Deer are one of the most populous and hunted big game animals in North America. Courtesy of onX Hunt, here are the eight states in the USA with the highest deer density: Mississippi: 38 deer per square mile. Overall outlook: New York's 2021 deer hunting forecast said biologists expect 2021-'22 to be another productive season for hunters. Read more about white-tailed deer in Michigan at Michigan.gov. White-tailed deer and mule deer are not native to the area. This coupled with careful management clearly has allowed deer in Mississippi to make an impressive comeback. The tail is straight and black on top with white underneath. This graph published by the NJDEP Division of Science and Research shows the 2018 population estimate at just over 125,000 white-tailed deer. This helps them avoid the harsher high elevation winter conditions such as deeper snow that covers up food. They are most populous in states like Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and New York, but they are slowly infiltrating other areas like Alaska as well. Nebraskas deer population includes 300,000 white-tail deer and 130,000 mule deer. Deer are plentiful, and people who enjoy watching wildlife will find many opportunities to see them roaming free in forests and parks all over the country. A deer stocking program began in 1932 and continued for nearly 30 years. The longest known mule deer migration occurs in Wyoming where deer travel 150 miles from the Red Desert to the mountain slopes around the Hoback Basin. 2021's deer season in Kentucky exceeded already high numbers coming out of the pandemic-affected 2020 . Thank you for reading! 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. Controlled hunting laws have kept the population stable. Alaska Department of Fish & Game: deer hunting information and regulations. They are classic forest creatures who feature in wilderness stories and artwork. Overall outlook: "Unless there is a significant EHD event, deer populations and the deer kill across most of the state should be stable to increasing," Matt Knox, deer project coordinator with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, wrote in his 2022 forecast. Deer Overabundance. Also, their numbers can fluctuate quite a bit based on how severe the winters are from year to year. Although they were once almost wiped out from many states, they have successfully repopulated most of their former territories. According to the same state estimates, White-tail populations have consistently increased since 1989 where they were estimated to number around 3.5 Million. 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. 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. In 2017 the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division reported an estimated population of 1.27 million. State wildlife officials say the actual number may be higher. A small population has also been introduced on the island of Kaui, Hawaii. Based on preliminary data provided by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) the number of reported deer-vehicle collisions for 2021 was 6,409 . The state reports that in areas where hunting is allowed and accessible, deer numbers are well balanced. LDWF biologists and technicians collect harvest and biological data and conduct other research on public . They mostly live along the watersheds of the states major rivers. Of the states roughly 500,000 deer, roughly 212,000 are white-tailed, and the rest are mule deer. The only Southern state in the top 10, Mississippi has an estimated 1.75 million white-tailed deer. They are allowed to be hunted and in the 2017-2018 season just over 3,000 were harvested. Since 2015, the statewide deer harvest has increased sharply, to a record high of 14,757 last year, with more deer killed east of 495 than the central and western parts of the state combined. Importing of white-tailed deer from Michigan began in 1930 to strategic habitats. The numbers above do not include deer . 2) Oklahoma: Deer population around 500,000. In the current Maryland white-tailed deer management plan the most recent population estimate I saw was 207,000 tailed deer in 2018. The Coues deer are most commonly found in the southeastern mountains but also up through the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains. Nebraska is another state that is home to both white-tailed and mule deer. Deer management units with the highest fall densities were mostly in the east-central, south-central and southwestern parts of the state. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimated Utah's deer population at about 384,000 in 2015. According to this article in the Washington Times Herald, as of 2020 the white-tailed deer population in Indiana was estimated at 680,000. A spring 2020 estimate put their population at about 1,200. On Saturday, February 18, 2023, staff from CPW were able to recapture and refit the collar on male wolf 2101 near North Park. Deer live in every county of the state. Generally cloudy. Archery (including crossbows) accounted for 14% of the deer kill; muzzleloaders, 23%; and firearms, 63%. 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. Areas included in this final year of goal setting are the East Central Uplands block ( DPAs 52, 155, 156, 157, 159, 172, 183 . New Hampshires Fish and Game Department says human feeding has damaged its deer populations. Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife: hunting rules and regulations. There are as many as 70,000 deer-motor vehicle collisions a year in New York state, and about 200 people across the country are killed in such accidents each year. Deer are thriving in all parts of the state. The TWRA page states that the deer population has expanded from just a few counties in eastern Tennessee during the 1940s to being present in all 95 counties state-wide today. Efforts at management started as early as 1917 to save the remaining population. Their successful strategy has brought the estimated deer population today to about 500,000. Making deer dependent on human feeding can make them more vulnerable to predators, diseases, and vehicle collisions. Recent field studies from southeastern United States have . Michigan: 31 deer per square mile. Thus far they report that the harvest has not met the numbers they want, and the state is continuing to work on management strategies. Oregon Department of Fish & Game: how to hunt deer and elk in Oregon. Washington has the most variety of deer. However world-wide there are 26 known subspecies, with 17 of those occurring in the U.S. By 2000 the deer population in the state was estimated at 1.75 million. Deer are an important game animal in Georgia, and the state is among many that used conservation efforts to increase its population of these deer. White-tail deer are the official animal of Arkansas, These numbers are for mule deer and white-tail deer. