Oh, Deer! West Virginia Herd Costing Insurers $44 Million a Year

West Virginia deer are causing excessive damage across the state and the Division of Natural Resources’ plan to manage the herd is deficient in addressing the problem, says a legislative audit released this week.

West Virginia has an estimated 1 million deer, and the audit notes the animals are damaging crops and forests and giving the state the distinction of having the highest deer-vehicle collision rate in the nation.

A study performed by the state Insurance Commission showed that between 2002 and 2009, deer-vehicle collisions averaged about $44 million a year in damages. The commission said its study did not reflect total losses, just those paid by insurance companies under a policy’s comprehensive coverage.

The legislative audit was conducted to determine if the DNR’s deer management plan adequately addresses problems caused by deer. The review covered the period between 2006 and 2010.

“Conflicts between humans and deer have become an increasing problem in West Virginia, yet the DNR has not developed strategies to adequately deal with the issues,” the audit said.

“Although the DNR’s own data indicates that these problems are a constant and growing problem, it continues to primarily rely on regulated hunting to deal with these issues.”

The audit lists four recommendations for DNR to consider:

• Improve the collection of information related to crop and forest damage.
• Use deer damage statistics to determine if herd management plans are effective.
• Establish objectives, goals and strategies, in addition to hunting, to reduce deer damage.
• Start researching ways to reduce deer damage.

Auditors noted that wildlife agencies in Maryland, Michigan and Virginia had established policy goals and objectives to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.

Deer have long been a source of contention in the state, as residents and farmers have complained about damage to crops and residential plantings. Several cities have responded to complaints by enacting urban deer hunts to control populations.

The DNR has also responded by modifying annual kill limits for deer by allowing hunters to purchase extra tags to kill female deer. Last year, the agency launched the first-ever September bow and muzzleloader hunts.

The DNR did not have an immediate comment on the audit, but in a Jan. 5 letter to auditors, DNR Director Frank Jezioro said the DNR is in the process of updating its deer management plan. The recommendations noted in the audit have been either implemented or will be included in the updated plan, he said.