White-tailed deer management on Museum natural areas
White-tailed deer management is a tool the Museum’s Natural Areas Division uses to help maintain the biodiversity of our nature preserves.
While white-tailed deer are a natural part of Ohio's biodiversity, deer browse damage is a severe problem. According to estimates by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, there were 17,000 deer in the state in the mid-1960s; by the early 2000s, the number had increased to 750,000 and has remained at about that level since. Maintaining a healthy carrying capacity contributes to a balanced ecosystem. An overabundance of deer, on the other hand, threatens not only native plant diversity but also all the animals that depend on those plants. In addition, both the incidence of Lyme disease and deer–vehicle accidents increase as deer populations grow.
In 1996, the Museum erected the first deer exclosure in the state at its Grand River Terraces preserve in response to deer browse damage, and in 1997 the Museum started its white-tailed deer management program. Deer management includes the use of exclosures to protect sensitive areas, assessing deer browse, monitoring the health of deer populations, evaluating herd size, and at times selective removal via hunting during approved seasons if populations are deemed too high. Our Natural Areas Division continues to permit a limited number of deer hunters on our preserves each year.
Anyone wishing to hunt on Museum-owned lands must apply for a Museum-issued wildlife management permit. Applications open in the late summer, and permits are issued before archery season begins. Priority is given to returning hunters in good standing. The number of hunters permitted at each preserve is predetermined based on the size of the preserve and its terrain. Note that applicants are not guaranteed a permit.
If you wish to hunt on a Museum-owned natural area, please apply for a permit.
If you have any questions about wildlife management that are not answered at the above link, please see White-Tailed Deer Management or contact wildlifemanagement@cmnh.org.
