Deer Browsing
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is participating in the state Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Click here to view a large map of WPC's Crawford reserve DMAP properties.
Please note: D-Map coupons will not be available in 2007.
The nearly 1.4 million white-tailed deer roaming Pennsylvania are no longer just beautiful animals to observe or objects of sport for the hunting public. They have become a nuisance and potentially catastrophic threat to native plants, forestry, other species of wildlife and the economy of the commonwealth.
The number of deer living in the forests of Pennsylvania has far exceeded these forests biological carrying capacity, the number of deer that a given parcel of land can support. Without outside mortality factors, such as predators, deer numbers have skyrocketed. Too many deer mean highly preferred plant species (trees, shrubs, wildflowers) suffer depletions and are threatened with elimination where deer browsing remains for long periods of time. Also, the development of browse lines in forested sections are a reflection that deer have gone from less selective feeding to consuming whatever they can reach.
Research has shown that depleted forests contain reduced diversity of birds that need the forest understory as a habitat. Evidence indicates that the ecological effects on forest communities and their individual constituent species of plants and animals are severe and growing, due to prolonged overabundance of deer.
Aside from effects on biodiversity, booming herds hurt the deer themselves, causing over-browsing and lower birth and survival weights and increased potential for disease and parasite loads.
WPC believes that present deer populations in Pennsylvania are excessive and ecological damage to forests in the state, as well it's natural areas is accelerating. We believe that presently, an effective means to retain some control over excessive populations is to allow hunting on our properties.
