Virginia Bowhunters Association. Matt Knox March 17, 2012

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1 Virginia Bowhunters Association Matt Knox March 17, 2012

2 Deer Program History 2

3 Hypothetical Population Curve for Virginia s Deer Herd, Subsistence Hunting Trade in Deer Hides 0 Market Hunting

4 Factors Contributing to the Decline of White-tailed Deer Habitat loss and land use changes Inability to enforce laws Severe over-harvest 4

5 Virginia White-tailed Deer Restoration Program Frederick Counties Stocked Highland Rockingham Shenandoah Page Greene Warren Clarke Rappahannock Madison Culpeper Orange Fauquier Loudoun Fairfax Prince William Stafford Spotsylvani A King George Arlington Augusta Bath Albemarle Louisa Caroline Essex Alleghany Rockbridge Nelson Fluvanna Goochland Hanover Lancaster Lee Buchanan Dickenson Tazewell Wise Russell Smyth Scott Washington Bland Wythe Grayson Giles Pulaski Carroll Floyd Craig Montgomery Patrick Roanoke Botetourt Franklin Henry Bedford Pittsylvani A Amherst Campbell Appomattox Halifax Buckingham Charlotte Prince Edward Lunenburg Mecklenburg Powhatan Amelia Nottoway Brunswick Chesterfield Dinwiddie Greensville Henrico Sussex New Kent Charles City James City Southampton Surry Mathews Gloucester York Isle Of Wight Suffolk Hampton Norfolk Virginia Beach Chesapeake 5

6 Virginia White-tailed Deer Restoration ,288 (54%) 1,980 (46%)

7 Virginia s Stocking Sources, ,417 Deer 11 States (1417/2087)68% 7

8 Virginia Deer Distribution in 1938 Crest of the Blue Ridge Native Deer Restocked Deer Deer Absent 50,000 8

9 Virginia Deer Distribution in 1950 Locations of Deer When Intensive Restoration Began Deer Absent or Rare 150,000 9

10 Virginia Deer Distribution in 1970 Exceeds Environmental Capacity Equals Environmental Capacity Below Environmental Capacity Deer Rare or Absent 215,000 10

11 Virginia Deer Distribution in 1980 Exceeds Environmental Capacity Equals Environmental Capacity Below Environmental Capacity Deer Rare or Absent 422,000 11

12 Virginia Deer Distribution in 1988 >30 Deer Per Square Mile Deer Per Square Mile <15 Deer Per Square Mile 575,000 12

13 Hypothetical Population Curve for Virginia s Deer Herd, 1600-present

14 Factors Contributing to the Restoration of White-tailed Deer Forest regrowth and farm abandonment Enforcement of protective laws Creation of refuges Restocking and relocation efforts 14

15 Deer Habitat 15

16 Significant Deer Habitat Factors Food Cover Water Space 16

17 White-tailed Deer Food Requirements On average an adult white-tailed deer requires 3-5% of its body weight in forage daily. 17

18 Human landscapes = good deer habitat 18

19 Clover Briar Patch 19

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25 Figure 3. Google Earth Image Of Rockingham County Virginia.

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28 Deer Management 28

29 Biological Carrying Capacity (K or BCC) A term used to describe the maximum number of deer a habitat can support on a sustained basis without causing damage to the vegetation (i.e., the habitat). It is not a function of the deer herd. It is a function of the quantity and quality of the habitat. 29

30 Cultural Carrying Capacity (CCC) A term used to describe the maximum number of deer that can coexist compatibly with people. It is not a function of the deer herd. It is a function of the tolerance of people to deer and deer impacts.

31 Competing Values Farmers Commuters Forestry/ecosystem interests Tourists/Hikers Hunters Animal protection interests 0 CCC BCC

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36 Deer Management Options Regulated Hunting Allow Nature to Take Its Course Trap and Transfer Fencing and Repellents Fertility Control Supplemental Feeding Sharpshooters Reintroduce Predators 36

37 Harvest Regulation general firearms either-sex deer hunting days season dates daily and season bag limits 37

38 Problems Associated With Overabundant Deer Herds Crop Damage Deer Vehicle Collisions Urban Deer Issues Deer Ecosystem Impacts 38

39 Problems Associated With Overabundant Deer Herds Crop damage 39

40 Problems Associated With Overabundant Deer Herds Deer vehicle collisions 40

41 Deer Vehicle Collisions (State Farm Insurance) 60,000 50,000 DVC's 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 At 50,000 and $2,500 each; $125 million annually