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. Currently about 110,000 deer are harvested each year in the state. New Hampshire: 100,000. But numbers have been on the rise since then, from an estimated 20,000 in 1940 to 700,000 in 2014. Washington has the most variety of deer. In Wisconsin, there have been 1,822 entries for the buck, which is . For both species females are smaller than the males. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. 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. Icon. 2021 data shows an estimated mule deer population of about 84,000 90,000 in Nevada. Maines many wild, pristine forests are a healthy habitat for deer. 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. February 07, 2022. In fact the 2020-21 hunting season is reported as one of Ohios most successful with 197,735 deer harvested. Like other states, Mississippi used conservation efforts to bring deer back from the brink of extinction. For these numbers, we have included all deer species. If you do plant deer favorites (fruit trees, sunflowers, peas, lettuce, tulips, hosta, berry bushes), do so strategically. White-tailed deer are mainly herbivores and will eat what they can find during each season. Have some feedback for us? The 2021 mule deer survey put their population within the state at 227,392. 2021 Virginia Deer Season Review. 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. Engage with us in 2023. State Farm says in any state, the risk of hitting a deer doubles in the fall, when the animals are mating. Many animals, such as songbirds, rely on this understory habitat. Unlike white-tailed deer, some mule deer are migratory. Deer Harvest Map. These deer are ruminants, which means they have a four-chambered stomach. However in parts of their range, populations have adapted to prairie and savanna land (such as Texas, Arizona and Mexico), tropical or subtropical forests in Central America, and mountain grassland in the Andes of South America. The supply of deer food throughout the state was in generally good condition. Deer Season Summary and Population Status Report . New Hampshire Fish & Game: Deer Hunting in New Hampshire. It was hard to find a species break-down, but in general it appears each of the three main species make up a fairly equal portion of that total, about 100,000 each. There are no western states with over a million deer. 4382 WMAs. Considering our current coyote population, these numbers go a long way in explaining why the deer harvests have decreased over the last few years. Deer are thriving in the states forested areas. Nebraska. There are eight accepted subspecies in the U.S., including the two black-tailed species. Deer adapt to changing environments, and that adaptability has helped them make a strong comeback. 20+ Foods, Discover The Largest Whitetail Deer Ever Recorded, The 4 Best Deer Repellents: Reviewed and Ranked, Fallow Deer vs. White-Tailed Deer: Key Differences. The harvest was 13% lower than the 2020-2021 total of 81,729 deer. In some areas, state wildlife officials have increased the number of hunting permits to help bring down deer populations. By the turn of the century people began to realize they needed conservation programs or the deer would go the way of the buffalo. To understand how each metric is calculated and how the data are used view the annual deer management reports. While nobody knows exactly what the deer population was before the European settlers showed up, it is believed there are many more today than there were historically. Officials are still unsure of the exact number of white-tailed deer currently living in Alaska. 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. High 62F. 2021-2023 Deer Population Objectives. The following population estimates were taken from state government websites and other authoritative sources. The white-tailed deer is the states only native deer and is Illinoiss state mammal. Download the report for the 2021 season. Part of what helped this rebound was less agriculture, which allowed the land to revert back to mixed woodland which deer prefer. The most recent data I could find for white-tailed deer reported around 300,000 in 2016. White-tailed deer are an important game animal in Michigan. The Columbian white-tailed deer is an endangered species so is protected rather than hunted. This number can drift up and down depending on the severity of the winter and how many harsh or mild winters there may be in a row. As in other states, deer tend to live in different regions. 84 . Fall deer densities [PDF] in 2018 varied from 4 to 80 deer per square mile of land area. As conservation efforts increased, deer restocking programs helped bring in just over 4,000 deer from other states between 1928 and 1992. White-tailed deer are an important game animal in the state. Today, it is thriving. The total deer population in Kansas was listed in this article as being 700,000. Tag numbers are approximately 20% of the estimated mule deer population for the year (low . Arizona is home to two main types of deer, the mule deer and the white-tailed deer. Fallow Deer vs. White-Tailed Deer: Key Differences Discover the different traits between the white-tailed and fallow deer species. 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. Most other western states have between 100,000 to 540,000 deer per state. 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). Oklahoma has about 2,00 to 3,000 mule deer, and the rest are white-tail deer. I am owned by two dogs who take me on hikes in the mountains where we see coyotes, black bears, and wild turkeys. 