Deer Habitat Modification and Coexistence Plan

First designed for The Villages, a thousand acre gated community in San Jose, CA 2007 

The Villages is a one thousand acre retirement community in the foothills of East San Jose. It is nestled in a natural oak habitat that is home to many wildlife including deer.

The physical layout of the community with its numerous man-made lakes and lush landscaping provides supplemental feeding opportunities for deer and other wildlife, that would otherwise have to forage greater distances to find sustenance in the sparsely vegetated and sometimes parched foothills.

After much public outcry and protest about the Villages’ decision to lethally thin out the deer population in their gated community using bow hunters, representatives of Little Blue Society met with the Management and Board of Directors in a private meeting Tuesday morning, July 31st.

An alternate plan was designed to control the level of deer damage on the property and to naturally reduce their population over a period of 3-5 years.

The VDR is a 3-phase deer management program designed for gated communities that have resident deer populations:

1. Allows residents to continue to enjoy the presence of deer in the community but at significantly lowered numbers.
2. Reduces the amount of damage to ornamental vegetation and eliminates any fear the residents may have with deer proximity.
3. Stabilizes the deer population so that there is minimal growth in deer numbers and encourages dispersal/migration into lands outside of the gated community.
4. Eliminates any PR nightmares regarding animal mistreatment by implementing a long-term solution that is both effective and humane.

San Jose Mercury News 7.25.07 – Deer Hunt

Evergreen Times 8.10.07 – Deer Hunt Cancelled

To find out more information about this Plan, please contact us at:
[email protected] Back to Model Programs