If you recently noticed spotlights around Kiawah Island and maybe even in your yard, don’t worry; you aren’t being watched! It’s that time of year again to count deer, and they only do it at night.
Directed by the Town of Kiawah Island, the January 28 and 29 deer count marked the second count in recent months. The first one occurred in early November of 2024. Town biologists count the deer each year to get a sense of the density of the deer population in a certain radius.
In November, the count showed a density of 68 deer per square mile. That is an increase from 2023, when the density was at 57 per square mile. The target density is 60 to 80 deer per square mile.
The counting takes place at night, which is when deer actively feed. Spotlights are used to count deer in usually high deer-populated areas.
Spotlight surveys are important to determine a manageable deer population. Deer overabundance could lead to the amount of deer outnumbering the amount of food available, which would lead to disease and malnutrition.
November and January survey results will be averaged to develop the official 2024 density estimate. After the January 2025 survey is complete, a recommendation on the need for a deer harvest in February 2025 will be made.
Deer harvesting takes place with the assistance of the Department of Natural Resources. If there are too many deer, a certain amount will need to be eliminated, and since hunting is prohibited on the island, approval by Town Council would be required to allow DNR to manage the deer harvesting.
It’s necessary to manage the deer population due to the absence of many predators who would normally manage it naturally. There aren’t enough bobcats or coyotes, and alligators do not manage the population well enough.
A skilled “marksman” takes out the deer only in selected areas, and the shots rarely exceed 50 feet in distance. Mature does are usually targeted since they contribute most to overpopulation.
A manageable total deer population on Kiawah Island is between 600 and 700. Deer can be found equally in forests, fields and in suburban neighborhoods.
The Town of Kiawah Island’s website reads, “Deer reproduce quickly, and when their numbers are not controlled they can overpopulate an area, resulting in damage to themselves as well as the surrounding natural environment. The 30 to 35 bobcats that patrol the island are an important source of control for the deer herd. Bobcats typically take a large number of fawns during the summer months. Another significant source of mortality for deer is automobile collisions. Approximately 20 deer are hit each year by automobiles on Kiawah Island. In addition, alligators also occasionally eat fawns or adult deer.”
Deer herd studies began on Kiawah Island starting in 1996. The herd was deemed healthy at that time, but deer-vehicle collisions were a major problem. An experimental fertility control program began in 1999, which resulted in 50% fewer fawns and a reduction in deer-vehicle collisions by 75%.
The current deer harvesting program began in 2021 to help maintain a 60 to 80 deer density population per square mile on the island.
