Greenwich’s white-tailed deer population is growing threat

In March, the Greenwich Conservation Commission hosted part one of a three-part series titled Oh Deer! Managing Greenwich’s White-Tailed Deer Populations (see the Presentation here), with a focus on the ecological impacts. Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Chief Scientist Emeritus from the Department of Environmental Science and Forestry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, spoke at the event in Greenwich Town Hall to a crowd eager to learn about the impacts of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) overabundance on Connecticut’s ecosystem. Dr. Ward highlighted that deer populations can double every 2-3 years and noted that the last deer census in Connecticut, conducted in 2000—25 years ago—reported a population of over 80,000.

Greenwich’s growing deer population has resulted in environmental degradation that will continue, if the town does not implement and support strategies to restore the balance of nature. This includes educating residents about the issue, working with local wildlife experts, and exploring sustainable solutions to manage the deer population effectively. One of the biggest concerns of deer overabundance in Greenwich is the lack of understory layer in wooded areas, this happen as a result of browsing deer.

Deer feed by moving along a “browse line” -from ground level up to about five feet- consuming all native vegetation down to the nub. Common native tree species such as oak, maple, & birch sapling, understory plants such as dogwood, rhododendron, viburnum, hawthorn, blackberry and raspberry and wildflowers-such as trillium, buttercups, and roses are all missing from our natural landscape, in part from consumption by hungry deer passing through. The biodiversity of our forests is under threat and what ends up taking over are invasive species. By addressing this issue through management strategies, the town can help preserve its natural habitats and biodiversity. A healthy ecosystem is one where all the native inhabitants—plants and animals—thrive. Birds, insects,

and small mammals depend on native plants, as well as each, other to survive. Currently, Greenwich supports a diversity of beautiful and essential wildlife populations and habits, it is concerning to think about what Pomerance, Mianus, Babcock, Greenwich Point Park and the rest of our private and public land are going to look like in 50 years if there are no new saplings. Doug Tallamy, author and professor for the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, points out that, “a native flowering dogwood supports 117 species of butterflies and moths, and a white oak supports 537 species. Non-native invasive plants such as burning bush, mile a minute weed, and tree of heaven support zero native insects.” This confirms the essential need to protect, plant, and replace native species to prevent invasive species from overtaking our landscapes.

Deer populations have grown exponentially in the last century due to the, historical shift in land-use, the removal of apex predators such as wolves and mountain lions, and the decrease in hunting popularity, including the lack of available hunting grounds, hunting education, and increase in hunting restrictions. According to the 2024 Archery Deer Hunting Season Results provided by CT DEEP, the 3-year average

(2021- 2023) of reported harvested deer in Greenwich is 10.3. In 2005, The town of Greenwich launched a deer herd reduction program on town-owned lands. White Buffalo, Inc was contracted, and 80 deer were harvested on three town properties (Pomerance-Pinetum (42), Griffith Harris Golf Course (26) and Babcock Preserve (12) at a cost of approximately $47,000. In addition to allowing hunting on town-owned properties, hunting on private lands is also considered to be a vital part of any town-wide effort to manage deer populations to sustainable levels. If you are interested in learning more about deer hunting on private property, please reach out to the Conservation Commission at conservation@greenwichct.org.

The second lecture of the 3- part series Oh Deer! Managing Greenwich White-Tailed Deer Populations will take place at Town Hall on June 12th, 2025 at 7:00 pm and focus on human health and public safety.

You can register for this event here, or visit the Conservation Commission website for more information.