Post by Woody Williams on Dec 8, 2005 16:10:46 GMT -5
This is a copy of an OLD report on restocking fo deer in Indiana.
I found it very intersting and wanted to share with you guys..
WHITE-TAILED DEER
John M. Allen, Project Leader Project W-2-R
Most wildlife species present today have persisted because of, or In spite of numerous influences operating long before biologists were able to record them. We can only surmise how the passenger pigeon, bison, and otter reacted to the environment of Indiana. Not so the white-tailed deer, for after being totally "wiped out" they were given a fresh start in 1934. This provided the rare opportunity of following the fortunes and misfortunes of this restored native. Experiences of other states and information collected at home on our growing herd were pooled to prescribe management practices assisting the adjustments necessary before they could take their place as Indiana's only big game animal.
Some progress has been attained in whitetail management, but it is doubtful if a permanent and unyielding solution for all ills will ever be formulated. It is hoped that we can anticipate problems associated with deer management and provide answers before difficulties arise.
As is the case with many wildlife species, management of the animal is far less difficult than associated problems of man-management. Until administrators, hunters, and landowners are aware of the potentialities and reactions of growing deer herds, management recommendations will be of limited value.
CHARACTERISTICS
Our white-tailed deer are members of a distinguished family including elk, caribou, moose, mule deer, and black-tail deer. While there have been rumors of mule deer moving into our southern counties from releases in Kentucky, none have been found, and we can assume that our only deer is the whitetail. .
As to dimensions, ours are large in comparison to those of many other regions due to better food conditions; however, deer sizes are nearly always overestimated. Weights vary with sex and age of the animal, but average weights of approximately 1,000 adults and fawns, bucks, and does, examined at checking stations indicate that the "average" male weighed 157 pounds live weight and his female counterpart but no pounds. Three splendid bucks were taken during the 1951hunting season. One weighed 329 pounds before dressing; the other two were cleaned before weighing, but would have exceeded 300 pounds live weight.
One of the most interesting features of the male is his rack of antlers. Contrary to popular belief, they are not indicators of age, but rather they reflect the animal's physical condition. In general the diameter of antlers increases with age, but a well-fed 4 year old may have a much larger rack with more points than an 8 year buck in poor physical condition. Antlers fall off each year between January and March much in the same manner as do leaves. New ones start to emerge at once and quickly replace those lost but they remain soft until late summer when they harden and are polished on small trees and bushes.
Deer, like cattle, have no front teeth on their upper jaw and break their food off rather than bite it. Similarly, they are ruminants and have 4 stomachs, but unlike most others they have no gall bladder. They frequently swallow acorns and grain whole, then regurgitate, chew, and swallow at their leisure.
Does are bred in October and November and after 205-212 days gestation, drop fawns. Their reproductive powers are usually underestimated as 25 does would have 3,000 descendants in 10 years if all survived. They add 25 to 35 per cent to their numbers each year thereby compensating for an annual loss by legal and illegal kills, dogs, and automobiles. In fact, when a herd is not increasing each year it indicates a mortality factor worthy of investigation. It has been estimated that the 1955 Indiana herd should number 20,000 animals instead of 5,000. Illegal kills of both sexes were a serious limiting factor when the herd was first, becoming established a few years ago.
Their color changes with the seasons as their reddish summer coat is replaced by a gray one in autumn. Fawns are born with light colored spots on a brown background serving to camouflage them, but this coloration fades to match the gray of their parents in early fall . Deer were formerly regarded as an animal of the deep forests but their rapid increase throughout the Midwest in the past two decades has revised our ideas of what constitutes deer range. This is but another example of how some animals have adapted themselves to changing conditions. They now thrive at the very edges of large metropolitan areas and inhabit farmlands boasting of little cover other than inconspicuous woodlots. When whitetails first began their population climb in Missouri, Ohio, Iowa, and other Midwestern states, game managers believed only hilly country could be occupied. Each year their range has been extended until now it is more difficult to predict where they will not thrive than where they will.
