23 Nov
2013

Posted in: Kettle Pond, Ningret Wildlife Refuge, Ninigret, Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife, USFW
By Hugh    No Comments

Deer Hunting versus Deer Damage

Deer, deer. and more deer.

Note: In 2011, US Fish and Wildlife (USFW) made an unusual proposal: allowing deer hunting in some of the wildlife refuges in Rhode Island.  This story traced some of the process of making that suggestion and putting out word to the public.

The cab of the truck rocks along the gravel path of Ninigret Wildlife Refuge in Charlestown. The driver, Refuge Manager Charles Vandemoer, brings the vehicle to an abrupt halt, hops out, and walks over to a shrub, a sumac. The sumac is a native to Rhode Island and an important source of nutrition to birds and other animals. Trouble is, this bush’s branches look as if someone has hauled a set of hedge clippers all the way out here to trim it down to the nubs. “Some browsing can be a good thing, but when 50-60% of new growth keeps getting eaten, that’s a problem,” Vandemoer says, frowning as he examines the nipped branches. “This is what happens when there are too many deer.” The solution may lie in thinning the herd.

USFW’s Charlie Van Demoer points out a sumac, a Rhode Island native plant, that has suffered serious damage from browsing deer.

Browsing too much of the sumac’s branch will damage next year’s growth.

On a week night, US Fish and Wildlife (USFW) teamed up with DEM at Kettle Pond Visitor’s Center in Charlestown to hold a public workshop on a proposal to allow a limited white tail deer hunt on sections of the Charlestown and Block Island refuges. USFW held a similar workshop on Block Island some days earlier, and each was designed to gather public comment on the proposed options for managing the deer population explosion plaguing refuges both on the island and the mainland. The plan calls for opening portions of the refuges to a limited season beginning next year.
DEM biologist Brian Tefft estimates that there are as many as 24 deer per square mile in the Ninigret Refuge, while density estimates climb as high as 50 per square mile on Block Island. “Let’s use the hunter as a tool for deer management,” Tefft says. “The hunter keeps the population down to a manageable level, generates income for the state, and makes good use of the meat and skin that hunting produces. It’s so much better than a case where a deer collides with a vehicle and the carcass is no use to anyone.” Tefft says last year there were 29 vehicle collisions with deer in Charlestown alone.

This is a typical sign of deer browsing, sometimes nicknamed the ice cream cone effect. These bushes have been all but stripped up to a height of roughly four feet – just about as high as a browsing deer cares to reach. 

While the hunting proposal may come as a shock to some, there are many refuges around the country that allow hunting. Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge in South Kingston already allows goose and dove hunting, according to a USFW release. At Ninigret, too many deer have produced a bumper crop of deer ticks, damaged vital native plants, and are responsible for an increase in vehicle collisions, according to Fish and Wildlife, thus producing a need for reducing the density.
“The tremendous increase in deer population is causing some major concerns around the state,” USFW Wildlife Biologist Dorie Stolley explains. “Constant browsing by deer is causing forest regeneration problems, and native flowers and fruits are on the decrease.” Damage to plants is readily visible in looking at shrubs around the refuge. “And often the deer favor native plants, while leaving invasives such as snowberry to proliferate.” Of course, the notion of hunting in any form is controversial, which is part of the reason for the workshops.

One of several areas fenced off inside Ninigret. These regions prevent deer browsing; the result demonstrates the wide variety of plants that would normally be growing if deer were not present.

“We felt that it was important to offer the public a chance to ask questions about the proposal and offer their ideas and concerns, Juancarlos Giese, Deputy Refuge Manager says. Giese says all comments will be collated and addressed at a later date as part of the decision making process.
At one station in the Kettle Pond workshop, an easel holding an oversized note pad records some of the public comment. Janis Nepshinsky, Visitor Services Manager, says most people are supportive of the hunting proposal so far, though there has been some diversity of opinion. “People seem to really understand the importance of controlling the population, but we are listening to all reactions,” she says.

A close look inside the area closed to deer reveals plentiful growth; the area immediately outside it is devoid of such activity.

The pad contains comments from one person who hopes for a kind of roundup of the deer in a confined area, where they could be euthanized. Another person favored more aggressive measures, referencing the recent use of USDA sharpshooters at Camp David, the presidential retreat. “If it’s good enough for the President at Camp David, it’s good enough for me,” says the note. These and other comments will be written down and recorded by USFW, which in turn will be taken into consideration in formulating its policy.

A final note: since this story ran, USFW has begun to allow limited hunting at Ninigret and on Block Island. 

Hugh Markey is a naturalist, freelance writer, and teacher living in Richmond, RI.