From 1979-2015, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources documented a strongly declining trend in white-tailed deer harvest on eight wildlife management areas in the North Georgia Mountains–across hundreds of thousands of acres of public land. The declining trend in deer harvest was speculated to be caused by predation. However, specific knowledge of birth and death rates of animals, causes of death, and habitat use is critical for effective wildlife population management which necessitated our study.
The North Georgia Mountains represent a predator-rich environment with abundant populations of coyotes, black bears, and bobcats. Habitat diversity can offset predation by providing ample food for deer and predators and quality cover for deer to hide from and escape predators. However, limited timber management on national forest lands in the region in recent decades resulted in mature forests with little sunlight reaching the forest floor and a resulting absence of young forests and plant diversity to provide wildlife with food and cover.
More information was needed to fill gaps in understanding about factors affecting the stability of deer populations and potential strategies to direct future deer population management.
