Human-deer conflicts, risk perception, and municipal deer management

Keywords: deer management, Massachusetts, Municipal governments
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 1

Abstract

With a focus on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), this paper explores how human-deer conflicts shape local decisions towards wildlife management. In suburban regions of Northeastern US, the increased interactions between human and deer have become a source of concerns for residents, municipal officials, and wildlife managers. There, many municipalities discuss and implement local management plans. This paper explores the drivers of municipal actions towards managing deer locally. Combining results from a survey distributed to all municipalities across MA, a document analysis of local deer management plans and qualitative interviews conducted with municipal officials in three towns, our results reveal that socioeconomic and environmental factors influence municipal concerns about deer. Specifically, risk perception towards public safety and health is an important driver leading municipalities to start discussing options to manage deer locally. Although there are common factors influencing the emergence of discussions about deer at the municipal scale, the triggers for action are harder to identify. Our analysis shows that the decisions to manage deer are often muddied into local politics and driven by a limited number of people. Conflicting narratives emerging from perceptions of deer numbers, use of space, and impacts on forests and humans are used to push for or oppose municipal deer management. Our research will create crucial knowledge for scholars and wildlife managers interested in understanding the processes of managing deer locally and their connections to local politics, risk perception, and socioeconomic and ecological aspects.