A major concern with deer has been the dramatic increase in Lyme Disease. The disease is spread to humans by the deer tick which normally feeds on the whitetail deer and a few other mammals and birds. The risk of exposure to ticks is greatest in the woods and garden fringe areas of properties, but ticks may also be carried by animals in lawns and gardens. Varying degrees of permanent damage to joints or the nervous system can develop in infected individuals. Death from Lyme Disease has rarely been reported.
Deer are a successful species because of their adaptability to most environments.
They efficiently forage over a narrow home range with a diet consisting of trees, flowers, bulbs, shrubs, seedlings, vegetables, and fruits. They are most destructive during fall and spring. Such feedings can dissolute crops, landscapes and yards. Deer are a continuing problem year round. Deer usually stay in their home range and only relocate if they are threatened by a natural predator or by the deprecation of its food sources.