For outdoor enthusiasts, it’s always a joy to see deer in their natural habitats. However, deer can also take away from the integrity of your forest, impact crop production, and rob other wildlife of the nourishment they need to thrive. If you work in land management, it’s particularly important to pay attention to a growing deer population. Here are some signs that deer may be on your property.

How Can You Tell You Have Deer?

1. Rubs

As summer comes to an end, the tissue that grows on deer antlers starts to lose its integrity. Deer respond by massaging their antlers against tree trunks and other surfaces in an effort to remove the material. The rubbed spots are known as rubs, which differ from bite marks because they appear more shredded than gnawed. Fresh rubs appear clean and light-colored, whereas older rubs on trees usually have a darkish brown tinge, like scar tissue.

2. Deer Beds

Land management technicians should especially keep a watchful eye for beds, which are essentially oval-shaped indentations in the ground. When the beds are especially large, you can expect that your land’s dear population is large, too. These depressions are often easy to detect on grass and may be situated especially close to sources of water and slopes that face south. 

3. Discarded Antlers

Every year, deer shed their antlers, usually between late winter and early spring. It’s a multi-week process, but those lost antlers are eventually regenerated in the summer. Antlers are made of bony tissue, which eventually loses the vital blood supply it needs to thrive during summer and grow the antlers dramatically. Elevated testosterone levels in the body eventually cause growth to slow, preventing the antlers from receiving the nutrients they need. Eventually, the antlers snap off. Land management professionals may spot them throughout the property as a result. 
 

For your land management needs, turn to the professionals at Neeley Forestry Service in Camden, AR. Their qualified team assists residents of the surrounding area with every facet of forestry needs, from real estate and management to hunting leases and timber appraisals. Visit the website to learn more about their services, or call (870) 836-5981 to speak with a representative.