Deer Research at Colgate
History of Deer Research at Colgate
Colgate University Students and Faculty have studied the impacts of deer overabundance in Hamilton, NY since 2013.
Annual Deer Census
Annually since 2013, we have counted deer in the Town of Hamilton, NY, and since 2015 in the the Village of Hamilton, NY. Ideal deer numbers are 7 deer km-2. Deer are significantly overabundant.
Deer Abundance in the Village of Hamilton, NY
Deer Exclusion
In 2017, professors Catherine Cardelús, Randy Fuller, Tim McCay, and Peter Scull began a study to determine the impacts of deer exclusion on forest recovery in Colgate Forests in Hamilton, NY. They received a grant from the Colgate Upstate Institute and Sustainability Council to establish deer exclosure sites in Colgate.
They measure tree growth, invertebrate, measuring and identification of trees, and planting of seedlings to measure growth.
Juvenille trees are not recruiting in sites without fencing (Figures 1 & 2, data collected by BIOL203).
Tick Disease Load 2019-2022
Disease load of ticks in Hamilton, NY is ~70%.
Annually we collect ticks in the same plots in which we count deer. Our ticks are analyzed a the Thanganami Lab at the Vector-Borne Disease lab at SUNY Upstate.
