2021 population numbers listed by the state estimate 293,950 mule deer and 212,814 white-tailed deer. There are six subspecies of mule deer found across California. Deer eat a lot, about 2,000 pounds of plant matter each year. Ideally 8 feet and solid (not opaque). On Saturday, February 18, 2023, staff from CPW were able to recapture and refit the collar on male wolf 2101 near North Park. 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. There are nearly 2,000 different species! New Mexico is home to mule deer, Coue deer, and Texas white-tails. Pennsylvania: 34 deer per square mile. Although it has some mule deer, most of the deer in this state are members of the white-tailed family. Mule deer are the most populous, and the state combines its counts of Coues and white-tailed. There are no western states with over a million deer. When I go for my daily runs I often see herds of elk, deer, and bald eagles. Deer enjoy eating mushrooms, nuts, berries, pumpkins, spinach, and apples. Market hunting decimated the states population by the late 1800s. It may be that monitoring of this species separate from overall deer in the state has not yet been established. Deer harvests began to increase again in 2016, possibly due to coyote densities declining. The antlers grow in late spring, and are covered with tissue called velvet during this growth period. Deer living in suburbs and areas not zoned for hunting are hard to monitor due to the fact that most of the data about the deer . White-tailed deer were once common in Delaware, but hunting reduced their numbers. By 1990 the population had grown to 250,000. In 1974 the state passed the Deer Management Act and had its first deer hunting season the following year. It is a tough balance for the Axis deer on the islands. However the accompanying article states estimates are likely conservative. Population has been on a slow increase for many years. Colorados white-tailed deer mostly live in the eastern and central mountain areas. They will lose these spots after a few months. The states Department of Natural Resources says these deer are abundant in every county and habitat of West Virginia. Most of these are mule deer. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac Deer Face Scent Glands, Deer Meat: 10 Things You Should Know About Venison, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Caught In Maine. Managers have been able to relax hunting regulations over the years in response to increasing deer herds. Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. Take a look! The most recent estimate I could find for West Virginias white-tailed deer population was about 550,000 in 2017. The white-tailed deer is the states only native deer and is Illinoiss state mammal. State wildlife officials say the actual number may be higher. While deer are not naturally found in Hawaii, an invasive species has taken over in the last 150 years, the Axis deer. Careful management slowly brought the population back and by 1985 hunters were able to harvest 32,000 deer. In 2021, the state launched a new initiative to enhance populations of mule deer and white-tailed deer. The North Carolina Wildlife Commission estimated the white-tailed deer population in the state to be around 1 million. Three of those are abundant enough to hunt, the white-tailed deer, mule deer and black-tailed deer. Indiana: 28 deer per square mile. Williamson, WV (25661) Today. Black-tailed deer have a white patch on rump, which their tail mostly covers. 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. As part of the states deer management plan, the state is divided up into numbered permit areas, each with their own deer population goal. Today its hard to image they werent always so abundant. As recently as 1968 the in-state population estimate was only 25,000, but through conservation and management by 1990 that number skyrocketed to 100,000. This is the only deer species in the state, and it is a huge conservation success story. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. If this growth rate remained constant until year 10, the population would number about 900, or 1 deer per 1.3 acres. Deer Harvest Map. High 62F. The white-tailed deer is native to North America, Central America and parts of South America. 2021 WAFWA Deer & Elk Business Meeting: Jim Heffelfinger: 1:00-2:40 PM: Deer Session 3: Disease: Delaware hunters registered a record 17,265 harvested deer during the 2020/21 hunting season with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, surpassing the previous record harvest of 16,969 deer set last year during the 2019/20 hunting season. This is due in part to lack of predators and changes in land use (less mature forest, more transition zones). It has around 100,000 white-tail deer, 100,000 mule deer, 100,000 black-tail deer, and more than 5,000 Columbian white-tail deer. Kansas is home to two kinds of deer, white-tailed deer and mule deer. Slow down. Arizona has a small population of whitetails, though they tend to prefer areas with more vegetation. Each year CDFW biologists estimate the deer population in California using a computer model that uses harvest numbers along with survey data. Like many states, Ohio successfully reintroduced deer, and they are now thriving. Mule deer are classified as the species Odocoileus hemionus, the Rocky-Mountain mule deer. Put up a fence but it has to be tall. Although they were once almost wiped out from many states, they have successfully repopulated most of their former territories. Montana has a large population of two types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Michigan State University Extension . 