Title: White-tailed deer restocking in the United States.
Year: 1993
Abstract: In 1900, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations were estimated at only 500,000 animals. One of the greatest success stories in wildlife management is the recovery of this species through active management and ambitious restocking programs. We compiled restocking records for 29 states that had either imported deer for restocking or had translocated deer within state for the years 1878-1992. Initial restocking in most states relied on sources from other states and often introduced subspecies from disparate areas of North America. Some Southeastern states imported deer that were representative of 5 or more distinct subspecies. Only 6 states (Montana, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming) were restocked exclusively from within state sources. Since deer were released into areas where deer were absent or that contained only remnant populations, we suggest that the original concept of 17 distinct subspecies in North America and published distribution maps have less taxonomic validity today. Other studies have suggested that stocking source can influence morphological characteristics such as the production of large antlered deer. Stocking sources of deer populations should be considered before conducting morphological and genetic studies. A publication detailing the stocking histories of the 29 states will be available at the meeting.
