Deer overabundance on a university campus: A case study at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Many suburban areas have seen dramatic increases in local white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations during the last 20 years due to high-quality habitat, few predators, and protection from hunting. Human-wildlife conflicts associated with overabundant suburban deer populations include deer-vehicle collisions, ornamental plant damage, and concerns about zoonotic diseases. During the fawning seasons (May-June) of 2005 and 2006, 13 confirmed incidences of female deer attacking humans occurred on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). These attacks plus additional deer-human conflicts on and around SIUC property has spurred the administration to consider deer management. I modeled 2 types of managed shotgun hunts, a replacement hunt and a non-replacement hunt, for SIUC for fall 2008. I used a GIS to determine hunter numbers and placement on the landscape, and I modeled population growth of deer using an accounting-based model from spring 2007 to fall 2008. I also estimated optimal season length and the costs and benefits of the 2 managed shotgun hunt types. The non-replacement hunt was less expensive overall and had a lower cost/day, but a replacement hunt was more cost-efficient (cost/deer/day) and could meet higher population reduction goals. The type of hunt potentially chosen by SIUC administration will depend on management objectives and the tradeoffs among cost, effectiveness and total harvest.