A deer's life can be a hazardous one for ancient predators such as wolves and mountain lions have been replaced by modem ones. Illegal killing of young and old throughout the year has, in some counties, prevented their increase and in a few has nearly destroyed the developing herds. Loose running dogs take their toll, particularly in the spring when does are heavy with fawns. It has been demonstrated many
times that hunting dogs of various breeds and curs can and do run down and kill even adult bucks. Many miscellaneous accidents such as drowning, collisions with fences and autos, and falls over cliffs are the result of dog chasing. These mortality factors are probably not too important to a large herd but seriously limit the successful establishment of small herds such as ours.
Open deer hunting seasons have probably helped deter illegal kills more than is commonly recognized. Merchants and farmers alike discovered that a deer in the field is worth many in the meat house, as deer bring hunters, and hunters spend money. Increased efficiency of the enforcement section has paid off in a marked decrease in deer law violation. Considerable credit is due the group of conservation officers and forestry personnel who have contributed much to protect our herds.
Whitetails are primarily browsers although they graze winter wheat, rye and spring grasses. Their diet leans heavily towards leaves, fruits, and tender twigs of most common weeds, shrubs, and tree seedlings. Acorns are the backbone of their winter diet, but no one can deny that they turn readily to grain and hay and when the mast crop fails. Some damage to green corn and soybeans has been experienced in mid-summer in localized areas. Damage is most severe in small fields bordering woodlands and occurs most frequently during winter months so losses can be curtailed by harvesting crops as soon as possible after they ripen. Bucks like to polish their antlers on small trees and during the breeding season stage fights with imaginary opponents, usually small trees. Some damage to fruit trees has been caused in this manner and has been successfully prevented by spraying with commercial deer repellents and scaring devices such as foil streamers. Consumption of their preferred foods such as poison ivy, sassafras, mints, plantain, honeysuckle, greenbriar, sumac, and wild grape can scarcely be cause for complaint.
Disease and parasites have not been prevalent here nor responsible for deer loss. Lung worms, sometimes common in deer farther north have not been found here, and "hemorrhagic septicemia," the deer disease of the South, has occurred only on a small scale. They live to a ripe old age as shown by ear tagging those released. Two ear tags were returned by hunters in 1951 and one in 1952. These animals had been released in 1941 and were a year old at that time. Tame deer may live 15 years, but wild ones seldom escape the "grim reaper" that long. In the snow belt of states and provinces of the north, food supplies and snow drifts frequently determine how many deer can be carried through the winter. Deer congregate in "yards" and consume all available food in this limited area, causing the weaker ones to starve. Relatively mild winters here permit deer to utilize the same range both winter and summer, and starvation is unknown.
EARLY HISTORY
At the time Indiana was settled, the northern whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus) was widely distributed over the state. This territory was covered with hardwood forest with the exception of the larger prairies, swamps, and lakes extending across the northern portion of the state. As many as 1,130 hides were purchased by a fur dealer in Hamilton County in 1859. Carl Sandburg's biography of Abraham Lincoln quotes as follows: "In 1820 Noah Major, one of the first settlers in Morgan County, Indiana, estimated there were 20,000 deer in the county." They were plentiful in the Kankakee region and there are reports of 65 being killed in a single day in 1878. The last stand of deer in the state was in the Kankakee region and in Knox County where the last known wild deer was killed near Red Cloud in 1893.
RESTOCKING
Removal of timber from steep hillsides produced violent results in the south central hill country. Farmland was soon abandoned as top soil washed away. Much remains in private ownership, but state and federal governments now own approximately 235,000 acres in this section.
In the early 1930's the Indiana Division of Fish and Game became interested in the possibilities of this territory for forest game. In total, 296 whitetails were released during the period 1934 to 1942 (Table 5). Of this number, 91 were released between 1934 and 1940 and 205 in 1941 and 1942. Many of the earlier releases were made on both state and privately owned land. Liberations were principally confined to the unglaciated hill country of the south central section, with minor releases to the east and west. Deer used for restocking were obtained primarily from Wisconsin but some were purchased from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. This stock was comprised of some southern whitetails, northern whitetails (Odocoilius virginianus borealis), and mixtures of these two sub-species.
Original liberations in the south central section were successful enough to initiate deer hunting there in 1951, where an open season has been held every year since that date. It soon became apparent that the limited occupied range could not accommodate all the hunters without greatly reducing the herd unless the season was limited in duration and sex to be hunted. The answer was to extend the occupied range so that hunting pressure could be dispersed over a much larger area. Surplus deer were removed from state owned exhibits in 1953 and 11 were released.
