Deer Management on Fire Island, NY

1. Deer Management on Fire Island, NY By: Kendall Brunette, Chad Johnson, Alyssa Hernandez, Mark Leopold, Kelley McCrudden, Pelle Rudstam

2. What’s the Problem? -An overabundance of deer on Fire Island has led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. -The deer also have become the main host for ticks on the island, which are a vector for Lyme disease. -Many residents feel that managing the deer population will lead to a reduction in instances of Lyme disease on the island and cut down on property damage. -However, constant head butting between the island’s residents and between the residents and the Park Service has made any sort of management difficult.

3. Vegetation • Sunken Forest is a maritime holly forest in old growth state • Vegetation impacts are most dramatic in SF • Trees act as anchors for wind-blown sand; essential to the stability of barrier island systems • Browsing on the herb layer • Lack of regeneration of canopy tree species since about 1970 coincides with the initiation of the deer population eruption http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/images/Deer-eating.jpg

4. Early Studies • Studies in 1966 and 1985 to assess the impacts of deer browsing • Fenced off experimental plots • Results were inconclusive due to small sample size • By the second growing season, herb-cover inside deer exclosures increased by about 50% • Since 1985, density of dominant shrubs has increased dramatically inside fenced plots http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/georgetown/images/gtwn%20images/images/DeerFeedingWisconsin2.JPG

5. Latest Studies • Permanent plots were relocated and resurveyed in 1999: 1. Assess the change in the structure and composition of the SF from 1967 to 2003 2. Describe the age structure of the SF 3. Analyze the vegetation-environment relationship of the SF 4. Measure the availability of seed source within the SF • What needs to be done and when to regenerate canopy tree species? • Recruitment events?

6. Public Feeding • Outreach activities: -bumper stickers -informative brochures -speaking engagements to end-user groups -voluntary pledge drives for island service personnel and contractors -daily education/enforcement patrols -activities for primary school-aged children http://www.gardengrapevine.com/DeerFeedingRxBC-K6277.jpg

7. Immunocontraception • Female deer creates antibodies toward its own eggs • Eggs released from the ovary are attacked by ZP antibodies which block potential fertilization sites for sperm • Deer population has declined by almost 50% since 1998

8. Population Trends • Hard to adequately estimate the deer population • Aerial analysis is currently the best option • Initial estimates of deer density indicated about 80 deer/km2 in most communities during 1995 • Deer abundance has stabilized along western Fire Island • Remains high in the mid-island communities

9. Lyme Disease • An infectious disease, its vector is generally black legged ticks or deer ticks. • Animals do not carry the disease, but carry the ticks that spread the disease to humans. • The disease can be spread after two or more days of feeding • 70% of all people are bitten in their own yards. • At earlier stages the symptoms include rash and flu-like symptoms • Nearly 150 million people are currently infected or have been infected (world-wide)

10. Life Cycle • Takes place over the course of 2 years, beginning with the larval stage. • Ticks are born and feed off of white-footed mouse, who are the original hosts of the disease. • Inactive till spring • Molt into Nymphs • Nymphs feed on small mammals • Molt into adults

11. The Risk • Medical -The majority of infections are spread by ticks in their nymph stages -Only 20% of individuals infected with Lyme Disease notice their deer tick bite -Lyme disease is also known as the “great imitator” • Financial - Lyme Disease costs on average $61,688.00 per year, per patient.

12. Auto-Related Injury • Highest rate of car accidents occur at dawn and dusk. • 92 % of all deer are killed in the accidents • Annual: -1.5 million car accidents with deer -vehicle damage costs: $1 billion -nearly 150 human fatalities -10,000 personal injuries -human injury costs of $1,002,401

13. Actions Thus Far • Federal treatment research has cost over $30 million plus $22 billion for military bio-defense. • Success Stories: -Monhegan Island, Maine -Mumford Cove, CT -Great Island, Mass http://www.jmorrow.com/images/Last-Light-Over-Monhegan.jpg

14. Management

15. Stage 1: 1995-2005 • Failed management hunt by the Park Service. • Head-butting led to slow adoption of strategies. • Well-educated, rich residents have more power than most communities in getting their way. “Forget about doing anything controversial.” Head-butting. Get it?

16. Management, cont. • How can we enact management in an area where residents are completely divided? • Finally, immunocontraception developed as a tool to help control population. “Just a tool.” • Effective to a degree. What does Madonna have to do with deer?

17. Leave it to the locals. • Residents have to deal with the deer, let them decide what they want. • Underwood: “Third party liaison” to act as a mediator between FIIS and the residents. Preferably from the Nature Conservancy to “form an independent board that specializes in conflict resolution with land managers.” • If the communities on the island can agree on how or if they want to manage deer populations they can take it upon themselves. • Spatially defined community based initiatives and resource management.

18. Management Recommendations • Creative, sensitive approach that elevates the awareness of residents and visitors to the consequences and responsibilities of living in a natural environment • Permanent, dedicated liaison between FIIS and the island communities • Establish a science and management advisory team • Establish an organization to search for financial means to fund research, community fencing, and other management costs. • Expand research; not only focusing on the deer population but the white-footed mouse. • Continued high National Park Service visibility among communities

19. Acknowledgements • The Park Service • Center for Disease Control • USGS • The Interweb • Jim Watkins