Tracking population trends: Insights from deer hunting harvests in the Baltics, Central, and Eastern Europe

Abstract Understanding the dynamics of ungulates is crucial for proper wildlife management and conservation efforts. Where high densities of ungulates are present and exceed the carrying capacity, damage occurs in both the forestry and agriculture sectors, moreover human safety is endangered through road accidents. This study explores the evolution of deer populations in the Baltics, Central, and Eastern Europe through the analysis of hunting bag data, which represents the total number of specimens harvested annually. By utilizing hunting bag statistics reported by wildlife managers and hunters, this research aims to provide a more reliable indicator for population trends compared to traditional wildlife monitoring techniques, which may suffer from issues such as double counting, underreporting, or different estimation methods. The study focuses on the evolution of hunting bag numbers for red deer ( Cervus elaphus L.), roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus L.), and fallow deer ( Dama dama L.) between 2012 to 2022. The primary metrics used in the description of growth and statistical analyses were the hunting bags and population parameters such as the sex ratio. The findings of this study indicate that hunting bag data have shown an increasing trend during the study period. The sex ratio of the harvested specimens seems to play a role in annual growth only in the case of roe deer. Based on different harvesting rates, the population estimates for the year 2022 were projected. This research confirms similar trends in population growth for the studied species and also indicates an increase in damage caused by high densities of ungulates. The study underscores the significance of integrated approaches in assessing ungulates populations and their ecological roles, contributing to future wildlife management practices.