WHY DOES KNC MANAGE DEER ON THE PROPERTY? 
In the 60+ years that KNC has been operating, we have witnessed how increased deer habitat and low pressure from natural predators have led to local deer populations well beyond what is recommended by wildlife management experts. This overabundance not only can lead to extinctions of native plants and destruction of habitat for other wildlife, but also is a detriment to deer health, as they more easily spread disease and often die of starvation. By managing the deer population, we are reconnecting ourselves to the local ecology and encouraging better health for the deer and the land. While we recognize that many of our neighbors, members, and visitors may have different personal feelings, our approach is rooted in a deep conservation ethic and scientific rationale that is shared by many other conservation and land stewardship organizations.
WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN TO DO THIS RESPONSIBLY?
KNC conducts regular monitoring programs to assess the local deer population. KNC chose not to conduct a deer management hunt in 2024 due to the local impacts of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) where we found over 40 deer that had likely succumbed to this disease.
In February of 2025, an aerial survey of White-tailed deer for KNC and neighboring properties was conducted over a 5 square mile area. As an average of all surveyors, this count numbered 96 deer over the total survey area. This is in stark contrast to the result of 494 deer counted in 2022, the last time the survey was conducted. Estimated deer density based on 2025 survey results are around 19 deer per square mile, compared with 2022’s estimated density of about 98 deer per square mile, representing roughly an 80% decrease over the last 3 years. Without a count in 2024, it is difficult to say definitively how much EHD impacted the local deer herd, but it is likely that the recent reduction in population is likely due to EHD.
Counting deer from the air is one piece of information that informs the appropriate level of hunting pressure for healthy deer and healthy land. In the past, it had been recommended by wildlife professionals that when using deer density as a metric, that 19-24 deer per square mile would be ideal. So, even though we have seen a significant reduction in deer population over the last three years, we are currently in the healthy range. When we approached that density in the past, we responded by reducing the hunting pressure by limiting the number of days of hunting and number of hunters at any given hunting period. With this and other information, we will be able to proceed with constructive conversations among neighbors, hunters within the region, MDNR biologists and ecologists, Whitetails Unlimited, and others to decide on our management actions for next season. When deer population is lower and in this healthy range, it means that there are greater quantities of higher quality resources for doe to produce more fawn (twins or even triplets), allowing populations to not only rebound, but do so rapidly.

For more information, please see the following resources:

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?
We welcome your questions. Please contact:
Jessica Simons, VP for Conservation Stewardship – / 269-978-2403
Ryan Koziatek, Stewardship Director – / 269-978-6864