It is easy to see deer in most U.S. state parks, reserves, and even suburban yards. Deer management units with the highest fall densities were mostly in the east-central, south-central and southwestern parts of the state. They are most populous in states like Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and New York, but they are slowly infiltrating other areas like Alaska as well. She grew up in rural Pennsylvania where you can regularly encounter anything from elk to black bears to river otters. Other deer related concerns in the state include Lyme disease and deer-vehicle collisions, which are taken to account in the states management practices. Last year, both rifle and archery harvests were below average. 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. Washington has the most variety of deer. On average in North America, males weigh 150-300 pounds and females weigh 88 198 pounds. On Saturday, February 18, 2023, staff from CPW were able to recapture and refit the collar on male wolf 2101 near North Park. Missouris white-tailed deer population sits at about 1.4 million. 2021 population numbers listed by the state estimate 293,950 mule deer and 212,814 white-tailed deer. They now live on several Hawaiian islands, and their population is estimated at around 100,000. Growth has boomed since with an estimated population today of 700,000 750,000 white-tailed deer. However, in West Virginia, drivers had the highest likelihood of hitting an animal. They have adapted well and currently coexist peacefully with the states native ecosystems. White-tailed deer were once common in Delaware, but hunting reduced their numbers. Today its hard to image they werent always so abundant. It is estimated by 1925 only about 400 deer remained. (Texas is big in everything, it seems even deer!) Deer are thriving in all parts of the state. 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. While caribou, elk and moose are all Cervids, that is members of the deer family, we are not discussing them in this article. Most deer live in the western part of the state. 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. Which states have the most white-tail deer? They will spend the summer in higher elevations, then travel down to lower elevations during the winter. Despite this, the deer population has remained stable for many years. South Dakota is home to both the white-tailed and mule deer. White-tailed deer are mainly herbivores and will eat what they can find during each season. 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. Hunting seasons, bag limits, deer restocking and habitat restoration are just a few of the management practices that sprung up. Animal husbandry and agriculture also grew, removing forested land in favor of farming. However they are a popular game species for the state, perhaps because they inhabit less hospitable terrain and are better at staying hidden than the mule deer, offering hunters more of a challenge. 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. As the largest of the lower 48 states, Texas has lots of room for deer. When Europeans first came to America, they found deer a plentiful resource in most states. It will be something the state keeps an eye on going forward. Delawares White-Tailed Deer: Hunting and Management. Montana has a large population of two types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Unlike the white-tailed deers antlers which branch out from a single main beam, the antlers of mule deer are bifurcated. Everything You Want To Know About Muntjac, What Do White-Tailed Deer Eat? Each year, DNR compiles county-level deer data across Indiana. There are eight accepted subspecies in the U.S., including the two black-tailed species. Fortunately, the early to mid 1900s is when most management programs began to try and reverse this population loss. California Department Fish and Wildlife: Deer Harvest Requirements. In the 1920s, the population almost went extinct from hunting and deforestation. The state initially planned to wait for the fall of 2021 to hold a harvest. They consider the population stable. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. These deer are ruminants, which means they have a four-chambered stomach. Arizona Game & Fish: deer hunting rules and regulations. Wyoming is home to 70,000 white-tail deer and about 330,000 mule deer. The first game laws restricting hunting went into effect in 1853. Montana has a large population of two types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Loss of habitat too many deer in a forested area can completely eat through the green understory. Today Arkansas enjoys plenty of deer, with a 2020 estimate of 900,000 white-tailed deer. Iowa has produced some of the largest bucks in the history of our country. But things got worse. Although it has some mule deer, most of the deer in this state are members of the white-tailed family. This can have a Catch-22 effect on the wildlife population in the state. Alabama: 25 deer per square mile. This means they fork as they grow. Based on hunting data the white-tailed deer population in 2017 was about 135,000. In the issue: Big-game preference points and herd counts! Oregon Department of Fish & Game: how to hunt deer and elk in Oregon. 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. Tennessee hunters harvested 159,879 deer in the state this hunting season. Making deer dependent on human feeding can make them more vulnerable to predators, diseases, and vehicle collisions. 84 . White-tailed deer populations are growing at a steady pace in Texas. Key deer are the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America, weighing only about 55-65 pounds. Their population is recovering due to prohibiting antlerless harvest for a few years and milder winters. White-tailed deer are found throughout the state even in some coastal locales. 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. I live in the Pacific Northwest and am surrounded by nature. There are an estimated 36 million deer in the United States. Mule deer are found in the western third of the state, mainly in the High Plains, Smoky Hills and Red Hills regions. Studies of mule deer populations have shown that they have been recorded as eating nearly 800 different plant species. Using Remote Sensed Data to Monitor Mule Deer Population Performance: Mark Hurley: 10:25-10:55 AM: . Field studies from across the United States, including Pennsylvania, show that predators - notably coyotes, bears, and bobcats - prey on white-tailed deer. . While overall the deer population is considered to be stable, the migratory populations in the Sierra Nevada and the black-tailed deer in the northwest are likely in decline, while suburban populations are increasing. According to the states department of fish and wildlife, since the early 90s the deer population has stayed between 400,000 and just under 700,000. Deer are found throughout the state with three subspecies broken up by geographic location. Mule deer are the most populous, and the state combines its counts of Coues and white-tailed. The state's 630,000 deer hunters generate $2.2 billion annually, but according to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, hunting license sales dropped by 5.8 percent from 1999 to 2017. Each year CDFW biologists estimate the deer population in California using a computer model that uses harvest numbers along with survey data. Pennsylvania had the highest estimated number of auto claims (156,176). 