White-Tailed Deer Hunting in Vermont

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Page by: Kristina Westgaard

White-tailed deer are the most commonly hunted big game animals in Vermont, so the pressure to keep the population at a healthy level is very high, as well as challenging. Many factors are at play in considering the white-tail deer herd in Vermont, and how hunting season should be approached. The deer's natural predators are all but gone in this part of the country, so population ecologists rely on hunters to play that role. This generally isn't the primary motive of hunters- as described in other sections of this blog, establishing a connection to nature, a food source, and pure sport of trophy hunting are the main reasons. However, in completing these aspirations, hunters also accomplish other ecological services. White-tailed deer, in large numbers, can easily kill off entire populations of young trees and shrubs, destroying the understory in forests and preventing new recruitment of trees. This would eventually cause sharp rises and falls of the population curves in the deer population. A large deer herd would also increase the likelihood of the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases such as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), lyme disease, tuberculosis, and brucellosis. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is another that is rapidly decimating populations of animals in the cervidae (deer) family. In Vermont's deer herd, it is beginning to be believed that less than desirable genes are being conserved by the state's current hunting regulations. The antler point restriction and the spike horn regulation protect both young bucks and older, less genetically fit males that cannot grow larger antlers. Many elements need to be considered in the management of white-tailed deer, especially when considering humans to be their most prevalent predator in Vermont's ecosystem.

White-tailed Deer Hunting Regulations

http://www.eregulations.com/vermont/deer-hunting/

This website clearly and effectively describes the regulations regarding white-tailed deer hunting in the state of Vermont. These are the regulations that all hunters are required to know and follow during the hunting season of white-tailed deer. I think that it is very important to have these regulations, as they are the primary means of which the Fish and Wildlife Department indirectly controls the deer population. I also think it is important that hunters know the reasons behind these regulations, as the role of regular citizens in science is becoming increasingly important.


Disease Control: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

http://digital.vpr.net/post/deer-season-dept-health-hunt-eee-continues

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This news article covers the role of a woman named Erica Berl, an employee of the Department of Health who collected blood samples from incoming deer at a Vermont biological deer check station on Youth Hunting Weekend 2013. The objective of her work was to collect samples which would be sent to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for testing. The blood would be primarily tested for EEE, a dangerous mosquito-borne virus. Disease control is an important facet in the management of the deer population in Vermont. If the population is allowed to grow to a large number, individual animals become more compacted due to the higher density of the overall herd in the state's area. This increases the likelihood of disease spread and accumulation. EEE in particular is very important, because it can be transferred from deer to humans and livestock via a mosquito vector. Because of this, the disease can't simply be avoided by avoiding wildlife. Near pockets of infected deer, it is much more likely that humans or hoofed livestock would be infected. The Health Department and the CDC were analyzing the blood and the geographical area from which each individual deer was harvested. By overlaying the map of Vermont with incidences of infected deer, we can see where there are potential reservoirs of disease.



Impacts on Northeastern Forest Ecosystems

http://blog.nature.org/science/2013/08/22/too-many-deer/

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“I now suspect that just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer.” —Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949

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The impact that the white-tailed deer herd has on Northeastern forested ecosystems is immense. The quote by Aldo Leopold highlights this relationship, and is the introduction on this article about the effect of deer on forested ecosystems. Deer are one of the few species in Vermont's ecosystem that can completely change the landscape in which they reside. Over-browsing of deer on the forests of Vermont has many impacts on the health of the ecosystem. The young generation of trees often fails to recruit when there is a large deer population present, which can be seen in the photo that shows the browse line in the forest. This lack of understory can lead to a decline of other wildlife species that prefer that type of habitat. Songbirds have been particularly affected in certain parts of the United States. Many songbirds prefer dense ground cover in which to nest, as it provides protection from predators. This article indicates the changes that need to happen in the overall management of deer in the United States. I think that it is very important to change the management strategies for white-tailed deer in Vermont, as some forests' understory is currently in peril due to over-browsing. There are also regulations in place that are meant to protect young bucks, but also inadvertently protects second-year bucks with less fit genes. 

