Deer Population by State 2023

Deer in the United States

There are approximately 36 million deer in the United States. At one point, they were almost extinct due to hunting within the country. While they are still one of the most popular targets for big game hunting, their population has recovered. In fact, in some states, regular hunting is necessary to protect the ecosystem of the state.

White-tail, black-tail, ad mule deer are all found in different areas within the United States. Some states have only one type while other states have a mixture of deer.

States With Large Deer Populations

Deer are found in all states in the United States. There are certain states that have high populations of deer. Texas has approximately 5.5 million deer within the state. There are nine other states that have a deer population estimated to be at least one million. These include New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin. All of these states are located east of Texas. There are no western states with over a million deer.

States With Minimal Deer Populations

In the western states, Idaho is the only state that has at least 750,000 deer within a state. Most other western states have between 100,000 to 540,000 deer per state. Nevada is the western state with the least deer. Only about 85,000-90,000 mule deer live within the state.

The states with the fewest deer actually live on the east coast of the country, however. Rhode Island has approximately 18,000 deer and Delaware has about 45,000. This makes sense as these two states have a small land area which means less space for deer to live.

How Is the Population Impacted?

Deer have been a staple foodstuff throughout the United States since the early 1900s. In fact, over half a million of these animals have been spread throughout the land. Over the last century, the deer population has overall increased drastically but has been on a steady decline in many native areas, including the reduction of species diversity. White-tailed deer remain the most common deer in the country, as there are multiple sightings of them throughout the year.

Many laws have been introduced since the start of the twentieth century, including farming and restrictions on hunting and harvesting practices. One such practice prohibits the harvest of female deer (who can be deified by their lack of antlers) in an attempt to keep the population from being exterminated.