Instead of using scientific terms, wildlife management agencies will use the word “overabundant” to describe the deer population. “Overabundant” is not a scientific word and has no scientific definition. Overabundance has nothing to do with biological carrying capacity. The word is effective because it connotes overpopulation in most people’s minds, and misleads people into believing that the deer population needs to be reduced.
Deer rarely exceed their biological carrying capacity. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service defines carrying capacity as "the maximum number of animals that a specific habitat or area can support without causing deterioration or degradation of that habitat." When scientists talk about overpopulation, they are usually referring to a population exceeding its biological carrying capacity.
When state wildlife management agencies advocate deer hunting, they rarely use the word “overpopulated” to describe the deer because it’s usually not true. Deer, like most animals, will self-regulate. If there is not enough food available to support the population, the does will absorb some embryos and fewer fawns will be born in the spring.
