A four-year research study of deer in Durham/Orange counties wrapped up. The study by N.C. State University for NCWRC focused on how development impacts deer numbers, movement and the community.
Researchers put GPS collars on 314 deer, collected 642 fecal samples, surveyed 1,725 residents, hunters, businesses. More than 300 landowners were involved.
The results weren’t surprising. Fewer deer live in cities but suburbs are a different story. Rural areas have the highest densities–up to 148 deer per square mile. Urban deer average fewer than 3 PSM.
But suburbs are where deer populations are growing the fastest. Suburbs offer a sweet spot where deer give birth to more fawns and more of those fawns survive, driving population growth, the study summary reported.
City deer have more fawns, but fewer survive: Female deer (does) in urban areas commonly give birth to twins, while rural does usually have one fawn at a time. However, only 7% of urban fawns survived their first year, compared to 41% in rural areas. Coyotes and auto collisions are the biggest threats.
Overall, the study said, adult deer survival is similar across urban and rural areas: Whether a deer lives in the city or the country, its odds of surviving a given year are roughly the same. The cause of death just shifts—from hunting in rural areas to car collisions in urban ones.
Most people want deer managed, but they disagree on how: Rural residents strongly support regulated hunting as a management tool. Urban and suburban residents tend to prefer nonlethal approaches first, citing concerns about public safety—but most still support regulated hunting in general. One thing nearly everyone agreed on: hiring professionals (like Duke Forest does) to remove deer is unpopular across the board.
Deer-vehicle collisions are costly, no matter where you live: Rural residents are more likely to hit a deer, but the financial risk is similar everywhere. A single deer-vehicle collision costs between $2,400 and $4,700 on average.
J.B.