WHITE-TAILED DEER

CONSERVATION

White-tail Deer Season

Opening Day is in less than two weeks.

Hunting White-tail deer prevents their extinction in PA.

What do you think

of that statement?

Activity

Analyze the deer population over the past 260.

Look for trends in the population Try to defend the statement “Hunting

White-tail deer prevents their extinction in PA.

White-tailed Deer

5-9 pounds of vegetation per day

Hunted by large predators

Common large herbivore in PA

40 per sq. mi. in rural areas

100 per sq. mi. in urban areas

The Gray Wolf Hunt in packs of 5-

11 members Hunt large

herbivores Roam territories of

14-20 sq. miles Need at least 2.5

pounds of meat per day

Extinct in PA

Coyote Solitary hunters

Usually hunt small mammals

Northeastern coyotes can be twice the size of normal coyotes.

17501770

17901810

18301850

18701890

19101930

19501970

19902010

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Deer Population in PA

Year

Po

pu

lati

on

(T

ho

usa

nd

s)

17501770

17901810

18301850

18701890

19101930

19501970

19902010

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Wolf Population

Year

Po

pu

lati

on

(in

div

idu

als)

What may be the cause of the sudden drop in both wolf and deer populations around 1780?

Hint: What was happening in American history around this time?

What happens to the deer population after this drop?

Why might this have happened?

What may have caused the deer population to decrease following 1800?

Hint: What can affect the deer population?

What is the overall trend in the wolf population from 1750-1870?

Why might this be happening?