Written by: Chandler Strickland

Edits by: Pierce Young

 

One of the most frequently asked questions in deer management is, “How many does should I harvest?” 

The answer depends on several factors, including available food and cover, current deer density, and the size of your property.

Step 1: Can Your Property Influence the Deer Population?

Before making harvest decisions, it's important to determine if your property is large enough to impact the local deer herd through harvest. As a general rule, properties smaller than 500 to 1,000 acres usually do not have enough influence over the broader landscape to drive population trends without cooperation from neighboring landowners.

Step 2: Know Your Habitat and Herd

Effective management begins with understanding how many deer your land can support—what biologists call the carrying capacity. You can assess this by:

  • Monitoring harvest data (age, sex, weight, and reproductive condition), such as through the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
  • Using exclosure cages in food plots to measure how much forage deer are consuming
  • Evaluating browse pressure on native vegetation, and tracking seasonal changes in plant availability (PDF link).

Step 3: Set Harvest Goals Based on Research and Monitoring

Long-term research shows that removing 25–33% of the adult does in a population typically stabilizes the herd. Harvesting more than this can reduce deer numbers, while harvesting fewer will likely allow the population to grow.

But to use these guidelines effectively, you need an estimate of how many deer are actually using your property.

Step 4: Estimate Your Deer Population

Fortunately, there are reliable tools to help. Trail camera surveys, observational data, spotlight counts (where legal), when using a scientific protocol, have all been successfully used for decades to estimate deer abundance, sex ratios, and age structure (and hopefully in the future drone counts once research is completed).

Without a population estimate, harvest decisions become more of a guess. However, the following general guidelines can help:

  • To reduce the deer herd:
    • Harvest >1 adult doe per 25 acres in highly productive areas/great habitat.
    • Harvest 1 adult doe per 50-75 acres in moderately productive areas/average habitat.
    • Harvest 1 adult doe per 75-100 acres in unproductive areas/poor habitat.
  • To maintain the current population:
    • Harvest 1 adult doe per 50-75 acres in highly productive areas/great habitat.
    • Harvest 1 adult doe per 75-125 acres in moderately productive areas/average habitat.
    • Harvest 1 adult doe per 125-150 acres in unproductive areas/poor habitat.

These figures are broad estimates and depend heavily on local factors such as fawn recruitment and habitat quality. 


For more information on deer and other wildlife management visit our webpage:
👉 www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-management-info

Need Help with Deer or Habitat Management on your property?

To schedule a consultation with a wildlife biologist for personalized assistance, go to:
👉 www.mdwfp.com/privatelands