The Woodland Game Development Project purchased 100 whitetails from the Schowalter Deer Farm in Wisconsin. These animals, half of which were does, were released on the east and west flanks of the occupied deer range in order to eventually provide more deer hunting territory.
Figure 7-0ne of the first deer releases. Harrison County State Forest 1934. (Photo by Dewey Hickman)
A release of 35 of these deer was made in Sullivan County on Greene-Sullivan State Forest where there is an abundance of suitable range in and surrounding this forest. In January 1955, a total of 26 was liberated on Shakamak State Forest in Sullivan County to further extend the herd in the southwestern portion.
In order to establish a herd in the southeastern section, 39 deer were released on Versailles State Park in Ripley County in February 1955 (Table 5). The counties in which these animals were released will be closed to deer hunting for a period of at least five years to permit herds to develop. At the end of that period they and adjacent counties will be open to hunting if warranted by herd increases.
TABLE 5
WHITE-TAILED DEER LIBERATIONS IN INDIANA, 1934-1955
THE BEGINNING
Following the releases of 1941 and 1942, WID. B. Barnes started gathering information on the growth of our new herd. By interviews with local residents and state personnel, the 1944 population was found to be 1,200 animals as compared with 900 in 1943 (Figure 8). They had extended their range into 35 counties, three of which had herds of 60 to 100 deer. The headquarters for larger herds remained on state forests or parks with the exception of small but growing herds in the strip mines of Pike and Warrick Counties and on private land in Orange County.
Few people, not intimately associated with deer, realize their reproductive powers. More than one-third of our female fawns are bred at the age of 6 months and have produced another fawn by the time they are a year old. Mature does nearly always produce twins each spring and triplets occur frequently. Barring excessive illegal kills, herds were destined to extend their range and numbers by leaps and bounds. By 1946 there were approximately 245 deer in counties outside principal deer range, while 18 counties within principal deer range, supported herds totaling 2,700 animals. This figure was conservative as some local residents and state employees believed that 500 to 1,000 animals were present on Brown County Park, with equal numbers on state forests, U. S. Forests, and U. S. Military Reservations.
A deer drive was conducted in November 1946 on Harrison State Forest with the aid of interested landowners and sportsmen. Seven bucks and 19 antlerless deer were Hushed from a 700 acre tract, considered to have been one of the most heavily populated ranges in the state. This would indicate 1 deer per 27 acres in part of the forest. If the entire forest was as heavily populated as the area driven, the forest population would have been 630 animals. Since a major portion of it supported a much lower population than the area driven, it is doubtful if more than 350 animals were present in the entire county at that time.
Aerial deer counts have been utilized with varying degrees of success throughout the nation, so in February and March 1947, this method of counting deer was tested on an experimental basis. Flights totaling 20 hours were made over Harrison State Forest, Brown County Park, and in Orange County. That observation prior to February was impaired by leaves remaining on trees of the white oak group. Cedar trees and pine plantations greatly limited observation where present. Under Indiana conditions, an aerial survey can be utilized only, if at least two inches of snow covers the ground, and if the wind velocity does not exceed 10 miles per hour. The experiment showed that the aerial census with conventional aircraft has very limited use over the major portion of our principal deer range.
By 1946 the novelty of seeing deer had passed. Damage to small grain, corn, hay, truck crops, and orchards was reported with increasing frequency. A shootable population had developed in small segments of the range, but insufficient areas had reached this stage to justify the open hunting season. Illegal hunting became a problem of major importance.
COMPLICATIONS
The manner in which all animals, large or small, mesh into their environment is indeed complicated. In fact, many of the relationships between any game animal, and other plants and animals, including man, are unknown. It is understandable that re-introduction of even a native game animal is seldom accomplished without some conflict of interests.
