Continuing impact: GVSU-led study on deer population gaining wider interest for herd management strategies

A data-driven approach to managing Kent County's deer population, led by Grand Valley researchers, has generated more interest in West Michigan as the region wrestles with the problems caused by the out-of-proportion number of deer.

GVSU's involvement started a few years ago, when faculty and student researchers partnered with a Kent County coalition focused on assessing the county's deer population and exploring herd management strategies.

The research group mapped out a multi-layered plan to survey deer populations, gathered input from residents on how they viewed the deer in their midst and developed other data sets, such as car-deer crash information; Kent County leads the state in car-deer crashes, according to the coalition.

The first study led to recommendations for municipalities and agencies to consider for managing deer population and habitat while continuing to gather feedback from residents about these management programs.

Some outcomes from the initial work include deploying a wildlife biologist and working with hunting programs to continue the management aspects of the plan.

GVSU's data collection and monitoring will continue, said Ali Locher, professor of natural resources and environmental management who helped lead the GVSU research team. Locher said an exciting development that has emerged is interest from a wider swath of stakeholders throughout West Michigan to collaborate on this regional concern.

"In the near future, we'll be making some plans and brainstorming to try to expand this collaboration for a holistic approach to deer management in West Michigan," Locher said. "It's a continuing adaptive project with a lot of opportunities for student involvement and expanded collaborations with members of the community and various agencies who are involved."

Science-backed recommendations in action

The momentum for expanding the deer management project stemmed in part from the success late last year of an event created to promote the ethical harvest of does as a step in managing the deer population.

The event was designed with input from public officials as well as those with the Kent County Farm Bureau, who were interested in more strategies after the work of the initial recommendations, Locher said. Besides concerns about the toll of car-deer collisions, crop damage by deer is another key issue.

Called a "doe pole," the effort encouraged hunters to harvest does during an extended firearm season, then bring them to designated stations to be measured and weighed. Monetary awards were given to hunters who took the highest volume of deer at an event hosted by the West Walker Sportsman's Club.

And so it was one evening at a northern Kent County Road Commission facility, where a pickup truck driver from southeastern Kent County pulled up with eight does in the truck bed. 

The hunter sat down with Brody Glei, who did extensive work on this initiative as a graduate student, to provide details on measurements and where the deer were harvested; those locations were marked on a map with a pin. 

After that, the carcasses were loaded into a refrigerated trailer to provide food for those in need, a donation from the hunter that was a key aspect of the event in cooperation with the organization Hunters Feeding Michigan.

In total there were 68 deer measured for the contest, with 36 donations. Glei calculated that provided more than 5,500 servings of protein to people in need.

Glei's work ranged from driving through Kent County to survey deer populations to meeting with citizens at public open houses to explain the work, all done as part of a focus on collecting comprehensive data to bolster recommendations.

He noted that events like this encouraging the reduction of does – and thus their potential subsequent generations of progeny – helps reduce the population, but acknowledged hunters have differing views. Some, for instance, are only interested in harvesting bucks. Or, they like having deer around their landscapes so they don't want to shoot does.

Still, an event like the doe pole is part of a strategy of "population reduction with ethical utilization," he said.

"It means we want there to be less deer and we want to use that meat that is going to be harvested for good, not just going into the dump."

Indeed, Locher noted efforts to manage the deer population also have a humane aspect for the animals: The deer often suffer when they are hit by vehicles and then they are dumped into landfills.

She said the work of Glei and other undergraduate and graduate students on this research project showcases the kind of learning opportunities students receive when they come to Grand Valley.

"They see the example in the classroom, they learn the theory and the science behind it, and then they go out in the field and they actually do it, and it's so meaningful for them," Locher said. "And it's so meaningful for the community to see students doing this hands-on and important work for them. It just fosters that connection between Grand Valley and the community.

"It's this holistic, collaborative initiative that's really impactful."

One person who appreciates that impact is Jerry Byrne, managing director of the Kent County Road Commission. He noted the study done for the coalition showed a need to address the doe population, so an event like the doe pole helps in that regard.

His agency deals with road safety concerns because about a quarter of crashes involve deer and spends about $250,000 annually for road commission workers to pick up deer carcasses from roadways.

The study and subsequent recommendations can help public officials hone in on the best tactics for managing the deer population, from educating citizens on the perils of feeding deer to mowing more of the right-of-way to provide better motorist visibility and reduce deer feeding next to the road's edge, Byrne said.

"We needed some science behind it, because it's not just about reducing the herd, it's about reducing the herd to make a more healthy herd," Byrne said. "The study also really helped us look at where we have the biggest population and where we have the most car-deer crashes. Where can we make the most impact? Why not put our energy where it needs to be?"