Of Dogs and Deer

This is the time of year when Fish and Game receives reports of dogs chasing deer. While this may seem like harmless fun on the part of the dog, it can be a deadly serious chase for the deer, significantly affecting the animal's ability to survive the winter. Deer go into winter having spent the summer and autumn putting on layers of fat. Stored fat, which is supplemented by limited food intake on their winter range, is generally sufficient to sustain deer that are relatively undisturbed. But being chased by a dog can seriously deplete a deer's energy reserves. Should a deer be chased more than a few times, its survival is highly doubtful, particularly during more severe winters. While a deer can easily evade a dog early in the season, deep snow can definitely give the advantage to the dog, especially when a hard crust forms on the snow surface. The deer is left floundering while the dog can run on the top of the snow. In situations such as this, it is not uncommon for dogs to kill deer, much to the surprise of their shocked owners. Deer that are being chased by dogs can fall victim to fences both in pastures and backyards. Fish and Game staff has been called out on numerous occasions to free a deer that has been chased into a fence and become entangled. The lucky ones survive without injury, but many others must be destroyed. Dogs chasing deer up on their normal winter range may drive the animals into backyards where they begin sampling ornamental shrubs. Should they find an abundant food source, the deer may not return to their home range staying, instead, near this new food source and causing damage to ornamentals throughout a neighborhood. A very serious consequence of dogs chasing deer is that of vehicle collisions. Deer being chased by dogs may dash across roadways in their attempt to escape. Vehicle-deer collisions cost countless dollars in vehicular damage every year. More importantly, the vehicle occupants may be injured, sometimes fatally. And usually, neither the deer nor the dog fares very well under such circumstances. If you are a dog owner, make sure that your pet is properly confined indoors or in a well-fenced yard or kennel. When walking, hiking, or cross-country skiing, make sure that your pet is leashed, especially if you will be in an area where you are likely to come across deer or if your pet is unreliable around deer. Be aware that peace officers can kill dogs that they find chasing or harassing game animals. Winter brings its own challenges to our wildlife. It is up to us to make sure that we do not add to those already considerable challenges.