Socio-Political and Ecological Dimensions of Municipal Wildlife Management

In urban and suburban areas, the complex socio-environmental landscapes and diverging interests of stakeholders make wildlife management difficult. We analyze how municipalities in Massachusetts make decisions about the management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Combining statistical analyses of a survey of municipal officials, qualitative analysis of management documents, and semi-structured interviews, we investigate (i) the socio-environmental conditions linked to municipal concerns about deer, (ii) the concerns that prompt municipalities to explore deer management actions, and (iii) why some municipalities take management action while others do not. We find that landscape features, Lyme disease incidence, and an array of concerns about deer prompt municipal governments to explore options for deer management. We show that management champions and small-scale politics are crucial in translating concern to management action. Our study illustrates the complexity of wildlife decision-making in sub/urban environments where the movement of wild animals intersects with patterns of development and politics.