White Tailed Deer Inventory at Vicksburg National Military Park 2023 - Open Format Dataset

White-tailed deer (WTD) can exert substantial impacts on the ecosystems in the Southeastern United States. WTD populations in Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) have not been surveyed since 2010. This study aimed to develop a cost-effective visual count-density conversion method using WTD counts from spotlight surveys and density estimates from fecal-DNA spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) models. We conducted spotlight surveys of WTD in January, March, and May, 2023. Average visual counts of WTD were 96.0 in January, March, and May. Direct visual deer counts were greater than those of the 2009 VICK WTD spotlight surveys by 40%-220%. Average WTD relative abundances were 8.5 deer per mile in January, March, and May, respectively. Average density estimated by distance sampling models was 0.65 deer per ha. We used eight microsatellite markers to genotype WTD fecal samples, fecal DNA spatially explicit capture-recapture models estimated 778 WTD within VICK. The WTD densities were positively related to the proportions of forests and open fields in VICK. White-tailed deer appeared to be overabundant within VICK, causing concerns relative to WTD-human conflicts and exacerbating the risk of wildlife disease transmission. We proposed a method for estimating WTD densities with visual counts, which will allow park staff to convert WTD visual counts from spotlight surveys to WTD densities until substantial changes in VICK’s vegetation and/or habitat management occur. The timely, cost-effective monitoring of WTD populations can help park staff better manage natural resources within VICK, including the mitigation of the damages caused by overabundant WTD to natural resources.