Introduction

The Columbian white-tailed deer was federally listed as endangered in 1968, at which time only a small population was known to survive on islands and a small area of mainland in Washington along the lower Columbia River. In 1978, a small population of Columbian white-tailed deer was identified in Douglas County, in Southwest Oregon, and was subsequently listed as endangered. Since then, the Douglas County population rebounded and was delisted in July 2003. In November 2013, the USFWS released a five-year status review for the Lower Columbia River population. The review determined that the population has met the critieria for downlisting from endangered to threatened.

Historical Status and Current Trends

The Columbian white-tailed deer is the western-most subspecies of white-tailed deer which occurs throughout North America. Early records indicate that Columbian white-tailed deer were once quite numerous over its historic range, from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the ocean and from Puget Sound in Washington southward to the Umpqua River Basin in southern Oregon. This subspecies of white-tailed deer became endangered throughout its range due to habitat modification by human activities, such as farming and logging, as well as commercial and residential development. Overhunting and poaching also contributed to the decline. The remaining Columbian white-tailed deer occur in two separate populations. The Lower Columbia River population is found in Wahkiakum and Cowlitz Counties, Washington, and Clatsop and Columbia Counties, Oregon. The Douglas County population is found in the Umpqua River Basin, Douglas County, Oregon. When the Columbian white-tailed deer was listed, the number of deer remaining was estimated to be less than 1,000 individuals. Under the protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the Douglas County population has increased to over 5,000 animals. The Lower Columbia River population suffered heavy losses due to extensive flooding of its habitat in 1996; however, it is expected to recover to pre-flood numbers within a few years.

Habitat

Columbian white-tailed deer are closely associated with riparian (riverside) habitats in both the Lower Columbia River and Douglas County populations. The deer found on islands in the Columbia River use "tidal spruce" habitats characterized by densely forested swamps covered with tall shrubs and scattered spruce, alder, cottonwood and willows. In Douglas County, the deer use willow and cottonwood habitats along rivers and streams, and are also found in oak-savannah habitats in the upland areas.

Life History

Only the buck (male) deer have antlers, which are shed each winter. New antlers grow in early spring and reach full size in late summer. Breeding activity, referred to as the rutting period, begins the first week of November and lasts a month or more. Does (females) have a gestation period of approximately 210 days, with the peak of fawning occurring in mid-to-late June. Does give birth to one or two fawns, with an occasional doe producing triplets. Fawns stay with their mother until just prior to the next fawning season when the doe goes off by herself to give birth to the next generation.

Conservation Measures

Protection under the Endangered Species Act has resulted in acquisition, protection, and improvement of habitat, which has allowed the two populations to increase in size. A recovery plan was developed for the two populations of Columbian white-tailed deer in 1983. Many of the tasks identified in the Recovery Plan have been implemented. In 1972, the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer was established in Wahkiakum County, Washington.

In Douglas County, the Bureau of Land Management acquired a large parcel of habitat, known as the North Bank Habitat Management Area (NBHMA), through a land exchange specifically to benefit the Columbian white-tailed deer. This parcel alone provides over 6,000 acres of good habitat for the deer. The USFWS has coordinated with the BLM and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at the NBHMA to accomplish recovery of the Columbian white-tailed deer. The acquisition and management of the NBHMA was instrumental in the delisting of the deer in 2003.