White-tailed deer damage in agricultural fields can be substantial and is an increasing concern for growers across Florida. Deer may not be a major issue in every region, but understanding where damage occurs and what types of impacts growers experience helps guide effective research, outreach, and management efforts.
Researchers in the UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Land Management Lab are working with UF/IFAS Extension and Agronomy faculty on a statewide initiative to better understand deer-related crop damage and identify the regions most affected. Through this effort, the team aims to support practical, regionally informed management approaches.
As part of this initiative, the team launched a statewide grower survey to better understand:
- Where deer damage occurs most frequently across Florida agricultural production systems, including which regions experience the most and least impact.
- The costs, efforts, and management challenges associated with varying levels of deer damage, including areas where little data currently exist. Growers can share experiences with severe damage, moderate impacts, minimal issues, or situations where preventative management has been effective.
- How farmers manage deer on their operations, including labor requirements, financial costs, barriers to implementation control methods, and ways researchers and Extension programs can better support growers.
Deer Damage Survey
To collect this information, our team has launched a statewide grower survey. Growers are encouraged to participate regardless of the level of deer impact on their operation: whether damage is severe, moderate, minimal, or well managed, every response is valuable.
Operations with little or no deer damage are equally important, as they provide comparison data that strengthens the study. Every perspective helps create a clearer statewide picture of deer activity and their impacts on agricultural production.
This survey aims to better understand:
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Which crops experience the most damage
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Management strategies currently being used
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Costs, labor demands, and barriers to implementation
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How research and Extension efforts can be better support growers
The short, anonymous survey will be open through April 30. Grower feedback will help guide future research, extension programming, and management recommendations so they reflect on-farm conditions and producer priorities. Your participation helps ensure deer-crop management efforts remain practical, relevant, and informed by grower experience.
Participants may also choose to enter a $250 credit drawing from Helena Agri Enterprises, which will be announced when the survey closes on April 30. To enter, simply provide your name and contact information in the final survey question, which will be used only for the drawing.
Complete a short online survey (takes only a few minutes):
Access here: https://go.ufl.edu/deerdamage
Or scan the QR code below:
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