Deer are a common sight in the Hoosier state, but did you know there was once a 40-year period when deer were extirpated from Indiana?

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Oh, Deer!

Indiana is home to many woodland species, and one of the most common animals we see is the whitetail deer. It isn't uncommon to see a deer near the side of the road when you're driving at night or to have a deer wander into your backyard. Herd estimates from Deer Friendly say that Indiana is home to an estimated 700,000 whitetail deer. With this many deer roaming the Hoosier state, it's hard to imagine a time when there were no deer in Indiana, but there was a time when there were no deer in Indiana.

Deer Extirpated from Indiana

Believe it or not, there were a few decades more than 100 years ago when there were no deer in the state of Indiana as they had been extirpated. So what does extirpated mean? Well the dictionary definition of extirpated is:

extirpated; extirpating
Synonyms of extirpate
transitive verb
a: to destroy completely : WIPE OUT
b: to pull up by the root

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According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the last reported wild deer in Indiana was killed in Knox County in 1893. According to a Purdue paper written by Clark D. McCreedy, the reason Indiana lost its deer population was due to a few factors including the changing landscape from woodland to farmlands, and unregulated hunting.

Indiana Introduces Deer Back to the Hoosier State

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, deer are very adaptive and can easily thrive just about anywhere. From 1934 to 1942 Indiana purchased nearly 300 deer from other states and introduced them to Indiana forests. This was wildly successful.

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The timeline of the deer population from Indiana DNR is as follows:

1893: Last reported wild deer killed in Knox County.
1934-1942: 296 deer purchased for release from Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
1943: Deer population estimated at 900 deer.
1951: First deer season in 58 years—three days in November. (13 percent success rate.)
1953-1955: 111 deer released throughout the state, with last releases in Sullivan and Ripley counties.
1956: Deer trapping and relocation program began with 500 deer relocated.
1975: Deer harvest near 9,000.
1985: Deer harvest exceeds 32,000.
The successful reintroduction of white-tailed deer and success in growing the population was funded through the sales of hunting and fishing licenses fees and funds from the Pittman-Robertson Act.

The deer population has continued to grow, and according to a paper from Purdue, the sport hunting of deer adds an estimated $110,000,000 annually to the state's economy. However, that figure is offset a bit by the amount of vehicle crashes involving deer, and crop destruction from deer which cost the state about $40,000,000 annually. So you win some you lose some I guess!

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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

Source: Did You Know There was Once a 40 Year Period Where There were No Deer in Indiana?