Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and the city of Helena have been tracking the urban deer population for more than 15 years. This year, officials say they saw a record number of deer density in the city limits.
Collected data from last October estimates around 97 deer per square mile.
“We do have these animals here,” stated urban wildlife animal control officer Sean McCarthy. “It is something you need to be aware of when you're driving through town is that there is a chance one of these guys might jump out in front of you and cross the street.”
Officers and FWP have seen a steady increase in recent years, largely due to the easy access to food and lack of predators in the area.
The main issues with overpopulation include more aggressive deer, conflicts with humans, and vehicle collisions. Officials would expect these issues to continue, but they’re actually seeing the opposite.
“Over the past several years, even though our population is growing, we have been able to address those issues and flatten some of those curves so they don't grow with the issue as well,” McCarthy said.
Animal control is seeing their management efforts pay off, with fewer deer out during the day and traveling in smaller groups.
In addition, reports of aggressive interactions are going down based on the call volume received. However, aggressive encounters with deer are still a risk.
“During this spring time, about this time of year, they are going to start giving birth to young,” McCarthy continued, “and mothers will get protective of those young. We do see aggression in that, primarily to smaller dogs.”
One of the biggest differences officials notice is the community’s concern. Educational outreach has been huge, with wildlife officers tabling at various events to educate the public on what they can do at home.
While trends are heading in the right direction, officers hope to keep pushing deer away from people by working with property owners to promote hunting on the outskirts of city limits.
In the meantime, McCarthy says the little things done in the community are helping make a difference, like managing attractants such as bird feeders, plants, and waste.
“It's not taking a ton of time and resources necessarily, but it is necessary,” McCarthy said. “If it's not done something, it will get worse and worse and it will grow.”
If you see a deer in your yard during the day, give animal control a call, and they’ll keep those deer from getting comfortable and moving right along.