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. There are three main types of deer in New Mexico, the mule deer, the Coues deer and the Texas white-tailed deer. The Kansas DWP reports that white tailed numbers have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. They are adaptable to a wide range of climate conditions. Fortunately, the early to mid 1900s is when most management programs began to try and reverse this population loss. We will be looking at the population of white-tailed deer, mule deer, and black-tailed deer. The population is thriving, and Louisiana permits controlled hunting to manage it. They are largely concentrated around the so-called Hill Country and Edwards Plateau regions. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Part of what helped this rebound was less agriculture, which allowed the land to revert back to mixed woodland which deer prefer. I could not find an exact count that was more recent, however based on estimated deer harvest numbers the total population in Florida as of 2019 may be closer to 550,000. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Wildlife Informer is reader-supported. During this time, Maine's deer population grew to an estimated all time high of 331,000, however, much of the growth occurred within the southern tier of the state. The state initially planned to wait for the fall of 2021 to hold a harvest. Importing of white-tailed deer from Michigan began in 1930 to strategic habitats. However the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says that they are both crossing the border with Canada and starting to colonize. Fall 2021-22 harvest: 191,731. For these numbers, we have included all deer species. They are also an important food source for the endangered Florida panther. Florida has a healthy deer population that includes a large number of white-tails and fewer than 1,000 rare Key deer. Wayne county had a harvest percentage rate of 2.4% and Hickman county had a harvest rate percentage of 2.1%. Hunters in Region B the remainder of the state harvested 62,916 deer, down 13% from 72,346 . Regular hunting ensures that a state will only have the number of deer its ecosystems can support. The over-arching goals of this mule deer plan are: 1) Preserve, protect, perpetuate, and manage deer and their habitat to ensure healthy, productive populations; 2) Manage deer for a variety of recreational, educational, and . The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission starting putting limits on hunting in 1916 to try and turn the tide, with an estimated 2,000 deer remaining in the state. The mule deer population has been in decline since 1980, decreasing from 300,000 to todays estimate of 170,000 190,000 in 2020. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, deer populations had plummeted across the country and some states were in danger of loosing deer entirely. Over time this heavy hunting and habitat loss took a real toll. There are eight accepted subspecies in the U.S., including the two black-tailed species. They also said that a significant portion of that population was found in east Tennessee. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac, What Do White-Tailed Deer Eat? Most other western states have between 100,000 to 540,000 deer per state. These sika deer were originally from Japan and were released from private property in Maryland during the early 1900s. There are more than 490,000 acres of wildlife management areas in West Virginia. Long story short, conservation and advances in wildlife management brought the deer back. 2021's deer season in Kentucky exceeded already high numbers coming out of the pandemic-affected 2020 . but is also indicative that the deer population is trending toward a population level that reduces damage to agriculture and minimizes impacts on our natural communities. New Hampshire Fish & Game: Deer Hunting in New Hampshire. Overall the state reports the population is currently stable or slightly declining. Thank you for reading! . They are classic forest creatures who feature in wilderness stories and artwork. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission: white-tailed deer overview. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. White-tailed deer are one of three deer species native to North America. Missouri Department of Conservation: deer hunting regulations. White-tailed deer populations are growing at a steady pace in Texas. The following population estimates were taken from state government websites and other authoritative sources. I am a freelance writer with 22 years of experience. Deer prefer forested areas where they can find vegetation to eat. A 2019 study by the South Carolina department of natural resources estimated the white-tailed deer population in the state to be about 730,000. States With Minimal Deer Populations. It is estimated by 1925 only about 400 deer remained. Mule deer are found in the western third of the state, mainly in the High Plains, Smoky Hills and Red Hills regions. There is a really nice timeline of events affecting the deer on the states history of deer management page. Combined with habitat protection measures, this ban allowed deer to thrive. Their numbers rebounded through conservation efforts from 25 in 1955 to 800 in more recent years. New Hampshire's Fish and Game Department says human feeding has damaged its deer populations. Mule deer population trends are of concern in Montana, where declines in abundance and hunter harvest have been documented in many areas throughout the state. Colorado Parks and Wildlife wants to hear from you about the current Colorado big game hunting season structure and possible changes for 2025-2029. What is the White-Tailed Deer Population by State? . Currently, the estimated deer population in Georgia is 1.27 million. Generally cloudy. For both species females are smaller than the males. 