterways, and many other types of habitat. I set up my observation area in a deciduous wooded area near a stream and a small lake. I have observed deer paths in this area as well as numerous amounts of deer scat.
When people talk about deer, they are commonly talking about the North American Whitetail. That is because they are so prevalent in this country. They can be found in every state in the US. The only place where you will not find any whitetails is in parts of Arizona and California. In most states the whitetail is very prevalent, especially in the northeast. They are one of the most hunted animals in this area, particularly in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Despite the amount they are hunted, both in and out of season, you can not drive more than a few miles out of the towns without seeing one that was hit by a car. The deer population in this area just keeps growing. It is unclear what should be done to stop the over population of this beautiful creature. Perhaps different hunting seasons or longer seasons are the answer. Possibly we should focus more on the development of birth control for the female deer, or maybe repopulating wolves into the areas where the deer population is too great. Something has to be done.
By 1900, only 400,000 whitetails remained. What has happened ever since 1900 has truly become a huge conservation success story. Through a massive effort by sportsmen and wildlife managers, market hunting was outlawed, sport-hunting regulations were established, and habitat improvement programs began. Because of the efforts of these concerned people, the whitetail population has risen to around 20 million. The deer population has increased so much that in many areas, they suffer from chronic starvation.
White tailed deer are the largest game animal in North America. This is due to their over abundance and annoyance to farmers. An average of 300000 deer are hunted down each year. A tragedy has been another 3000 are hit by cars every year. Many human efforts have been made to prevent these accidents, such as fencing and deer repellents near freeways, but many seem to think that hunting and controlling the population is the best way.
Environmentalists call this problem the Urban Deer Dilemma. This exists when the number of deer exceeds the ability of the environment to support the deer (2). During the 1600s, when Jamestown’s first settlers arrived, there were between 24 and 31 million white-tailed deer in North America (4). As settlers pioneered farther west, the deer population steadily decreased until a dramatic drop in the 19th century. By the end of the century, less than half-a-million deer were left. In some parts of the United States, there were none. In 1886, the US Supreme Court forced hunters to get licenses and follow certain restrictions. Conservationists urged hunters kill bucks instead of does. Because of these precautions, by the 1940s, 30 states in the United States had deer herds large enough to starve themselves (4).
Since the beginning of time man has been hunting animals for food. Even before fire, man needed to hunt, because hunting was the only way to eat. At first man used things such as spears and rocks to kill its prey. As man evolved, they started using bows and arrows. Next came an early model of what we use today, the firearm. It is powerful yet easy to carry around. It puts the animal through less suffering and is a lot more efficient than previous techniques. Hunting was once a necessity, but now it is a tradition, passed on from father to son as a way to spend time together, enjoy the outdoors, and experience what our ancestors went through in hunting their dinner. Since it is considered a sport some think we are killing off the deer population, when in actuality, “While most other big-game species have declined with the spread of urbanization, the whitetail has been able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. Through the efforts of state agencies and conservation groups like Whitetails Unlimited, wildlife officials estimate today’s whitetail population to exceed 30 million” (www.whitetailsunlimited.org).
The most popular form of deer control is hunting. Hunting is a helpful management tool for keeping deer from becoming overpopulated. When European settlers arrived, the deer were hunted for meat and hide without thinking of management. After 100 years, deer were threatened with extinction in N.C. Today deer populations are 1.25 million in NC. Hunting can help regulate this population if done correctly. (Hartiganand Osbourne). Hunting helps the deer population by decreasing the likelihood of overpopulation. Without hunting, deer would overpopulate an area and they would be forced to go elsewhere for food. This could lead to them wondering into cities and highways causing car accidents. Without some type of deer control, they multiply. Since deer have lost some land areas due to cities growing, they do not have enough food and start to slowly starve. Thus hunting is a good choice for deer management.
Thousands of animals are put to sleep each year due to not having any available homes for them to be adopted. According to Jennifer Sexton and Tom Warhol in Domestic Animal Overpopulation, “The average female cat can produce two litters of six kittens per year, a female dog can produce one litter of six or more puppies per year, making pet overpopulation a significant problem.” Animal overpopulation is costing money and you can help the pets with spay and neutering programs. A new solution is mandatory contracts for breeders and spay and neuter programs. This paper will talk about spay and neuter programs, contracts for breeders, and why some people don’t think animal overpopulation is a problem. Thankfully there are solutions to this issue of animal overpopulation.
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
Deer overpopulation is a controversial topic. Some believe that deer overpopulation is not a real problem. Some may also believe the high numbers that studies show, is a scheme to give hunters an excuse to hunt without reason. The truth is that deer overpopulation is a true issue. Deer, especially the eastern whitetail deer population in these modern times, is out of control. “There are an estimated 30 million whitetail deer in the United States today. Under optimal conditions, whitetail deer populations will double every two years”(Rooney). As the numbers of whitetail deer rise, the land for them to live on decreases. This may lead to deer walking on roads and causing accidents.
Fall is just around the corner, meaning that it’s almost deer season and time to plan where to get some venison this year. Of course, there is no question that Alabama has plenty of deer, providing Cotton State hunters’ ample opportunities to bring home some meat.
The author provides information describing the deer population in parts of New Jersey; yet, he does not include any data regarding the population in the rest of the United States, nor does he include any sources of where this information was obtained. A reader may be more