Deer Management
Montgomery County, Maryland
In recent years, Montgomery County residents have been seeing more white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) than ever before. For many people, the sight of a deer bounding gracefully through the forest is an exciting and memorable experience that they would like to see more often. But, for an increasing number of residents whose landscape plantings or farm crops have been devastated by deer, or who have had the costly experience of hitting a deer with an automobile, there is a growing concern that we may have "too much of a good thing."
Nearly eliminated in the early 1900's, a reintroduction program begun in the 1930's successfully reestablished the deer in the Eastern U.S. Expanding development in once rural areas like Montgomery County, has created a patchwork of natural areas and landscaped suburban yards that is ideal deer habitat.
With no natural predators and restrictions on hunting, deer populations have increased dramatically in the past decade. The result has been an increase in deer-human conflicts including deer related automobile accidents, damage to agricultural crops and residential gardens, and concerns about lyme disease. Learn more.
The Need for Deer Population Management
The growing concern about deer-related problems over the past decade indicates that deer populations in some areas of Montgomery County have increased beyond what humans will tolerate. There are also concerns about the damage deer might be causing to natural communities in our parks. Public education on the use of repellents and fencing to protect property and crops, and efforts to reduce deer-auto collisions through public awareness, warning signs, and reflectors, are important tools in reducing deer-human conflicts and increasing human tolerance for deer. These methods alone, however, do little to resolve the problem of overpopulation.
If left unchecked, deer populations can more than double every two years. As the number of deer continue to increase, it is likely that deer-related conflicts will continue to increase. Habitat will degrade and in the long run, the deer will suffer as the population becomes malnourished, unhealthy, and susceptible to disease and starvation. A program of deer population reduction can reduce both deer-human conflicts and deer impacts and must be considered as a tool in the long-term reduction of deer-related conflicts in Montgomery County. The County's Deer Management Plan outlines methods of population reduction for public and private lands.
The goal of Montgomery County's Deer Management Plan is to reduce human-deer conflicts to a level that is compatible with human priorities and land uses. In this way, citizens and white-tailed deer can live in harmony and deer will remain a cherished part of our County's natural landscape. Learn more.
Deer Plans & Reports
Comprehensive Management Plan for White-tailed Deer
In 1993, responding to citizen's concerns about deer-related problems, the Montgomery County Council established a citizen Task Force to Study White-tailed Deer Management. As a result of this group's recommendations, the Montgomery County Deer Management Work Group (DMWG) was established to develop a deer management plan for the County and oversee the implementation of a countywide deer management program.
The DMWG is a multi-agency committee with representatives from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery County Department of Parks, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service , the Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. The goal of the plan is to "Reduce human-deer conflicts to a level that is compatible with human priorities and land uses."
The Comprehensive Management Plan for White-tailed Deer in Montgomery County, Maryland (1995) * ( .pdf) is divided into three parts.
- Part I
Addresses the collection, centralization and use of accurate data on deer and their impacts in Montgomery County, and forms the foundation on which sound management decisions must be based. - Part II
Outlines the implementation of a public awareness and education program to better inform citizens about deer-human conflicts and their prevention. - Part III
Outlines the implementation of deer management options including population management to reduce deer numbers in areas where this is deemed necessary.
Based on data collected since the inception of the DMWG Plan a series of Plan Udates and a Data Collection Report have been compiled - see below.
- FY09 Annual Deer Management Report and Recommendations * (pdf)
- FY08 Deer Plan Annual Report & Recommendation - Montgomery County Deer Management Program* (pdf)
- 1996-2007 Deer Impact Data Collection Report* (pdf)
- FY07 Deer Plan Annual Report & Recommendations - Montgomery County Deer Management Program* (pdf)
- FY04 Deer Plan Annual Report and Recommendations - Montgomery County Deer Management Program* (pdf)
- FY03 Annual Report and Recommendations - Montgomery County Deer Management Program* (pdf)
The Montgomery County Deer Management Work Group
- The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Montgomery County Dept. of Parks
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife and Heritage Service
- Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Service
- Montgomery County Police Department
- US Geological Survey Biological Resources Division.
- U.S. National Park Service
- Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
* Requires a PDF Reader to view
Date of last update: October 1, 2008
