New York State and much of the Eastern United States has an overabundant white-tailed deer population. This article from the National Park Service summarizes the effects deer have on our native forests, and further describes how management practices have benefited forests in our national parks:
The deer eat certain native plants and tree seedlings, often leaving behind just a few unpalatable natives and many non-native invasives. These stressors, along with increasingly frequent disturbances brought on by climate change, like droughts, extreme weather events, and pest outbreaks, reduce overall forest resilience. They are pushing forests towards becoming invasive shrub thickets and better habitat for disease-carrying ticks.
Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley held two deer management events in October 2025:
Further Reading:
- Protecting Forest Health: Deer Exclosures
- Management Plan for White-Tailed Deer in New York State, 2021–2030
- 4 Strategies for Talking to Non-Hunters About Deer Hunting
- A regional assessment of white-tailed deer effects on plant invasion
- Overabundant deer and invasive plants drive widespread regeneration debt in eastern United States national parks
- Where have all the flowers gone? A call for federal leadership in deer management in the United States
Updated 5/27/26