Herbivory by white-tailed deer within forest regeneration areas can have profound impacts on stand structure, composition, and biodiversity. Because traditional management strategies (i.e. sport hunting) are not solving the damage problem in many areas, localized management has been proposed as a possible solution. Localized management involves the “surgical” removal of a social group(s) in an area deemed sensitive to browsing pressure. However, this technique has only been tested in a highly philopatric, low-density, and un-hunted deer herd in New York. In that study, deer did not recolonize areas previously occupied for > 2 years after the removal of an entire social unit.

We are conducting an experimental investigation of localized management in a high-density white-tailed deer herd on the MeadWestvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest (MWWERF) located in Randolph County, West Virginia. Beginning in February 1999, researchers investigated the movement ecology and social structure of white-tailed deer on the MWWERF by outfitting over 175 female white-tailed deer with radio-collars. Additionally, vegetation and deer herbivory data was collected on nine forest regeneration areas in July and August 2001. An experimental removal of a social group was implemented in early 2002. A total of 51 deer were removed within a 1.2 km2 area, encompassing 2 forest regeneration areas of northern hardwood forest type (both < 3 years and approximately 14 ha in size). Vegetation and herbivory data collected in 2002, 2003, and 2004 will be examined to determine differences in deer herbivory within and outside the removal area. Track counts conducted pre-removal, during removal, immediately post-removal, one year post-removal, and two years post-removal will be analyzed to determine differences in deer densities within and outside the removal area.

As of October 2004, none of the 72 remaining radio-collared females have shifted their home range to include the removal area. We will continue to collect telemetric data until November 2004 to document any movements of radio-collared animals into the removal area. If the results of our study indicate that localized management reduces damage to forest regeneration to acceptable levels over the long-term (= 5 years), then forest and wildlife managers could inexpensively ensure regeneration success, sustain forest structure and composition, and maintain forest biodiversity.