15 SOAs. White-tailed deer are classified as the species Odocoileus virginianus, the Virginia white-tailed deer. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation: deer hunting resources. Recently, the number of hunters applying for a deer tag (residents and out-of-state applicants combined) is in the range of 60,000 to 80,000. Animal husbandry and agriculture also grew, removing forested land in favor of farming. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission: deer hunting information. Browse, which is a collective term for shoots, twigs, leaves, and buds. The White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is the most popular game species in Misissippi.Nationally, the white-tailed deer population likely exceeds 30 million. 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. Emily is an editor and content marketing specialist of five years. 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. It is the only deer native to the state. Plant them closer to your house, and put a border around them of stronger smelling plants such as lavender, mint or garlic. 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 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. There are six subspecies of mule deer found across California. 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. While there is no one fail safe solution to keep them away, here are a few top tips. Washington: 305,000. The population is thriving, and Louisiana permits controlled hunting to manage it. Marylands deer population includes 207,000 white-tail deer and about 10,000 Sika deer. These sika deer were originally from Japan and were released from private property in Maryland during the early 1900s. About 74,000 hunters participated in the state's 2017 spring turkey season, and killed 33,000 birds. A separate mule deer survey put the mule deer population in 2021 at 53,400, so it would appear the large majority of deer in Kansas are white-tailed. As part of the states deer management plan, the state is divided up into numbered permit areas, each with their own deer population goal. In 2021, the state launched a new initiative to enhance populations of mule deer and white-tailed deer. New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife: White-tailed deer hunting and harvest. The Mississippi State University Extension says only Texas has a larger deer population. Delawares White-Tailed Deer: Hunting and Management. 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. The others are black-tail deer and mule deer. A 2021 article in the Press Herald quoted a state biologist as saying the 2019 whitetail deer population estimate was 230,000 250,000 and that today the numbers are likely closer to 280,000 300,000. Hunting controls, restocking and improved habitat brought the deer population up to about 17,000 by 1965. With larger deer populations there is also an increased risk of elevated deer tick populations. 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. Nevada is the western state with the . Icon. The first game laws restricting hunting went into effect in 1853. Most of the population growth in recent years has occurred in the southern half of the lower peninsula. The dark green shaded counties have the most dense deer populations in Tennessee. Delaware hunters reported harvesting 15,383 deer during the 2021/22 hunting season, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Mule deer are found in the western third of the state, mainly in the High Plains, Smoky Hills and Red Hills regions. But things got worse. 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. Williamson, WV (25661) Today. A 2021 estimate puts mule deer at a population of between 90,000 130,000. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. . All of Pennsylvanias deer are white-tails. This includes plant shoots, legumes, cacti, leaves, grasses, fruit, corn, acorns and mushrooms. 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. In the 1950s, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission brought deer from other states to repopulate parts of Florida. 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. Once present in only a few counties, they are now abundant in each of the states 95 counties. 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. Although Fayette County had the highest harvest rate at 2.6%. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources: Kentuckys Deer Restoration. Illinois Department of Natural Resources: deer hunting information. There are an estimated 36 million deer in the United States. 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. White-tailed deer are a popular game animal found in almost every part of the United States. A popular game animal, it is so iconic to American forests that it has been named the official mammal of several states. So what are the problems that come with too many deer? If you ever see a deer in the woods and they spot you, you might catch them flagging as they run away. Like many states, Ohio successfully reintroduced deer, and they are now thriving. Hunters harvested 168,427 deer during the 2021-22 season; a robust number indicative of a strong population. Maryland also has a population of sika deer. The two species live in different parts of the state. Columbian weigh between 88 180 pounds. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is concerned that this population may not be sustainable. According to this article current estimates are about 40,000 60,000 on Molokai, 20,000 on Lanai and 30,000 50,000 on Maui. Each year CDFW biologists estimate the deer population in California using a computer model that uses harvest numbers along with survey data. Deer in the suburbs are well-known for eating the nice flowers and shrubs youve spent time planting in your yard. It is one of the few states where mule deer are a more popular game animal than whitetails. Like most deer, black-tail browse on what vegetation is available in each season. Like many states, Oklahoma had nearly lost all its deer by the early 1900s. 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.