Human perceptions before and after a 50% reduction in an urban deer herd's density

Abstract

Overabundant white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations in urban and suburban areas can be controversial because of potential damage to landscape vegetation, deer-vehicle collisions, and fear over transmission of tick-borne diseases. Herd reduction is often proposed to solve these problems; however, the ability of human residents to accurately perceive a herd reduction has not been demonstrated. We used mail surveys to study effects of a 50% localized deer herd reduction on the perceptions of residents in 2 areas (one control, one treated) on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, over 2 time periods (before vs. after herd reduction). Residents in the treated area perceived a decrease (P

Citation

Henderson, David W.; Warren, Robert J.; Newman, David H.; Bowker, J. Michael; Cromwell, Jennifer S.; Jackson, Jeffrey J. 2000. Human perceptions before and after a 50% reduction in an urban deer herd''s density. Wildlife Society Bulletin Volume 28, Number 4, Winter 2000