Date: 4 April 2002
To: John Goss, Director, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
From: Fred Wooley, Park Interpreter, Pokagon State Park
Subject: Comments on Deer Management and Ecosystem Restoration at
Pokagon State Park
In my 22 years at Pokagon, I have been able to see nearly the full gamut of our park's ecosystem health as it relates to the presence of white-tailed deer. When I first arrived, the various habitats were relatively healthy with an observable population of deer. During the 1980's, deer numbers rose dramatically and the park's vegetation within reach of the deer dwindled in both diversity and abundance. By the early and mid 1990's, the park's ecosystem reached the point of ecological disaster. While the forest understory and canopy layers appeared normal, the herbaceous and shrub layers were nearly gone, save for a couple of species of plants that deer just do not, or cannot eat. Since we began managing deer in 1995, we have seen a recovery in those bottom two layers. Recovery has been quick for some species, and much slower for others. While we are seeing greater abundance of plants in some areas, we have not seen the return of the diversity we once had. We may never repair the park to what it once was, but it is improving, and time will tell as we continue to manage deer and give the plants at all levels a chance to recover.
1995: 124 deer taken
1996: 41 deer taken
1997: no hunt
1998: 35 deer taken
1999: no hunt
2000: 74 deer taken
2001: 23 deer taken
The woodland around the Nature Center is something we see everyday and where we take most of our interpretive walks. We basically dropped the wildflower themed hikes by the early/mid 1990's because there were simply none to point out. The large white trillium is a favorite of many and could be seen scattered throughout the woods 20 years ago. Seven years ago, you could not find any. Last spring we could again see a few scattered about, not nearly as many as 20 years ago, but we are seeing some. Other species now making a comeback in this area are jewelweed, knotweed, baneberry, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, and bellwort. None of these are rare species, but they were non-existent 7 years ago, unless one grew under the protection of a tangle of fallen branches or the thorns of barberry.
Two years ago, we finally saw some recovery of downy false foxglove in the dry sandy soils along Trail 6. That same year, we were pleased to rediscover a growing population of goldenseal and a few specimens of wild ginseng, where both grew previously near Campground 1. These last two species are not common anywhere, that I know of, in our county.
As hard as it may be to believe, the deer were so hungry that they devoured nearly all raspberry brambles, with their thorny branches. There were nearly none left by the mid 1990's. By the second growing season after the first hunt, patches of brambles were again thriving in certain areas. These now provide wildlife cover throughout the year and food when the berries are ripe.
A shrub that used to be fairly common along Trail 1 near the Nature Center was the mapleleaf viburnum. Last year, we observed a few small specimens and one taller plant again sporting leaves within a deer's reach. We do not nearly have the abundance we once did, but all indications are, we will see more recovery of this shrub as we continue to keep deer numbers in check. It also produces berries, which are a source of food for other animals.
A walk from the Nature Center Parking Lot up to our front door will show obvious recovery of certain tree species. Small ash, dogwood, cherry, and redbud trees now occur, varying from several inches to several feet in height. By counting the terminal growth rings you can determine that all are about 6 years and younger. Prior to 6 years ago, these would not have been here. The deer nibbled them off at the ground if they even existed. There are none of these of the height that would indicate that they are older than 6 years. Hence, there is a gap in the understory, representing the years that the deer over-browsed these species.
One species that can be an indicator of deer abundance to the casual observer is the white pine. It is a favorite food of deer. We have several planted near the Nature Center and few in the Potawatomi Inn lawn. Two and three winters ago when deer numbers had crept back up, the lower branches were heavily browsed of needles. This past year however, with fewer deer, the lower branches are nearly intact.
Some areas of the park are showing more signs of recovery than others. We have come a long way in recovery of plant diversity and abundance, but we still have a long way to go. I have focused my comments mainly on plant recovery. As they rebound, so too will certain species of animals, such as wild turkey, which are becoming more abundant in the county and "knocking on the door" of Pokagon; and songbirds such as the ground nesting ovenbird and the shrub nesting wood thrush.
On top of it all, people are still seeing deer. We do not see them every time out, and where we used to see groups of 30 and 40, we are now seeing groups of 3 and 4. They look healthier and they respond as normal, healthy deer should. If you, or others, have any further questions or comments, please contact me. I look forward to continuing to work on this important part of our resource management.
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