Deer Overpopulation Research Paper

It is believed that hunting deer causes a decrease in the deer population. In many parts of the United States, however, overpopulation of deer can cause a problem in the ecosystem over time. To regulate the deer population, organized hunts and designated hunting seasons occur annually. There is a misinterpretation of the definitional difference between overpopulated and overabundant, when it comes to the deer population. Hunting does not cause a decrease in the deer population, as there is an overpopulation of deer in most parts of the United States.

Even though deer are believed to be overabundant, research and biologists disagree with this theory and state deer are actually overpopulated. Overabundant, or excessive in quantity, is explained by Graeme Caughley by stating there must be certain criteria met for a deer to be considered overabundant. Caughley states his criteria, “(1) when the animals threaten human life or livelihood, (2) when the animals depress the densities of favored species, (3) when the animals are too numerous for their own good, and (4) when their numbers cause ecosystem dysfunction” (quoted in “The Science of Overabundance 3). Even though …show more content…
According to Gene Mueller, Texas is “the all-time deer champion, [with] 3.6 million,” also putting into thought that Texas is the 2nd largest state in the United States (Mueller, “Why Bambi is a big problem”). Some states are not believed to be overpopulated or overabundant with deer due to their state size and how the deer is spread throughout the state. Other states such as “Michigan and Wisconsin have deer populations that exceed 1 million,” cause a problem due to the fact that they are smaller states and the bigger problem is the overpopulation of deer (Mueller). Overpopulation of deer can vary among states depending on the amount of deer compared to the size of the