Hilton Head white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus hiltonensis'') are a subspecies of

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

indigenous to

Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of C ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. The deer live in a mainly suburban environment and have developed (according to a study) home range areas on the island. Hilton Head white-tailed deer are listed as a "species of concern" by the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

although culling of the deer is regularly approved in order to reduce the population and prevent accidents. The culls caused controversy amongst area residents and wildlife groups. Before culling was approved many of the deer were relocated across the island to spread out the herd. Sea Pines Plantation, a mixed residential and natural area, became a site of controversy when residents complained about the deer eating their shrubbery, and causing property damage. A

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

professor formulated a plan to cut the subspecies population in half, which was met with a lawsuit against the University by local wildlife groups seeking to stop the program. The professor stated that the animals lack a natural predator on the island. On August 27, 1998, an injunction by a local judge temporarily blocked any killing of the population. The

South Carolina Legislature The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and t ...

designated Sea Pines a state wildlife sanctuary in 1971, but a circuit judge agreed that culling of the deer population was legal in 1999. The

South Carolina Supreme Court The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.

concurred with the ruling and allowed the culling to proceed so long as it was regulated by the state. Subsequently there has been little opposition to the population reduction program, and after only three years the size of the herd had been reduced by 500. Deer-vehicle collisions were also reduced from 60 per year to 10 per year.

References

External links

USFWS Page
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5764596 Mammals described in 1940 White-tailed deer Hilton Head Island–Beaufort micropolitan area Beaufort County, South Carolina Biota of South Carolina