Deer Management ~

Environmental Stewardship Plan

In order to endure for another 100 years, Oglebay has a responsibility to the local community and the 2,000 acres it calls home to clean up, maintain, and improve its natural resources. As such, Oglebay prides itself in maintaining good stewardship of the environment and protecting the biodiversity of its natural areas.

Deer Management Plan

Oglebay’s Deer Management Plan aims to curb the rapidly growing deer population within West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle region while maintaining safety within the community.

Currently, the herd at Oglebay is more than 10 times the regional average per square mile per reporting from the USDA.

Oglebay has developed a staff, guest, and community awareness program that educates the community about the importance of a healthy ecosystem. In an effort to prevent further overpopulation, additional signage instructing guests not to feed the deer have been placed around the Oglebay property.

Purpose of Herd Reduction

An overpopulated deer population is a threat to natural resources within the ecosystem and can lead to overgrazing of vegetation, particularly in forests and natural habitats. When one group within the ecosystem is unbalanced, the entire system becomes unbalanced.

By controlling the deer population to better fit the habitat and available resources, Oglebay aims to maintain a balance that promotes healthier ecosystems, reducing human-deer conflicts, and ensures the sustainability and harmony of all communities.

Managing the herd’s population with a safe and efficient method prioritizes the overall health and longevity of the herd. Herd reduction prioritizes the quality of the deer’s life over the quantity of deer lives.

Results from this improvement will include the opportunity for flora, fauna, and native species to thrive in the area.

Reduction of the Herd = Reduction of Risks

An overpopulated deer herd can raise many risks and impact several important areas within the Oglebay community, including:

• Deer-Vehicle Collisions
  Higher deer density can increase the likelihood of deer- vehicle collisions. West Virginia drivers already face a 1 in 37 chance of being involved in an animal collision, which is among the highest rates in the nation.
• Disease
  Deer are the predominant hosts for the adult black-legged tick, which can transmit Lyme disease. West Virginia has the second highest rate of Lyme disease, and transition rates increase with the deer herd.
• Deer Herd Health
  An excessive deer population can cause the deer to become more susceptible to disease, parasites, malnutrition, and poor overall health due to resource competition.