Frequently Asked Questions

A USDA survey completed in March 2023 indicated certain areas of the city have higher than average deer population.  The highest area of concentration had an estimated 81.3 deer per square mile. The state average is 19.6 deer per square mile.  For more details, you can view the USDA survey results online. 

Deer are generally not a threat to humans.  However, deer overpopulation can lead to higher rates of conflicts and damage. For example, deer will seek out gardens and landscaping as a food source, causing damage.  Additionally, deer-vehicle collisions affect human safety and can cause economic loss.  Parasites (e.g., ticks) commonly associated with deer can present human and pet health challenges. Though rare, deer can also hurt pets and humans if they feel provoked to defend themselves or offspring. These situations are more common with an increase in deer and human interactions. 

TWRA is the government agency responsible for setting rules and regulations of hunting, fishing, and boating. The agency manages deer populations by licensing hunters and by setting hunting season dates, bag limits, and rules for how they can be harvested. In Tennessee, wildlife populations are owned by all citizens of the state, rather than being private property of landowners. TWRA manages wildlife populations for the state to ensure they do not return to the threatened levels seen 75 years ago when the agency was founded.

Culls can be performed by the USDA or private entities. However, they are an expensive effort due to manpower, equipment, and carcass disposal. The TWRA does not perform culls but is the regulatory agency that issues a permit to allow a cull. Because of the high volume of deer needed to be removed for a cull to be successful, they are often a temporary measure and need to be repeated. The city and TWRA are unaware of examples where a single culling event was successful. 

Tennesseans can buy a hunting license to be able to legally harvest deer during deer season. When deer season is closed, the agency will also issue depredation permits to residents who have experienced landscape/garden or other types of damage from the deer. Because the agency is funded by the sales of hunting and fishing licenses, not general taxpayer dollars, TWRA does not have the staff or resources to be able to provide removal services statewide. The agency sets regulations to allow citizens to manage populations through legal hunting.

Supplemental feeding of the deer leads to increased reproductive potential, which ultimately increases the herd size. Supplemental feeding also attracts deer to homes which increases the chances of conflicts and causes deer to lose their fear of humans. This can lead to health and safety hazards including the spread of parasites. 

In 2018, ordinance # 2018-8 was adopted which changed the city’s municipal code, Title 10, chapter 6 to prohibit the intentional feeding of deer. Residents can be fined up to $50 for each instance they are cited. 

Deer populations in Tennessee do carry diseases but have not been shown to spread to humans. Two diseases the TWRA works to manage are hemorrhagic disease and Chronic Wasting Disease. Both are contagious among deer, but there is no evidence that they can be transmitted to humans. If you see a sick deer, you should leave it alone. More information is available here: Chronic Wasting Disease | TWRA | Report A Sick Deer (tn.gov)  

The TWRA does warn that parasites, such as ticks, can be spread by deer, which can present human and pet health challenges. 

Hendersonville residents can call our public works department at (615) 822-1016 to report a dead deer in the public right of way. You can also report a sick or dead deer to the TWRA at the following link. TWRA | Report A Dead or Sick Deer (tn.gov)

Deer resistant landscaping includes plants that are often strong-smelling like lavender, salvia, and herbs, as well as flowers like daffodils, irises, and zinnias. 

The city’s Deer Monitoring and Control Committee is currently working with the TWRA and USDA to provide educational material, workshops and resources for Hendersonville residents. 

It is best to leave fawns alone. Most likely, the fawn is not actually abandoned but practicing normal white-tailed deer behavior. Female deer hide fawns in cover such as tall grass or brush (even in your yard) to avoid predators while the female deer continues to forage. Keeping herself some distance away from her fawns prevents her scent from attracting predators to the fawns.

Additionally, there have been recent changes to the state’s fawn rehabilitation laws. Wildlife rehabilitators in Tennessee are no longer permitted to accept white-tailed deer fawns. This restriction is an effort to minimize the spread of diseases through human-aided movements and to keep white-tailed deer wild.

Yes. A valid hunting license is required to hunt in Tennessee, certain exemptions apply for landowners. (see link below) All residents born after January 1, 1969 must complete a Hunter Education Course to hunt. The state sets season dates, bag limits, and legal methods each year. Information on Tennessee hunting regulations can be found here. Hunting in Tennessee | Where and How (tn.gov)

Yes. Contact one of our local TWRA agents below for options on connecting hunters to your property or obtaining a depredation permit. 

Lt. Eric Anderson eric.anderson@tn.gov 

Officer Montana Michelson montana.michelson@tn.gov 

Sgt. Nathan Karch Nathan.Karch@tn.gov