Hunters' appreciation of a targeted deer-management program transcends harvest

Too many white-tailed deer are damaging forests in the U.S. by eating young plants before they can grow, limiting forest regeneration and damaging biodiversity. To mitigate this challenge, the Pennsylvania Game Commission implemented an initiative called the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) that helps landowners manage deer populations by allowing hunters to harvest more female deer where they are overabundant. While hunters largely value and enjoy hunting in DMAP areas, they have some sentiments that may help inform wildlife management, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.