Imminent Changes to Hunting Regulations

WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

This video highlights the citizen side of changes to come to white-tailed deer hunting. I think this is an important step in changing the regulations of deer hunting. Hunters are some of the most educated people on the topic; the people who are out in the field with the animals, and seeing the deer and their effects on Vermont's ecosystems. State Fish and Wildlife employees were also present at the meeting, speaking about the biology and ecosystem functions in regard to white-tailed deer. Regulations on deer hunting have not been comprehensively overviewed in 30-40 years, and the herd is at a point where both biologists and hunters agree that regulations need to change. Hunters brought up points such as allowing landowners to provide permits to certain people on their land. Implications on the herd would include harvesting does in areas where they were previously protected, limiting gene flow. Another point discussed was the possibility of changing the spikehorn regulation, which prohibits hunters from harvesting deer with only one antler. This rule is meant to protect year-old bucks, but it also unintentionally protects bucks that cannot grow more than one antler, which is a potentially detrimental trait to carry on in the herd. I think that these meetings are extremely important, as hunters and biologists are the two best resources in determining the health of the overall deer herd. As they work together, I think that the herd will become healthier and more stable in the state of Vermont.


Interview with Vermont Dept. of Fish and Wildlife's Adam Murkowski

-What is your role within the Fish & Wildlife Department?

I administer the deer grant for the fish and wildlife department.  Due to Pittman Robertson funding 75% of the FW dept's budget is from the federal government and I oversee the grants associated with deer management in VT.  I have involvement with any issue(s) related to both wild and captive cervids in VT.  I also sit on a district stewardship team (state land's management), big game team (deer, bear, moose, turkey), and am the state representative to the wildlife society.  

-How has the deer population fluctuated over the past few years?

The deer population increased rapidly from 05-09 was decreased from 10-11 and allowed to increase in some areas in the past few years.  Overall the harvest has remained relatively stable with year to year variations staying within 5%.  

-What are some concerns with the current herd in the state?

Potential introduction of chronic wasting disease.  Potential negative long-term health concerns over regulations that protect the smaller-antlered smaller-bodied antlered deer.  Spread of invasive species and the degradation of the quantity and quality of deer range.   

-How do you think hunting regulations should change to accommodate the problems with the herd?

The Department is currently in the middle of a comprehensive deer management evaluation.  At this time the Department has not made any conclusions or recommendations on potential management alternatives that may best satisfy the diverse interests of the many publics interested in deer and deer management.  

-Do you consider hunting to be a valid method of management?

Absolutely,  hunters are staunch conservationists and even in lieu of other management alternatives the promotion of deer hunting is good for many reasons.    

-What are the biggest issues that a large deer herd can cause?

Over-abundance of white-tailed deer can have a number of cascading influencing of forest ecosystems.   A deer herd that is to large will degrade their habitat and this will have negative implications for many other ecological processes.  It is felt Vermont's deer herd is currently managed at a level that mitigates these potential negative implications.  


The Future of Hunting as a Mechanism to Control White-Tailed Deer Populations

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3783834.pdf?acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true

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"Through the foreseeable future, hunting will remain a primary mechanism to control white-tailed deer populations at broad scales. No socially acceptable alternatives currently exist."

This article illustrates the importance of hunting on the current management of the white-tailed deer population. Since white-tailed deer are a generalist species, they are easily adaptable to very different geographic regions and habitats. Deer now have few natural predators in the east, other than hunters and their own destruction of their habitats. I think that hunting is a valid way to manage the white-tailed deer herd in Vermont. As populations increase and natural predators decrease, the deer herd will eventually lead itself to its own demise without the practice of hunting. In addition to this, forest understory can be destroyed and disease can be more readily transmitted, leading to the overall degradation of Vermont's forested ecosystems.


Distribution of Vermont's 2013 Deer Harvest by Town

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/Reports_and_Documents/Hunting_and_
Trapping/Harvest_Reports/2013_White-tailed_Deer_Harvest_Report.pdf

What I've Learned

Throughout the phases of creating and researching for this blog, I have learned an incredible amount more about hunting and the ethics involved. I have gone through many phases in my life, taking a number of stances on the practice of hunting, but now I believe that I have the knowledge and perspectives to make an informed decision. As an elementary and middle schooler, I couldn't fathom the fact that people killed animals on purpose for any reason. I was the girl who pushed and yelled at other kids who stepped on ants on purpose. In high school, my views changed slightly. I was still an advocate for animal rights, but I began to see hunting from the perspective of the ecosystem. I still didn't really see the value in it, as I didn't have the knowledge to help me understand that it is a beneficial practice for both the deer as a population, the ecosystem in which they reside, and the people nearby. When I came to college and began to see hunting from a wildlife biology and management perspective, I figured out the meaning behind the killing. I have family members and friends who hunt, and I am very interested in their perspectives on the practice. I still don't know if I could ever actually pull the trigger while looking at an animal, but this project has helped me to see the different perspectives and benefits of the practice of hunting.