Deer Research on Fire Island

Scientists study changes in the understory of the Sunken Forest to determine the impact of herbivores on vegetation.

In 1974, Fire Island's deer herd was estimated at 50 individuals; by 1989, it was close to 500, and in 2003 it was estimated to be 500-700. From population density studies conducted over the past seven years, it is estimated that 300-500 deer now live on Fire Island.  As a result of high deer densities on Fire Island there is increased concern about associated human health and safety risks, the island's native vegetation and the deer themselves.

More than forty years of vegetation studies in Fire Island's Sunken Forest reveal an alarming reduction in the number of herbaceous plants and small trees in the understory of this rare maritime forest. Some scientists are concerned that the types of trees we see today like centuries-old American holly, and sassafras, shadblow and black gum are not growing in the understory at densities high enough to support regeneration of the Sunken Forest.

From 1993-2009, the National Park Service conducted a long-term research project cooperatively with university scientists from SUNY ESF, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and several communities to determine whether an immunocontraceptive vaccine can be useful at Fire Island as a deer management tool. Bait stations were set up to lure deer into appropriate areas and female deer were darted with PZP (porcine zona pellucida), which prevents does from becoming pregnant. The results of this study will be considered in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process to develop a deer management plan.

Whenever possible, natural processes are relied upon to maintain native plant and animal species and influence natural fluctuations in populations of these species. The National Park Service may intervene when certain criteria are met. (2006 Management Policies, Chapter 4, Section 4.4.2).

 

Deer find supplemental food sources within Fire Island communities.

Fire Island National Seashore also hosted a 2003-2007 research project relating to human-wildlife interactions. Cornell scientists interviewed Fire Island residents to better understand their response to the abundance and behavior of white-tailed deer on Fire Island.  The researchers reported damage to gardens, Lyme disease transmission and sanitation issues as the major concerns of residents. A description of the project can be found here.

 

4-Poster Device

In addition, deer play an indirect role in the transmission of Lyme disease to people because they serve as a primary host to ticks. Cornell University and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have conducted a 4-Poster Deer and Tick Study on Fire Island since 2008 to determine the efficacy and risks associated with applying low levels of pesticides to white-tailed deer to control ticks.

Two 4-Poster Tick stations were placed within two communities each year. These stations, filled with corn, were used to study the effect of the pesticide, Permethrin, on tick abundance. In order to feed at a station, deer pass their head and neck through rollers that applied the pesticide. Regular tick "drags" were carried out in the immediate vicinity to monitor the number of ticks.

Results from this study will be especially helpful in management decisions regarding the tick-borne bacteria that causes Lyme disease. For more information on study results, please visit Cornell University's Wildlife Control Information website.

 

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For More Information

NPS Technical Reports:

• H. B. Underwood's complete document White-tailed Deer Ecology and Management on Fire Island National Seashore (Fire Island National Seashore Science Synthesis Paper), Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR-2005/022, National Park Service, Boston, MA, September 2005. Available as a pdf document (35 pages).
• The Role of Disturbance in the Long-Term Viability of a Coastal Maritime Forest Fragment by Jodi A. Forrester, Donald J. Leopold and H. Brian Underwood, Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR 2008 104, National Park Service, MA, January 2008. Available as a pdf document (44 pages).
• Density and Herd Composition of White-tailed Deer Populations on Fire Island National Seashore by H. Brian Underwood, Frank D. Verret and James P. Fischer, Technical Report NPS/NESO-RNR/NRTR 98-4, National Park Service, MA, June 1998 (62 pages).
  

Fertility Control Research on Fire Island:

Naugle, R.E., Rutberg, A.T., Underwood, H.B., Turner, J.W., and Liu I.K.M. (2002) Field Testing of Immunocontraception on White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on Fire island National Seashore, New York, USA.

Rutberg, A.T. and Naugle, R.E. (2008) Population-Level Effects of Immunocontraception in White-tailed Deer. Wildlife Research, 35: 494-501. Available at http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/paper/WR07128.htm

Cornell University's Deer, People, and Parks reports:

• Perspectives of Residents in Communities Near Fire Island National Seashore by William F. Siemer, Kirsten M. Leong, Daniel J. Decker and Karlene K. Smith, HDRU Series No. 07-8, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University,
  December 2007  (70 pages)
  
• Identifying Capacity for Local Community Participation in Wildlife Management Planning; Case 1: White-tailed Deer Issues at Fire Island National Seashore by Kirsten M. Leong and Daniel J. Decker, HDRU Series No. 07-1, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University,
  February 2007  (39 pages)

• White-tailed Deer Issues in NPS Units: Insights from Natural Resource Managers in the Northeastern U.S. 2005. K.M. Leong and D.J. Decker. HDRU Publ. 05-5. Dept. of Nat. Resour., N.Y.S. Coll. of Ag. and Life Sci., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. 27 p.

 

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Average deer density varies widely between locations on Fire Island and within park boundaries.

Locality	Extent of Monitoring	2003 Estimate
Robert Moses State Park	1995-present	Declined from about 18 deer/km² in 1998-99 to about 7 deer/km²
Lighthouse Tract	1995 -present	Fluctuated widely from 32-89 deer/km²
West End Communities Kismet-Lonelyville	1995-present	Increased from 79-127 deer/km² between 1995-98; declined to 44 deer/km² by 2003
Mid-Island Communities Atlantique - Point O'Woods	1999-present	Varied around 65 deer/km²
Sunken Forest	2002-present	Have ranged from 75-140 deer/km², with 140 deer/km² in 2003
East End Communities Cherry Grove-Fire Island Pines	1999-present	About 75-80 deer/km²
Davis Park	1999-present	Have ranged from 42-95 deer/km²
Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness	2000-present	Varied around 30 deer/km²
William Floyd Estate	1996-present	Average around 50 deer/km²

For more information, see Table 3 on page 10 of White-tailed Deer Ecology and Management on Fire Island National Seashore (September 2005).