Extent and Nature of Deer Damage to Commercial Nurseries in New York

We surveyed nursery producers in New York to determine the extent, nature and economic impact of deer damage to their operations, and to assess their attitudes towards deer. Seventy-three percent of the producers experienced deer damage to their crops in 1988. Average costs for replacement were nearly $6,000 per grower for those reporting damage estimates (and over $8,000 if 1 extreme value was included). Statewide damage estimates ranged from $500,000 to $1.2 million (depending on assumptions). Fortysix percent used damage control, which cost an average of about $2,000 per grower. More than 80% of the producers were classified as "nonaccepting" of deer damage and deer populations. We also reviewed several deer damage studies to compare economic and attitudinal impacts of deer damage to various agricultural constituencies. Nursery producers, orchardists, and Christmas tree growers appear to incur the greatest per capita deer damage costs. Of agriculturists, nursery producers and orchardists appear to be the least accepting of deer and deer damage. Deer managers and policy makers may need to consider the nursery producers in the same "at risk" category as orchardists. INTRODUCTION The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of the most widely distributed and popular study was supported by Hatch Project NYC 147-303. ^Research Support Specialist and Assistant Professor, Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. wildlife species in the northeastern United States. It also may be the most controversial. By the end of the 19th century, deer populations were severely depleted throughout most of the Northeast, and they were extirpated in many areas. Through the fortuitous combination of conservation actions and changes in land-use practices during the 20th century, deer populations have expanded to unprecedented levels. At these high levels, the positive values associated with deer sometimes have been offset by negative factors such as deer damage to agricultural crops, which in recent decades has become a major problem throughout the region. Production of nursery plants-trees and shrubs produced and sold to be used as ornamental plants to homeowners, businesses, governmental agencies and private institutions--is an important agricultural industry in many states. For example, according to a recent survey, wholesale nursery sales by producers of nursery stock in 1985 totaled $68 million, ranking the industry among the top 10 agricultural commodities in the New York State (New York Nursery Producers Survey 1986). Information about the extent of deer damage to important agricultural commodity sectors is needed for management and mitigation purposes. Consequently, deer damage to commercial nursery plants has become a concern among many agriculturists and wildlife managers, particularly since deer damage at commercial nurseries appears to have increased in recent years. For example, from 1981 through 1986 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) received an average of 65 damage complaints per year from nursery producers, but they