Posted on 11/23/2025 2:15:03 PM PST by DallasBiff
Why Has the Deer Population Exploded? Understanding the Surge in Deer Numbers
The dramatic increase in deer populations stems primarily from human-induced changes to their environment, including habitat alteration, predator removal, and supplemental feeding, leading to Why the population of deer increased so much?
Introduction: The Unseen Rise of the White-Tailed Deer
The rustling in the woods, the flash of a white tail – encounters with deer have become increasingly common. But what’s driving this proliferation of deer across vast swathes of North America and other regions? It’s a complex issue with deep roots in ecological changes, human intervention, and the remarkable adaptability of these creatures. Understanding the causes behind Why the population of deer increased so much? is crucial for managing ecosystems and mitigating the potential consequences of overpopulation.
Loss of Natural Predators: A Critical Imbalance
One of the most significant factors is the drastic reduction in natural predators. Historically, wolves, mountain lions, bears, and coyotes kept deer populations in check.
Wolves: The apex predator, wolves exerted the strongest influence.
Mountain Lions: Another major predator, particularly in mountainous regions.
Bears: Opportunistic predators, especially of fawns.
Coyotes: While less effective on adult deer, coyotes prey on fawns and contribute to population control.
(Excerpt) Read more at iere.org ...
Here in rural N GA, where 1/4 of the households does NOT have a deer hunter, when it’s not deer season, the deer will walk onto your front porch, onto your deck, to eat every flower you plant or bring home from the nursery. They are NOT afraid of humans. We are in their environment, not the other way around.
Think of them as big, remarkably dumb in many ways, squirrels.
But the net of all this is that aside from coyotes preying on fawns, there are no natural predators here. Only humans.
Grew up in Northern Ohio in the 1950s. Lived in the country, 100 acre woodlands behind the house, fields with tree lines in every direction. Few people, out in farming country. Maybe once in 15 years, I saw a deer at a distance. No predators within 100 miles—we had no wolves, no bears, no wild cats. No hunters, because there were no deer to hunt. Now, the area is far more heavily populated, far less woodlands, fields have turned to housing everywhere, and deer proliferate.
Mule deer don’t seem to be much more plentiful compared to 20 or 30 years ago, at least in southern and central Arizona. I haven’t hunted deer for the last three seasons, but I commonly see a few when I’m out hunting quail.
“ no safe means to kill them since they are living in wooded pockets in suburbia..”
Cross bow, recurve bow or compound bow. Pick your arrow delivery device and the deer can be taken silently. 😉
White tailed deer are the most dangerous animal in America.
Look at property loss, mainly cars, and human loss from them on the roads.
I blame our culture. Hunting seems less common here and even frowned upon.
Bow hunting offers a silent opportunity to harvest venison.🦌
There are deer all over S.E. Michigan.
Last fall, I saw a Macomb County Road Commission pickup truck with its cargo bed completely filled with deer carcasses they had been picking up along the roadsides......
Not safely in the wooded pockets of suburbia. You have absolutely no guarantee of a drop kill, and there is no way in hell those suburbs are going to approve you walking thru their neighborhoods, across their streets and lawns, tracking your hit deer.
“...men hunted deer to put venison in the freezer...”
IMO, that is why you hunt...When my son turned 10 years old, I started him hunting...I preached to him that you take the first LEGAL deer you see...Don’t worry about a big rack of antlers...You can’t eat antlers....
“...men hunted deer to put venison in the freezer...”
IMO, that is why you hunt...When my son turned 10 years old, I started him hunting...I preached to him that you take the first LEGAL deer you see...Don’t worry about a big rack of antlers...You can’t eat antlers....
Because it has to be farmed to be sold and deer are not profitable animals to be farmed.
One of our neighbors does canned deer hunts and raises deer for that reason. The cheapest hunt is $3,000 last I knew.
Let's say you got a 70 pound deer. And let's say about half of that was meat. That is about $86 a pound. And that is not even adding in processing costs.
Now that is a farmed deer and a lot of the money is for the "experience" of hunting so let's say professionally farmed venison is a quarter of that. That is still about 21 dollars a pound pre-processing.
It is not commercially viable except for the very high end market.
You don’t wanna drive the roads in western MD right now, then.
They’re everywhere, hit.
Hate to see this years fawns most and was surprised no one stopped to get the decent rack off a buck.
Kill more does
When I lived in suburban North Jersey, outside of NYC, the deer were basically domesticated.
These vermin would walk into my front and backyard and eat juniper trees, bushes..any and foliage was a goner. They’d walk from yard to yard, feasting away.
If you drove by with a car, they wouldn’t even stop and blink.
One time. I saw a family of four Rats With Antlers in my backyard. I walked outside and started yelling at them. They gave me dirty looks. When I started walking toward them, they bolted.
To be sure, hunting was too risky given how close were the homes to each other. Even a compound bow was risky, since kids could be lurking in the tree line and an arrow could easily miss the deer and tear thru windows; know your target and what’s beyond it.
Nonetheless, I’d have voted for residents to be allowed to bow hunt Bambi’s Mom and Dad if the Rats were on your property. I’d have sent the gut pile to Chris Christie.
I quit hunting several years ago when I lost a leg due to blood clots...Too hard to move around in the woods...
BTW, people ask how I lost my leg and I just smile and tell them I had a doctor cut it off so I could park close to the door when I go to the store....LOL
Because of the Left's victorious demonization of hunting back in the 1970s.
https://danratherjournalist.org/investigative-journalist/cbs-reports/guns-autumn.html
We have coyotes, but the jerks keep killing them because...chickens. Keep the chickens penned with overhead wire and the coyotes will not get to them. I hate that the big, bad game hunters have no hearts.
I love the sound of coyotes
You can buy goat and I never found much difference between the flavor of goat and venison.
Driving from Monroe county to near Marion, Michigan, my sister saw at least 30 dead deer along the road yesterday.No natural predators, indeed.
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