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Census aids in maintaining healthy CA NEWS

deer population NOVEMBER 2015 SUNRAYS | 13

Submitted by Steve Kelley, Wildlife Management Committee

With the assistance of over 60
volunteers, the Wildlife Manage-
ment Committee completed the
annual deer census in September.
Data from this census undergoes
extensive analysis to provide the
information necessary for the deer
management program here in Sun
City Texas. Deer tend to become
overpopulated in residential areas
because of the abundant water, lack of hunting and lack of
predation these spaces provide. Throughout the state, hunting
and natural predators typically limit the population often seen
in areas such as Sun City Texas. However, with abundant
water and nothing to limit the population, the number of deer
can rise to unhealthy levels.

In a developed, urban environment, food is less abundant.

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forced to consume low protein, very low value food sources
such as cultivated yard and ornamental plants. In a natural,
undeveloped environment, deer depend on browse - that is,
non-grass forage such as twigs, leaves, forbs and acorns - to
achieve the required 15-18% protein they require for a healthy
diet. Deer that consume grass and other plants, which may
contain digestible protein levels of 3-4% or less, are simply

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deer in our area gave birth to twin fawns. When summer

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degrees, the does nurturing young were forced to consume
many landscape plants within our community that they had
not previously disturbed.

To ensure the health of our deer population, it has been nec-
essary to carry out a deer capture program in an attempt
to maintain a balance between available food sources and
total number of deer. Removing numbers of deer from an
urban setting can be a challenge. Hunting is not an option,

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hazardous for neighborhoods. Archery hunting is simply too

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What about natural predators? To some residents’ surprise,
Sun City Texas has a population of both coyotes and bobcats,
the only area predators large enough to prey on deer. These
two species can and do occasionally consume deer, but prefer

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such, the only remaining option is for man to step in and
conduct a deer removal program through capture.

The Wildlife Management Committee implements such a pro-
gram in an attempt to maintain a sustainable, healthy deer
population. For residents with questions about any wildlife

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Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m., in the Activities Center.

ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG