J. D. Irving, Limited, along with seven other partners, have begun their second year of study with the Northeast Deer Research Partnership in the forests of New Brunswick and Maine. 

The focus is understanding how deer are using the forests and what factors impact their populations. Some of the factors the study will attempt to understand are the availability of food, the impact of winter severity and the impact of predators on deer populations. Advanced technologies such as GPS collars and the detailed inventory of the forest derived from using LiDAR (light imaging detection and ranging) will give us a better understanding of deer survival, movement and habitat use. 

Over 100 deer in New Brunswick and Maine will be tracked and monitored in real time with precise GPS collars to provide us with important location and movement data in various seasons. 

“We have technology these days that’s so detailed, it allows us to examine the habitat in great detail. Which is allowing us to really understand what the habitat preferences of the deer are, as well as the locations,” says Brian Roth, Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, University of Maine.

The outcomes of this project will hopefully provide a greater understanding of factors influencing the deer herd in New Brunswick and Maine and this information will be used to refine existing guidelines and identify new forestry and wildlife management practices.

Partners in the project include:
University of New Brunswick
University of Maine
New Brunswick Department of Energy and Resource Development
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Cooperative Forestry Research Unit
Natural Resources Canada
University of New Hampshire
J.D. Irving, Limited

Learn more about JDI forest research projects at irvingwoodlands.com