42 Deer Vehicle Collisions (State Farm) Deer-vehicle collision frequency up 21 percent in five years West Virginia continues domination of collision likelihood list 42

43 Problems Associated With Overabundant Deer Herds Urban deer issues 43

44 Problems Associated With Overabundant Deer Herds Deer ecosystem impacts 44

45 Virginia Deer Population Status

46 Deer Kill Unknown Percent Female Females Male Fawns Antlered Males Percent Female Virginia deer kill 1947-present 46

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48 Deer Kill Fem ales Percent Female Percent Fem ale Virginia female deer kill 1947-present. 48

49 Deer Kill Tidew ater Southern Piedmont Southern Mountain Northern Mountain Northern Piedmont 0 Virginia deer kill by physiographic region, last 10 years.

50 Youth Nonresident Resident Virginia big game license sales, 1946-present.

51 Nonresident Virginia nonresident big game license sales, 1946-present.

52 Youth Virginia youth big game license sales, 1946-present.

53 Deer Kill Licenses Bow Kill Bow Licenses Virginia archery deer kill and license sales, 1954-present.

54 Deer Kill Licenses Crossbow s Crossbow Licenses Virginia crossbow deer kill and license sales, 2002-present.

55 Muzzleloader Deer Kill Kill Muzzleloader licenses Licenses Virginia muzzleloader deer kill and license sales, resent.

56 2011 Very High ( ) High ( ) Fairfax County deer kill data is not comparable to other areas/counties Moderate ( ) Low ( ) Very Low ( ) 2011; based on data cluster analysis Figure private land relative deer population abundance by management unit. Index is based on a 3-year average of antlered bucks killed per square mile of estimated deer habitat.

57 2011 Very High ( ) High ( ) Fairfax County deer kill data is not comparable to other areas/counties Moderate ( ) Low ( ) Very Low ( ) ; based on data cluster analysis 1.4 Figure private land relative deer population abundance by management unit. Index is based on a 3-year average of antlered bucks killed per square mile of estimated deer habitat.

58 Deer Population Objective Increase population Stabilize population Reduce population Private land deer population management objective by management unit.

59 Deer Population Objective Increase population Stabilize population Reduce population Deer Population 10 Year Trend Increasing population index Declining population index Units without an arrow are stable Northern Mountain 2011 Northern Piedmont Tidewater Southern Mountain Southern Piedmont Figure private land deer population status by management unit (10 year trend).

60 Deer Population Objective Increase population Stabilize population Reduce population 2011 Deer Population 10 Year Trend Increasing population index Declining population index Units without an arrow are stable 2011 public land deer population status by management unit.

61 Deer Kill NF Hunters Deer Kill NF Hunters West of the Blue Ridge Public Land Deer Kill 1994-present

62 Timber Acres Harvested Figure 4. George Washington and Jefferson National Forests timber harvest in acres by year. ( acres are estimates)

63 Figure 5. Percent of national forest timber by age class..

64 Figure 3. Google Earth Image Of Rockingham County Virginia.

65 Figure 2. Virginia black bear kill.

66 ,000 25,000 No. estimated coyotes killed in VA hunter survey data Bowhunter Survey Hunter Survey Coyotes observed per 100 hours by VA bowhunter survey participants , , , , Figure 3. Number of estimated coyotes killed in Virginia from DGIF Virginia hunter surveys and number of coyotes observed per 100 hours from the Virginia Bowhunter survey.

67 There are 139,904 acres (219 square miles) of National Forest land in Rockingham County (~25% of county) Approximately 79,000 acres or 57% of National Forest lands are located within ½ mile of private land in Rockingham County Figure 2. Rockingham County National Forest lands within ½ mile of private land.

68 Approximately 112,000 acres or 80% of National Forest lands are located within 1 mile of private land in Rockingham County Figure 3. Rockingham County National Forest lands within 1 mile of private land.

69 Deer Management Plan The first deer management plan was developed between 1996 and SAC to represent the interests of all citizens. Second plan revision began in 2005 (SAC). gement-plan/ 69

Local Government GIS Activities

Local Government GIS Activities 1 of 7 Local Government GIS Activities As the mandated coordinating body for GIS activities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, VGIN works with local governments on several