Blue Ridge Explorers:
For the Love of Deer By Tamara S. Randolph
Fawn bedding on grass, Photo by Tom Koerner, Courtesy of USFWS he sky is not falling, it’s only the acorns—this time of year they are dropping from the oak trees and scattering on the ground. Chances are the acorns you see at your feet today will be gone tomorrow. That’s because this popular tree fruit is in high demand right now, and acorn lovers are actively dining on, or storing away these prized morsels. One of the biggest lovers of acorns is the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). A very common mammal here in the High Country, white-tailed deer are present almost everywhere humans hang out, including our backyards, parks, and recreational areas. While most people enjoy encounters with deer and other wildlife, when these encounters get too close and too frequent, we can actually put wild animals in danger, along with ourselves. Let’s Begin with a Success Story Today’s large population of deer throughout North Carolina is actually the result of a success story in wildlife management. It is estimated that only 10,000 deer inhabited the state in 1900. According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), our state’s major efforts to restore our deer resource took place in the 1940s through the 1970s. This restoration program helped to restock deer throughout the state, and today North Carolina’s population of white-tailed deer is estimated at around one million animals. The population trend of our state’s deer herd has actually started to decrease for most areas of the state, due in part to the NCWRC’s efforts to maintain a healthy balance through habitat and game management. However, there are some areas of our state where localized populations are rapidly increasing and causing problems, including the urban/suburban areas in western NC.
Success Can Have a Downside With the deer population in western NC at or near an all-time high, it is important to understand how our interactions impact the animals, and vice versa. Like many urban and suburban areas, our own local towns, including Boone, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, and Blowing Rock, among other towns in the CML region, may be experiencing deer overpopulation. One reason for the surge in numbers is the absence of natural predators; and in areas with higher human populations, the use of hunting as a management tool must be limited. Yet another reason for this unhealthy population spike is our desire to attract deer to our surroundings by actively feeding them. While feeding deer may seem harmless, there are many good reasons to let deer fend for themselves at mealtime. According to the NCWRC, feeding deer can: n increase the risk of deer-vehicle collisions as deer cross roadways they would not cross if they foraged for their natural foods; in addition to injuring both the animals and the humans involved, deer-vehicle collisions in our state caused more than $146 million in damages between 2016 and 2018 (NC Dept. of Transportation). n discourage deer to forage for themselves, which in turn makes them less resilient. n encourage them to seek food in other nearby yards/gardens and cause significant property damage. n provide food sources that are often less nutritious and that can compromise the animals’ digestive systems; deer are adapted to adjust as their diet changes throughout the year—eating corn out of season can cause severe illness or even death.
n increase disease risk—as deer come into closer contact with each other at food piles, they are more likely to spread pathogens to their herd, and possibly to humans (lyme disease). n lead to deer overpopulation, and a decrease in songbird populations as deer eat habitat the birds prefer. Keep the “Wild” in Wildlife The biggest action High Country residents and visitors can take to encourage healthy deer populations in our area is to keep them dependent on their natural food sources. In doing so, we help deer better manage their own populations. According the N.C. Cooperative Extension, the abundance and quality of food sources available from summer through fall largely influences the reproductive condition of deer. Less available food in one year leads to fewer fawns the next. The bottom line is that while we all want to enjoy occasional encounters with these lovely and graceful creatures, it is important to remember that deer are wild animals, not pets. So the next time that herd of doe-eyed beauties shows up in your yard looking for a free meal, remember that they, as well as our communities, will be better off if you just say “no.” Instead, let them eat acorns. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org and at https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/white-tailed-deer. Tamara Randolph is a N.C. Certified Environmental Educator and Blue Ridge Naturalist. She is the founder of Carolina Explorers: Adventures in Nature, a monthly educational day camp for kids in Banner Elk. You can reach Tamara at tamara@NCexplorers.com.
CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE Autumn 2021 —
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BLUE RIDGE EXPLORERS
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Whitetail Deer, Photo by Ken Taylor, Courtesy of NCWRC