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. After two days of flying, they counted 796 elk - 172 were bulls with 460 cows and 160 calves. Besides hunting, deer watching is a popular activity among visitors to the states parks and wildlife management areas. This is the only deer species in the state, and it is a huge conservation success story. Deer are thriving in the states forested areas. If this growth rate remained constant until year 10, the population would number about 900, or 1 deer per 1.3 acres. They are only found in the Florida keys and are an endangered species. The rest are mule deer. 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. LDWF biologists and technicians collect harvest and biological data and conduct other research on public . Washington: 305,000. 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. Montana has about 300,000 mule deer and about 213,000 white-tail deer. They are classic forest creatures who feature in wilderness stories and artwork. The states population declined when coyotes returned to South Carolina in large numbers, but it remains stable. The sika deer population is mainly found along coastal regions and is much lower than the white-tailed 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. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. 48 State Parks. 5) South Dakota: Deer population around 300,000. Body. Over time this heavy hunting and habitat loss took a real toll. . State/Province Updates: Moderator: Sara Holm: 1:00-1:10 PM: California Deer and Elk Status Update: . The total number of deer hunters in the state is obtained from the hunting license database. Part of what helped this rebound was less agriculture, which allowed the land to revert back to mixed woodland which deer prefer. South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks: deer hunting information. Recent field studies from southeastern United States have . 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. The two species live in different parts of the state. But by that time, damage to deer herds had already been happening for almost 30 years. Deer hunting in the state is an important tool to raise money for wildlife management and land acquisition. Hunting is now an important part in keeping populations managed in the state, especially to help reduce populations in urban areas. In public hunting areas the population is estimated at 950-1050 deer. Thank you for visiting! Have some feedback for us? 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. 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. White-tailed deer are not native to Alaska and do not have well-established populations there. Arizona is home to two main types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Idaho has about 520,000 white-tails, and the rest are mule deer. Outdoor Alabama: Deer hunting information and regulations. The male white-tailed deer will grow a new set of antlers every year. 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. States With Minimal Deer Populations. They also said that a significant portion of that population was found in east Tennessee. The estimated population total today is 427,500 mule deer and white-tailed deer. Areas included in this final year of goal setting are the East Central Uplands block ( DPAs 52, 155, 156, 157, 159, 172, 183 . In 1960, there were 22 deer management areas and most deer seasons were only 2 to 4 weeks, with the longest at 56 days. 2021 seemed to show a higher-than-usual occurrence of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), but at the time of writing this article is is unclear if it will significantly impact the states overall deer population. The white-tailed deer found in Arizona belongs to the subspecies called Coues. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources: Kentuckys Deer Restoration. Visit our site to view our resource on Estimating Deer Populations on Your Property: Population Dynamics. Columbian weigh between 88 180 pounds. 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. The following section is not related to the 2021 Deer Hunter Survey but is offered as information relevant to the state's deer population. The most recent estimate I could find for West Virginias white-tailed deer population was about 550,000 in 2017. All of Alaskas deer are black-tail deer. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: deer information and hunting guide. The most recent data I could find for white-tailed deer reported around 300,000 in 2016. 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). They are accurate to the best of our knowledge. Many white-tailed deer live in forests and prefer habitat with young growth and forest edge. The state is home to more than 400,000 white-tailed and mule deer. To try and combat this, the state has a community deer management assistance program, that includes additional licenses hunters can obtain to harvest deer on private properties, with landowner permission. Theres a lot more interesting history you can in Colorados Mule Deer Story. The tail is straight and black on top with white underneath. There are three main types of deer in New Mexico, the mule deer, the Coues deer and the Texas white-tailed deer. They live in every state of the country, and their numbers are stable. Nevada is the western state with the . This is according to the most recent (2019) population estimates conducted by Texas Parks and Wildlife (TP&W).. Based on 2015 deer populations estimates from North American Whitetail Magazine, here are the worse deer states to live: 1) Georgia: Deer population around 1.2 million. During the 2020 deer season it is estimated that a total of 107,212 bucks and 90,681 does were harvested for a statewide total of 197,893 deer ( Table 1 ). The state department of wildlife and fisheries began to manage deer by setting hunting seasons and restocking in the late 1940s. All of these states are located east of Texas. While populations often have good and bad years, the state feels its time to step in and try to improve the situation. Sika deer are native to Japan, but a small herd of them was introduced to the wild from a private farm. Title. For white-tailed deer, the last mention I could find was about 520,000 around 2015.