In order to assist this adjustment it became apparent that the Conservation Department must collect as much information as possible on the growing herd. The White-tailed Deer Investigation was initiated in December 1949. This study was designed to map occupied deer range, to estimate herd size, and to devise methods of censuring deer on uninhabited forest tracts where farmer-interview census methods were not effective. Deer losses through illegal kills, dogs, and highway accidents were occurring at an unknown but increasing rate. Crop damage was severe in some localities but was greatly exaggerated and used as an excuse for illegal killing in widespread areas. We were now in the awkward position of having many deer in rather localized areas capable of sustaining crop damage, but not enough deer range to open a season so that legal hunters could scatter herds and reduce crop damage. It was necessary that hunt plans be formulated for the time that a hunting season could be held.
Eleven major herds were mapped in 1949 within principal deer range. Herd sites varied considerably in character, but they possessed one common feature-a refuge from men and dogs. None were formal inviolate tracts, but had been established for timber production, recreation, military use, private estates, or coal mining. Minor exceptions were portions of the Orange County and Muscatatuck herds.
The Morgan-Monroe herd became established on Morgan-Monroe State Forest, and occupied parts of Morgan, Monroe and Brown Counties. The Brown County herd developed in Brown County State Park and extended into Lawrence, Jackson, and Brown Counties. The Muscatatuck-Knobs herd started from deer released on Jackson and Clark State Forests, and by 1949 projected into 6 counties. The Orange Martin herd extended into Lawrence, Greene, Martin, and Orange Counties. The Blue River Herd was located in both Harrison and Crawford Counties, but was restricted largely to Harrison State Forest. The Lafayette Herd was limited to Perry County and originated from releases made on U. S. Forest Service land . The Ferdinand herd was developed on Ferdinand State Forest in Dubois County, but extended into Perry County. The Strip Mine herd centered on coal company land in Pike, Warrick, Dubois, and Gibson Counties.
Farmers were interviewed throughout the deer range in 1950 to determine the extent of deer damage to crops, to obtain their opinions on an open season, and to estimate deer numbers. About two-thirds of them had never sustained damage, three-fourths favored an open season, and nine-tenths of them were in favor of having deer in their area.
The 1949 population census showed 2,540 animals, of which 300 were in counties scattered over the state and outside the principal range in the south-central hill section. Due to illegal killing of bucks and does, young and old, there were fewer deer in 6 counties than in 1946, but most of the herds showed a gain.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I found it very intersting and wanted to share with you guys..
WHITE-TAILED DEER
John M. Allen, Project Leader Project W-2-R
Most wildlife species present today have persisted because of, or In spite of numerous influences operating long before biologists were able to record them. We can only surmise how the passenger pigeon, bison, and otter reacted to the environment of Indiana. Not so the white-tailed deer, for after being totally "wiped out" they were given a fresh start in 1934. This provided the rare opportunity of following the fortunes and misfortunes of this restored native. Experiences of other states and information collected at home on our growing herd were pooled to prescribe management practices assisting the adjustments necessary before they could take their place as Indiana's only big game animal.
Some progress has been attained in whitetail management, but it is doubtful if a permanent and unyielding solution for all ills will ever be formulated. It is hoped that we can anticipate problems associated with deer management and provide answers before difficulties arise.
As is the case with many wildlife species, management of the animal is far less difficult than associated problems of man-management. Until administrators, hunters, and landowners are aware of the potentialities and reactions of growing deer herds, management recommendations will be of limited value.
CHARACTERISTICS
Our white-tailed deer are members of a distinguished family including elk, caribou, moose, mule deer, and black-tail deer. While there have been rumors of mule deer moving into our southern counties from releases in Kentucky, none have been found, and we can assume that our only deer is the whitetail. .
As to dimensions, ours are large in comparison to those of many other regions due to better food conditions; however, deer sizes are nearly always overestimated. Weights vary with sex and age of the animal, but average weights of approximately 1,000 adults and fawns, bucks, and does, examined at checking stations indicate that the "average" male weighed 157 pounds live weight and his female counterpart but no pounds. Three splendid bucks were taken during the 1951hunting season. One weighed 329 pounds before dressing; the other two were cleaned before weighing, but would have exceeded 300 pounds live weight.
One of the most interesting features of the male is his rack of antlers. Contrary to popular belief, they are not indicators of age, but rather they reflect the animal's physical condition. In general the diameter of antlers increases with age, but a well-fed 4 year old may have a much larger rack with more points than an 8 year buck in poor physical condition. Antlers fall off each year between January and March much in the same manner as do leaves. New ones start to emerge at once and quickly replace those lost but they remain soft until late summer when they harden and are polished on small trees and bushes.
