The McClatchy Twins have an article out about the Cherokee’s attempts to up the deer density on lands they own in the N.C. mountains (really). An interesting quote:
“People assume that deer live in the deep forest, but deer really prefer a mix of forests and fields. That’s why they like our subdivisions. We have nice little fields planted for them in the woods, and the fields happen to be our yards.” — Brad Howard of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Update: Another informative quote from the same story:
Loggers frequently are criticized for practices that degrade wildlife habitat, but clear-cutting is great for white-tail deer.
“After you cut everything down, for the first four or five years there is a tremendous amount of browse and food available for deer, and they respond by having more fawns,” said wildlife biologist Perry Sumner, a 31-year veteran of the state Division of Wildlife Management.
“It also makes it harder to hunt them there, where the terrain is pretty thick. The deer population will basically explode once you do that,” Sumner said.