Different units have different goals, which are reviewed every three years. The goals are based on different criteria. In northern forest units, the amount of winter food available for deer is a primary concern. Too many deer, too little food and a harsh winter can add up to a huge winter kill. In southern units, however, food is abundant and winters are easier.
Winter kill poses little threat.
Farmland units are capable of supporting 100 deer or more per square mile of deer range, but if deer were that thick, car-deer crashes and crop damage probably would be unacceptable. Goals range throughout the state from 10 to 35 deer per square mile of deer range. There's not any standard formula that you can plug numbers into and come up with an answer. In recent history, the problem has been less about setting goals and more about meeting them. The trouble in managing the herd is not the deer.