Watch out for those deer

Forget about wolves and bears, watch out for the deer.

A university researcher in Indiana warns that many midwestern communities may soon be overrun with whitetails because twice as many fawns survive in urban areas compared to rural.

Tim Carter, a biology professor at Ball State, tracked deer in and around Bloomington, Indiana in 2013-14. He found that coyotes caused 92 percent of the deaths of 8-week-old fawns in rural areas while vehicle collisions killed 17 percent of the fawns in urban areas.

“We were surprised by the sheer number of fawns able to reach adulthood in an urban area,” Carter said. “If it seems like everywhere you turn there is a deer, it’s because they are surviving at a very high rate.”

Carter attributed the increase in numbers to a lack of hunting and few predators.

And it’s not just someone else’s problem. Both whitetails and mule deer are thriving in many Montana towns. Helena has been culling its mule deer herd since 2008. Officials there plan to kill 130 deer this year.

In Highland, Utah a select group of archers are allowed to hunt deer within city limits. The deer are lured with bait into designated areas where archers shoot them from elevated stands. The scenario sounds quite similar to the typical whitetail hunting show on television although the whispered dialogue would carry an urban vibe.

“Here comes a shooter, Elroy. Wait until he clears the Dumpster. I’ll grunt him to a stop and you’ll have a clear shot between the bird bath and the swing set.”

A friend of mine stuck a deer with an arrow in his backyard a few years ago. The mortally wounded buck then leapt the neighbors picnic table as he fled, spraying blood in every direction. The deer died a block away in the middle of the street. My buddy drove over to pick him up and while loading him in the back of his truck, a deputy arrived on the scene. My friend said the deer had been hit by a car and he was simply cleaning up the mess.

The deputy, probably glad he didn’t have to deal with the dead deer, said thanks, and drove off.

It’s been a mild winter here in Montana and the deer haven’t been spending as much time in town as usual. Oh, they’ll still be stocking the food bank in Helena with venison, but that caragana hedge around your patio is probably safe for another year.

We’re not overrun just yet.

Parker Heinlein is at

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