LIVE DEER AND WILDLIFE WEBCAM IN PENNSYLVANIA

More info: Deer play an important role in forest habitats and have been a part of Penn’s Woods for many centuries. Historically, Native Americans depended on white-tailed deer as a source of food, clothing, shelter and trading goods.

By the end of the 1800s, there were very few deer left in Pennsylvania due to uncontrolled hunting and lack of wildlife management. In 1895, the Pennsylvania Game Commission was formed to protect the state's wildlife resources and established "game lands" to help restore wildlife populations. It also brought deer from other states to restock Pennsylvania. Additionally, the state government enacted a law to protect does (female or "antlerless" deer). Much of the states forests which had been cleared to produce timber and crops, started to grow back which provided food, shelter and the perfect habitat for the white tailed deer and the population grew rapidly.

By 1930, white tailed deer populations in Pennsylvania not only rebounded, but exceeded historic records. From then until the present, deer management has evolved into a science requiring careful and constant evaluation to keep herds in balance with available habitat.

Deer are a very productive species. In good conditions, adult females often produce twins and triplets each year. In a Michigan study, 10 deer were enclosed in a 1,100-acre preserve. After five years without hunting or predators, the population grew to over 200 deer. Today, Pennsylvania has an estimated 1.5 million deer—about 30 deer per square mile which is more than three times what the state had before European settlement.