Deer, like cattle, have no front teeth on their upper jaw and break their food off rather than bite it. Similarly, they are ruminants and have 4 stomachs, but unlike most others they have no gall bladder. They frequently swallow acorns and grain whole, then regurgitate, chew, and swallow at their leisure.
Does are bred in October and November and after 205-212 days gestation, drop fawns. Their reproductive powers are usually underestimated as 25 does would have 3,000 descendants in 10 years if all survived. They add 25 to 35 per cent to their numbers each year thereby compensating for an annual loss by legal and illegal kills, dogs, and automobiles. In fact, when a herd is not increasing each year it indicates a mortality factor worthy of investigation. It has been estimated that the 1955 Indiana herd should number 20,000 animals instead of 5,000. Illegal kills of both sexes were a serious limiting factor when the herd was first, becoming established a few years ago.
Their color changes with the seasons as their reddish summer coat is replaced by a gray one in autumn. Fawns are born with light colored spots on a brown background serving to camouflage them, but this coloration fades to match the gray of their parents in early fall . Deer were formerly regarded as an animal of the deep forests but their rapid increase throughout the Midwest in the past two decades has revised our ideas of what constitutes deer range. This is but another example of how some animals have adapted themselves to changing conditions. They now thrive at the very edges of large metropolitan areas and inhabit farmlands boasting of little cover other than inconspicuous woodlots. When whitetails first began their population climb in Missouri, Ohio, Iowa, and other Midwestern states, game managers believed only hilly country could be occupied. Each year their range has been extended until now it is more difficult to predict where they will not thrive than where they will.
A deer's life can be a hazardous one for ancient predators such as wolves and mountain lions have been replaced by modem ones. Illegal killing of young and old throughout the year has, in some counties, prevented their increase and in a few has nearly destroyed the developing herds. Loose running dogs take their toll, particularly in the spring when does are heavy with fawns. It has been demonstrated many
times that hunting dogs of various breeds and curs can and do run down and kill even adult bucks. Many miscellaneous accidents such as drowning, collisions with fences and autos, and falls over cliffs are the result of dog chasing. These mortality factors are probably not too important to a large herd but seriously limit the successful establishment of small herds such as ours.
Open deer hunting seasons have probably helped deter illegal kills more than is commonly recognized. Merchants and farmers alike discovered that a deer in the field is worth many in the meat house, as deer bring hunters, and hunters spend money. Increased efficiency of the enforcement section has paid off in a marked decrease in deer law violation. Considerable credit is due the group of conservation officers and forestry personnel who have contributed much to protect our herds.
Whitetails are primarily browsers although they graze winter wheat, rye and spring grasses. Their diet leans heavily towards leaves, fruits, and tender twigs of most common weeds, shrubs, and tree seedlings. Acorns are the backbone of their winter diet, but no one can deny that they turn readily to grain and hay and when the mast crop fails. Some damage to green corn and soybeans has been experienced in mid-summer in localized areas. Damage is most severe in small fields bordering woodlands and occurs most frequently during winter months so losses can be curtailed by harvesting crops as soon as possible after they ripen. Bucks like to polish their antlers on small trees and during the breeding season stage fights with imaginary opponents, usually small trees. Some damage to fruit trees has been caused in this manner and has been successfully prevented by spraying with commercial deer repellents and scaring devices such as foil streamers. Consumption of their preferred foods such as poison ivy, sassafras, mints, plantain, honeysuckle, greenbriar, sumac, and wild grape can scarcely be cause for complaint.
Disease and parasites have not been prevalent here nor responsible for deer loss. Lung worms, sometimes common in deer farther north have not been found here, and "hemorrhagic septicemia," the deer disease of the South, has occurred only on a small scale. They live to a ripe old age as shown by ear tagging those released. Two ear tags were returned by hunters in 1951 and one in 1952. These animals had been released in 1941 and were a year old at that time. Tame deer may live 15 years, but wild ones seldom escape the "grim reaper" that long. In the snow belt of states and provinces of the north, food supplies and snow drifts frequently determine how many deer can be carried through the winter. Deer congregate in "yards" and consume all available food in this limited area, causing the weaker ones to starve. Relatively mild winters here permit deer to utilize the same range both winter and summer, and starvation is unknown.
