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Devil's Den Preserve to Close Weekdays for Limited Deer Hunt

WESTON, CONNECTICUT — November 6, 2008 — The size of the deer herd in Fairfield County varies from town to town; in 2000, best estimates of deer abundance were in the range of 60 individuals per square mile, higher than in any other county in Connecticut.  The high density of deer in southwest Connecticut has been associated with a high incidence of deer vehicle accidents and Lyme disease cases.  Of special concern to The Nature Conservancy, the excessive herbivory of this large deer population has had significant deleterious effects on the ecology of the region’s forest.

When The Nature Conservancy launched our effort to manage deer at Devil’s Den Preserve in 2001, very few managers of natural areas in the region were managing deer and the deer population was well beyond the carrying capacity of the forest.  For example, the only large tracts of forest land under deer management were two tracts of forest located next to reservoirs managed by the Aquarion Water Company, and these properties had only been open to deer hunting for one year.

Sustained over time, this unnaturally large population of deer damaged the forest understory and contributed to the gradual loss of native flowering plants.  More importantly, many of our tree species, especially the oaks, were unable to regenerate because the acorns and saplings were consumed by deer.  Any forest must have the opportunity to regenerate, and research has shown that deer densities of as few as 26 per square mile may prevent regeneration in oak forests.  Healthy forests with diverse and complex understories are found where deer are even less abundant, in the range of eight to twelve deer per square mile.

Today, thanks to the efforts of a host of conservation land managers, including the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, the Connecticut DEP, the towns of Redding and Wilton, and The Nature Conservancy among others, deer management efforts have expanded tremendously throughout the region, and we are beginning to witness improved forest conditions in those areas where lands have been under management for the longest periods of time. Seven years after our first hunt, we are beginning to see the re-appearance of species such as bloodroot and pink lady slipper on the forest floor, beyond the cliff ledge refugia to which they were previously restricted.  The structural complexity of the forest is increasing as young oaks and shrubs such as pink azalea and maple-leaved viburnum are able to grow in conditions with less deer herbivory.

This fall, The Nature Conservancy will hold its controlled deer hunt during the upcoming State-designated shotgun/rifle hunting season which is open from November 19 - December 9.  We will be conducting our management effort only on the following weekdays: November 19 - 21 (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday); November 24-26 (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday); December 1 - 3 (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday); and December 8 & 9 (Monday & Tuesday).  Devil’s Den Preserve will be closed to visitors on these days, and signs will be posted at all the public entrances to the preserve.  We ask that the public respect our decision to close the preserve and require that residents and their families, guests and tenants refrain from visiting the preserve on these days.

The deer management effort will only take place in select areas of the preserve's interior, away from the edges of the preserve and any neighboring residences.  We are working with experienced sportsmen who have been recruited by staff at The Den and have knowledge of the preserve and local area.  Venison obtained through this management activity will be donated to Hunters for the Hungry, a statewide non-profit group that accepts donations of venison for distribution to local charities and food pantries.

We are confident that our annual limited hunt in combination with the increased deer management efforts regionally, will eventually maintain a sustainable level of resident deer at Devil’s Den Preserve and much of the surrounding landscape of the Saugatuck Forest Lands, ultimately improving the ecological condition of these forest lands. 

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.