Deer Management

Whether they know it or not, students are frequently exposed to the debate on deer management in Iowa. The WILD activity “Deer Dilemma” brings this topic from discussions at the dinner table to the classroom. Besides using the background information in the activity, try using the following to make it more Iowa related.

• Discover issues about Iowa’s deer population by going to the Iowa DNR Wildlife Bureau’s webpage.
• Incorporate literature into your lesson by assigning the 80 page book Whitetail – Treasure, Trophy, or Trouble, a History of Deer in Iowa by Larry Stone to the students. Read about the book online.
• Read about Iowa City’s efforts to reduce the deer herd in its city limits.

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Reading Connections
Grades PreK-2
Bennett, D. 2005. Finding a Friend in the Forest: A True Story. Down East Books.
Patent, D.H. 2004. White-Tailed Deer. Lerner Publications.
Kalbacken, J. 1992. White-Tailed Deer. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Lantier-Sampon, P. 1992. Wonder of Whitetails. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Sams, C.R. 2004. Lost in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy. Sams, Carl R. II, Photography.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 1999. All About Deer. Scholastic.
Evert, L. 2002. Whitetail Deer. T&N Children's Publishing.
McClung, R.M. 1987. Whitetail. HarperCollins Publishers.

Grades 6-8
Munoz, W. 1994. Deer and Elk. Houghton Mifflin Company.