What is the scope of the deer population issue?

The current white-tailed deer population in North America is well over 30 million. It is by far the largest population of big game animals. Wildlife agencies across the nation face the challenge of managing the white-tailed deer population. Many wildlife managers, scientists, government officials and citizens throughout the nation are seeking answers to the question of the number of white-tailed deer in their community. State wildlife managers typically use hunting regulations to manipulate the white-tailed deer herds, for both biological and social reasons.
Across the nation, deer herds have been managed for many years without knowing exact population numbers. Deer management strategies have intensified in recent years and now more than ever there is a need for a scientifically sound and efficient means of estimating deer populations. Historically, data collected from deer harvest record have been used to estimate the size of a population. Unlike other states such as Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Ohio does not have a management plan that addresses the deer population in the state. In Ohio, the scope and size of management schemes vary from county to county. 
In 1900 the majority of land in the state of Ohio was deforested. There were no regulated hunting seasons for white-tailed deer and the deer population was hunted to near extinction. In 1903 deer hunting in the state was prohibited, in an attempt to save the dwindling herd, but the closing of the season was ineffective. As a result, for about two decades there were no deer populations in Ohio. In 1923, the white-tailed deer population returned and began to flourish. In 1970, Ohio’s white-tailed deer herd was estimated to be 17,000 and since then it has grown to approximately 700,000 in 2004, the highest recorded population for the state. In 2006 it was estimated to be 600,000. The number of deer hunter has also increased from 19,000 in 1965 to an estimated 500,000 in 2005. In 2004 a record breaking 216,443 white-tailed deer were harvested by hunters and since then hunting has steadily increased. The 2004 record was exceeded in the 2006-2007 hunting season as 233,000 deer were harvested (ONDR, 2007).
As of 2005, the highest white-tailed deer populations were found to be in the southeast hill country of Ohio and lowest in the farm counties of the western part of the state. Butler County is classified as having a low distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer as it falls within the western region of the state (ODNR, 2005).
*Graphs and maps like these found in the April1st edition of the Columbus Dispatch will be incorporated in this section.

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