20+ Foods, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Recorded, The 4 Best Deer Repellents: Reviewed and Ranked, How and Where Do Deer Sleep? Vehicle collisions as population density increases, so does the likelihood of deer-vehicle collisions. Like many other states with healthy deer populations, Delaware uses managed hunting to control population levels. The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. 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. 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. The top of their tail is brown, but the underside is very fluffy and white. Based on hunting data the white-tailed deer population in 2017 was about 135,000. The Largest Deer in the World Do you know which species of deer are the largest? A 2021 estimate puts mule deer at a population of between 90,000 130,000. Recent field studies from southeastern United States have . Nebraska. Also, their numbers can fluctuate quite a bit based on how severe the winters are from year to year. Deer species in the U.S. are split into eastern and western groups, with some cross over in the middle. In Mississippi, the deer herd is estimated at 1.75 million animals, which is higher on a deer-per-unit-area basis (density) than any other state, and only Texas has a greater number of deer. If you see a sick or abnormally thin deer or deer dead of unknown causes, please report its location to the CWD hotline: (866) CWD-WATCH (293-9282) . Deer friendly reports a white-tailed deer population of 72,900 in 2019 based on hunting data. It also has a small but healthy population of sika deer (Cervus nippon yakushimae) They are not native to the state, but they were released into the wild from a private farm. Survey data is collected by field biologists using aerial and ground surveys in the . Nebraskas deer population includes 300,000 white-tail deer and 130,000 mule deer. Sounds good for hunters, but populations this high can be problematic. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's 2021-22 deer hunting season concluded Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, with 196,988 deer checked, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In the 1800s, however, several Axis deer from India were sent to Hawaii. This 2021 article in the Greenville Sun quoted the states wildlife resource agency as estimating 900,000 white-tailed deer in the state. Download the report for the 2021 season. Mule deer make up the majority, with white-tailed deer mainly found in eastern parts of the state and a few pockets in central and mountain areas. The state is home to more than 400,000 white-tailed and mule deer. 4382 WMAs. Learn more. Like many other states, Kentucky outlawed deer hunting in the early part of the 20th century. Predators kill white-tailed deer. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation: deer hunting resources. The more recent 2021 mule deer survey (linked at bottom of article) lists about 80,600 mule deer. Spotlight surveys have been used by biologists nationwide since the mid-1900s and are effective for monitoring population trends, determining the distribution of species, identifying habitat use, and predicting disease outbreaks. The first recorded sightings of the white-tailed deer in Utah happened in the northern part of the state, Cache county, in the late 1990s. It is the only deer native to the state. Considering our current coyote population, these numbers go a long way in explaining why the deer harvests have decreased over the last few years. According to Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the deer and elk meat industry begun in Colorado as early as 1880. Deer overpopulation causes habitat destruction, crop damage, vehicle collisions and disease all of which threatens the long-term survival of white-tailed deer in Wisconsin. Biologists believe a new framework for deer management is in order, and one that takes into account the ecological capacity of the current ecosystem. That includes white-tail deer, mule deer, black-tail deer, and a handful of rare deer species. As conservation efforts increased, deer restocking programs helped bring in just over 4,000 deer from other states between 1928 and 1992. The dark green shaded counties have the most dense deer populations in Tennessee. This includes flowers, grass, tree and shrub fruits, nuts, acorns, berries and lichen. Although Fayette County had the highest harvest rate at 2.6%. When too many deer are in one environment, they can be a detriment by not allowing plants to grow to maturity or even completely wiping out a species of plant from an ecosystem. Michigan: 31 deer per square mile. The estimated population total today is 427,500 mule deer and white-tailed deer. Only about 1,000 of these deer are white-tail deer. I could not find a specific estimate for the smaller white-tailed deer population. Deer Population Facts Population History In the early 1900's there were an estimated 500,000 white-tailed deer in the United States. Deer play vital roles in the natural and cultural environment of New York and are highly valued for their beauty and grace as well as the utilitarian benefits they provide.