2014 eagle creek deer management plan fact sheet
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EAGLE CREEK PARK DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN
With the goal of preserving Eagle Creek Park for future generations to enjoy, the City is implementing a long-term deer management plan to diminish the negative impact of an overabundance of white-tailed deer on the park and surrounding areas.
BACKGROUND
Wildlife biologists recommend a population of 15-20 deer per square mile for a natural comparable in size to Eagle Creek.
Recent estimates by wildlife biologists from Butler University and the Indiana Department of Natural Re-sources indicate that Eagle Creek’s deer population is as much as ten times what is considered healthy for the Park’s ecosystem.
DEER IMPACT The overabundance of deer is causing severe damage to the Park’s ecosystem and threating the long-term health of the deer and other species that call Eagle Creek home.
Overbrowsing by the deer in Eagle Creek has decimated the deer’s food supply. Without a sustainable food supply, the deer are becoming undersized, malnourished, more prone to disease and more susceptible to parasites.
Deer are also responsible for residential property damage near the Park, and they present safety concerns for motorists in and around the Park -- as numerous vehicle collisions with deer occur annually on area streets and highways.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.indy.gov/deermanagementprogramwww.aphis.usda.gov
www.in.gov/dnr
MANAGEMENT AND RESULTS The City’s long-term goal is to reduce the negative impact of the deer on Eagle Creek Park and restore the balance of the Park’s ecosystem.
As the plan is implemented over several years, the City will continually evaluate all available control methods to determine the best options for the future of the Park. The City will adjust its plan accordingly based on herd health, forest regeneration, and plant and wildlife viability in the Park.
Studies confirm that natural areas where a deer management program is in place see healthier deer, reduction in overbrowsing, reemergence of forest understory, increases in shrub nesting birds and small mammals, and the return of native plants and wildflowers.