RI Deer Management Strategy Brian Tefft Principal Wildlife Biologist

Management Strategy Employ Management Zones to apply harvest strategies to achieve specific goals Employ Management Zones to apply harvest strategies to achieve specific goals Use annual herd monitoring to evaluate program success Use annual herd monitoring to evaluate program success Report results with consistent statistics to gain support and understanding of the management program. Report results with consistent statistics to gain support and understanding of the management program. Evaluate and Adapt the program, as necessary, to achieve and maintain desired goals Evaluate and Adapt the program, as necessary, to achieve and maintain desired goals

Goals Enhance hunter success in zones where hunting is limited to archery or access is restricted Enhance hunter success in zones where hunting is limited to archery or access is restricted Provide extra incentives and a longer season to employ management strategy Provide extra incentives and a longer season to employ management strategy Direct management to areas with too many deer Direct management to areas with too many deer Reduce road kill index to specific target levels Reduce road kill index to specific target levels Reduce nuisance complaints to reduce nuisance permits Reduce nuisance complaints to reduce nuisance permits Consistent reporting of results to measure success Consistent reporting of results to measure success Constant monitoring of herd density to adapt management strategy Constant monitoring of herd density to adapt management strategy

Management Goals Provide a sustainable, quality deer management program that maintains deer populations that are ecologically sustainable Provide a sustainable, quality deer management program that maintains deer populations that are ecologically sustainable Maintain quality hunting programs for the deer resource recognizing the strong hunter tradition of deer hunting in RI and the important role hunters play in population regulation Maintain quality hunting programs for the deer resource recognizing the strong hunter tradition of deer hunting in RI and the important role hunters play in population regulation

Management Goals Reduce the road kill (RK) index in (2) management zones to minimize the impact of auto strikes to public health and safety: Reduce the road kill (RK) index in (2) management zones to minimize the impact of auto strikes to public health and safety: Zone 1: reduce RK index to <1.5 /sq mi of forest habitat Zone 2: reduce/maintain RK index to <1.0 /sq mi of forest habitat

Deer Management Statistics Rhode Island

Summary Our Strategy is: Our Strategy is: To utilize the deer hunting seasons to encourage legal harvest of the deer to allow sportsmen to increase hunting success, meet their need for venison and be our effective tool for deer management. To utilize the deer hunting seasons to encourage legal harvest of the deer to allow sportsmen to increase hunting success, meet their need for venison and be our effective tool for deer management.

PWS Tunk Hill Cooperative