Intensified hunting seems to be working - the white-tailed deer population decreased

White-tailed deer in the summer rape field in the light of the evening sun. — The first white-tailed deer were imported to Finland from the United States in the 1930s. The population soon began to grow rapidly, and recent changes in the wild have further strengthened the population. Archive photo.

In its stock assessment, the Natural Resources Institute Finland found a 13.6% decline in the population from last year. The structure and regional distribution have remained unchanged.

There were around 120 000 white-tailed deer in Finland in winter 2022-2023. This information comes from a population estimate commissioned by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

The change was greatest in the densely populated areas of Varsinais-Suomi, South Häme and Uusimaa.

– Intensified hunting to reduce the population seems to have paid off,” says Aikio.

Graphics showing the evolution of white-tailed deer from the 80s to today. — Winter population size of white-tailed deer estimated using both the new and old models, and hunting catch from 1980 to 2022 at the end of the hunting season. A 95% confidence interval is described around the estimates. The year refers to the beginning of each hunting season. Stock estimate: Natural Resources Institute Finland. Catch data: Finnish Game Centre

The development of the stock assessment has been accelerated by the rapid growth of the white-tailed deer population and the need to manage its effects.

The estimate implemented now has been calculated using a new deer economic area-specific model (HTA).

The new model utilizes regional information and is thus an important step in the development of research-based game management.

─ The advantage of the HTA model is the consideration of regional differences affecting productivity and mortality, thanks to which a more reliable estimate can be obtained, especially in areas with a dense population, Aikio says in the press release.

Stock structure and regional distribution unchanged

According to the estimate, there are 59 fawns per hundred adults in the entire country’s white-tailed deer population. The sex distribution of the adult population was 1.25 females per one male.

Compared to last year, there is a slight decrease, but according to Luke, the change fits within the margin of error of the estimate.

A map showing the distribution of the white-tailed deer in Finland. The strain is strongest in southern Finland, and is strong all the way to central Finland. — Winter population densities of white-tailed deer in Finland in winter 2022-2023 (individuals/1000 ha). Density levels are calculated from the deer densities allocated to game management associations in the HTA model.

The regional distribution of the stock is similar to the previous year. The size of the population decreased in all game center areas and in the majority, i.e. approximately 63 percent, of the game management associations practicing white-tailed deer hunting.

In the hunting season starting in autumn 2023, reducing the size of the stock from the current level would require a catch of 61,000-67,000 individuals. The estimate is based on the indicators of the size and structure of the current stock.