Nature's Notebook 11-1-07

I recently overhead a conversation in which two people were extolling the virtues of deer, with one even invoking the mascot of "The Hartford" insurance company when describing the males.

Indeed, the

white-tailed deer is a splendid creature; except for the black bear and the occasional moose, it is our largest animal, standing 3 to 4 feet at the shoulder, the males weighing at least 150 pounds.

As we turn the corner into November, deer are entering the peak of the rutting, or mating, season. The males’ antlers are fully grown, and they scrape off the fuzzy covering, or velvet, in preparation for bouts of sparring with rival males.

Regrettably, any discussion of deer must take into account the problem aspects of this animal, for as readers undoubtedly know, white-tailed deer populations in the Midwest and Northeast have grown to record levels.

In Connecticut, the population shows some evidence of leveling off, yet it still averaged a staggering 17 deer per square mile (statewide average) in winter 2006-07, according to aerial surveys conducted by the Wildlife Division of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection — an estimated total of at least 62,000 deer.

Fairfield County has the highest densities, at nearly 30 deer per square mile, while the state’s northeast corner has the highest estimated total number of individuals (around 15,000). The Lakeville Journal’s coverage area comes in roughly third place, with 20 deer per square mile and at least 6,000 individuals.

High densities of deer lead to several significant problems: increased deer-car collisions, damage to crops and gardens, eradication of the forest understory, and greater risk of Lyme disease.

The late-fall/early-winter rutting season, with its increased activity (particularly in the males), along with the longer nights, coincides with the highest incidence of deer-car collisions. Even with the possibly stabilizing deer population, collisions are on the increase in many places; Fairfield County reported a doubling in the number of collisions last year from the previous year. Nationwide, there were more than 200 fatalities from wildlife-car collisions, mostly deer.

As the victim of a collision two years ago November (fortunately unhurt, but a mere glancing blow caused over $5,000 in damage to my car), I urge drivers in our area to use heightened caution and vigilance at this time of year and to stay well within or below posted speed limits.

Next week, in the second of two parts on this topic, I will discuss other deer problems and what’s being done about them.

Fred Baumgarten is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at fredb58@sbcglobal.net. His blog is at thatbirdblog.blogspot.com.