Biology And Management Of White-tailed Deer In Alabama

deer—especially
does—should
be
implemented to reduce
the population
to a more compatible
level. Continued
monitoring of harvest
data will assist in determining
when the
population has been
reduced to the appropriate
level.
Often, an aggressive
doe harvest
A visible browse line and heavy utilization of
poor quality food items, such as Eastern red
cedar, are clear signs of gross overpopulation.
is the fastest and
most efficient method
to reduce overall
herd densities. In addition to simply removing excess deer numbers,
harvest of female deer limits reproductive output and works to balance
adult sex ratios. In cases of gross overpopulation, greater numbers of
deer should be removed regardless of sex. Once a population has
been reduced to a level within reasonable carrying capacity
(RCC), approximately one-third of the herd must be harvested
each fall to maintain this population level. Within the annual
one-third harvest, at least half of the deer taken should be females.
Any significant departure from this basic harvest regime will result in
population growth and herd densities that exceed RCC.
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