Winter2023 Winter2023 DeerSpotlight DeerSpotlight SurveyData SurveyData

Since 1997, Town biologists have monitored Kiawah’s white-tailed deer population by conducting spotlight surveys to calculate the annual deer density estimate. These surveys are done twice yearly (fall, winter) and allow biologists to track deer population trends over time. The latest winter survey was conducted on January 18-19 and yielded a density of 80 deer per square mile. Kiawah’s deer population increased significantly beginning in 2017, due primarily to the decline of the Town‘s bobcat population. The 2022 deer density estimate of 80 per square mile is substantially lower than the 2021 estimate of 127, and shows the effectiveness of the Town’s deer harvest program, which was initiated in 2021. In order to keep deer numbers within the target population density of 60-80 deer per square mile, Town biologists recently conducted a deer harvest throughout the island, focusing on areas with highest deer concentrations and highest number of deer-vehicle collisions, and removed 80 deer. The Town donated a total of 2,475 pounds of venison to the following charitable organizations:

Little Rock Holiness Church (Cottageville, SC): 1,175 pounds

One80 Place (Charleston, SC): 1,300 pounds

See deer density data from previous years below