EARLY HISTORY
At the time Indiana was settled, the northern whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus) was widely distributed over the state. This territory was covered with hardwood forest with the exception of the larger prairies, swamps, and lakes extending across the northern portion of the state. As many as 1,130 hides were purchased by a fur dealer in Hamilton County in 1859. Carl Sandburg's biography of Abraham Lincoln quotes as follows: "In 1820 Noah Major, one of the first settlers in Morgan County, Indiana, estimated there were 20,000 deer in the county." They were plentiful in the Kankakee region and there are reports of 65 being killed in a single day in 1878. The last stand of deer in the state was in the Kankakee region and in Knox County where the last known wild deer was killed near Red Cloud in 1893.
RESTOCKING
Removal of timber from steep hillsides produced violent results in the south central hill country. Farmland was soon abandoned as top soil washed away. Much remains in private ownership, but state and federal governments now own approximately 235,000 acres in this section.
In the early 1930's the Indiana Division of Fish and Game became interested in the possibilities of this territory for forest game. In total, 296 whitetails were released during the period 1934 to 1942 (Table 5). Of this number, 91 were released between 1934 and 1940 and 205 in 1941 and 1942. Many of the earlier releases were made on both state and privately owned land. Liberations were principally confined to the unglaciated hill country of the south central section, with minor releases to the east and west. Deer used for restocking were obtained primarily from Wisconsin but some were purchased from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. This stock was comprised of some southern whitetails, northern whitetails (Odocoilius virginianus borealis), and mixtures of these two sub-species.
Original liberations in the south central section were successful enough to initiate deer hunting there in 1951, where an open season has been held every year since that date. It soon became apparent that the limited occupied range could not accommodate all the hunters without greatly reducing the herd unless the season was limited in duration and sex to be hunted. The answer was to extend the occupied range so that hunting pressure could be dispersed over a much larger area. Surplus deer were removed from state owned exhibits in 1953 and 11 were released.
The Woodland Game Development Project purchased 100 whitetails from the Schowalter Deer Farm in Wisconsin. These animals, half of which were does, were released on the east and west flanks of the occupied deer range in order to eventually provide more deer hunting territory.
Figure 7-0ne of the first deer releases. Harrison County State Forest 1934. (Photo by Dewey Hickman)
A release of 35 of these deer was made in Sullivan County on Greene-Sullivan State Forest where there is an abundance of suitable range in and surrounding this forest. In January 1955, a total of 26 was liberated on Shakamak State Forest in Sullivan County to further extend the herd in the southwestern portion.
In order to establish a herd in the southeastern section, 39 deer were released on Versailles State Park in Ripley County in February 1955 (Table 5). The counties in which these animals were released will be closed to deer hunting for a period of at least five years to permit herds to develop. At the end of that period they and adjacent counties will be open to hunting if warranted by herd increases.
TABLE 5
WHITE-TAILED DEER LIBERATIONS IN INDIANA, 1934-1955
THE BEGINNING
Following the releases of 1941 and 1942, WID. B. Barnes started gathering information on the growth of our new herd. By interviews with local residents and state personnel, the 1944 population was found to be 1,200 animals as compared with 900 in 1943 (Figure 8). They had extended their range into 35 counties, three of which had herds of 60 to 100 deer. The headquarters for larger herds remained on state forests or parks with the exception of small but growing herds in the strip mines of Pike and Warrick Counties and on private land in Orange County.
Few people, not intimately associated with deer, realize their reproductive powers. More than one-third of our female fawns are bred at the age of 6 months and have produced another fawn by the time they are a year old. Mature does nearly always produce twins each spring and triplets occur frequently. Barring excessive illegal kills, herds were destined to extend their range and numbers by leaps and bounds. By 1946 there were approximately 245 deer in counties outside principal deer range, while 18 counties within principal deer range, supported herds totaling 2,700 animals. This figure was conservative as some local residents and state employees believed that 500 to 1,000 animals were present on Brown County Park, with equal numbers on state forests, U. S. Forests, and U. S. Military Reservations.
A deer drive was conducted in November 1946 on Harrison State Forest with the aid of interested landowners and sportsmen. Seven bucks and 19 antlerless deer were Hushed from a 700 acre tract, considered to have been one of the most heavily populated ranges in the state. This would indicate 1 deer per 27 acres in part of the forest. If the entire forest was as heavily populated as the area driven, the forest population would have been 630 animals. Since a major portion of it supported a much lower population than the area driven, it is doubtful if more than 350 animals were present in the entire county at that time.
Aerial deer counts have been utilized with varying degrees of success throughout the nation, so in February and March 1947, this method of counting deer was tested on an experimental basis. Flights totaling 20 hours were made over Harrison State Forest, Brown County Park, and in Orange County. That observation prior to February was impaired by leaves remaining on trees of the white oak group. Cedar trees and pine plantations greatly limited observation where present. Under Indiana conditions, an aerial survey can be utilized only, if at least two inches of snow covers the ground, and if the wind velocity does not exceed 10 miles per hour. The experiment showed that the aerial census with conventional aircraft has very limited use over the major portion of our principal deer range.
By 1946 the novelty of seeing deer had passed. Damage to small grain, corn, hay, truck crops, and orchards was reported with increasing frequency. A shootable population had developed in small segments of the range, but insufficient areas had reached this stage to justify the open hunting season. Illegal hunting became a problem of major importance.
COMPLICATIONS
The manner in which all animals, large or small, mesh into their environment is indeed complicated. In fact, many of the relationships between any game animal, and other plants and animals, including man, are unknown. It is understandable that re-introduction of even a native game animal is seldom accomplished without some conflict of interests.
In order to assist this adjustment it became apparent that the Conservation Department must collect as much information as possible on the growing herd. The White-tailed Deer Investigation was initiated in December 1949. This study was designed to map occupied deer range, to estimate herd size, and to devise methods of censuring deer on uninhabited forest tracts where farmer-interview census methods were not effective. Deer losses through illegal kills, dogs, and highway accidents were occurring at an unknown but increasing rate. Crop damage was severe in some localities but was greatly exaggerated and used as an excuse for illegal killing in widespread areas. We were now in the awkward position of having many deer in rather localized areas capable of sustaining crop damage, but not enough deer range to open a season so that legal hunters could scatter herds and reduce crop damage. It was necessary that hunt plans be formulated for the time that a hunting season could be held.
Eleven major herds were mapped in 1949 within principal deer range. Herd sites varied considerably in character, but they possessed one common feature-a refuge from men and dogs. None were formal inviolate tracts, but had been established for timber production, recreation, military use, private estates, or coal mining. Minor exceptions were portions of the Orange County and Muscatatuck herds.
The Morgan-Monroe herd became established on Morgan-Monroe State Forest, and occupied parts of Morgan, Monroe and Brown Counties. The Brown County herd developed in Brown County State Park and extended into Lawrence, Jackson, and Brown Counties. The Muscatatuck-Knobs herd started from deer released on Jackson and Clark State Forests, and by 1949 projected into 6 counties. The Orange Martin herd extended into Lawrence, Greene, Martin, and Orange Counties. The Blue River Herd was located in both Harrison and Crawford Counties, but was restricted largely to Harrison State Forest. The Lafayette Herd was limited to Perry County and originated from releases made on U. S. Forest Service land . The Ferdinand herd was developed on Ferdinand State Forest in Dubois County, but extended into Perry County. The Strip Mine herd centered on coal company land in Pike, Warrick, Dubois, and Gibson Counties.
Farmers were interviewed throughout the deer range in 1950 to determine the extent of deer damage to crops, to obtain their opinions on an open season, and to estimate deer numbers. About two-thirds of them had never sustained damage, three-fourths favored an open season, and nine-tenths of them were in favor of having deer in their area.
The 1949 population census showed 2,540 animals, of which 300 were in counties scattered over the state and outside the principal range in the south-central hill section. Due to illegal killing of bucks and does, young and old, there were fewer deer in 6 counties than in 1946, but most of the herds showed a gain.
TO BE CONTINUED...
