Outdoor Update: Deer and Gardening

 
Master Gardening training and related community opportunities are coming up in 2019 (click here to jump to that). Also there was a lot of helpful information related to this year's deer hunting season. Specifically issues related to traffic safety, controlling the deer population, and how that affects hunting management locally. From the News-Gazette earlier this week:

Data analysis: Targeted deer hunting a likely cause of reduction in area crashes
From 2008 to 2016, deer-related crashes have declined in Champaign and Vermilion counties by more than 50 percent.

Across Illinois Department of Transportation's District 5 — which includes Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, McLean, Piatt and Vermilion counties — deer-related crashes are down 44 percent, from 1,198 to 673...

 While the crashes have leveled off over the past few years, the decline since 2008 may have a simple cause that has nothing to do with deer signs and warnings to drivers: hunting.

The state of Illinois uses deer-related crashes as a barometer to measure deer population trends.

Deer-vehicle accidents are "a function of the number of deer remaining in a population," according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website on deer management.

A 2008 task force called for 14 percent reduction in deer crashes, and goals were set for each county, with the statewide goal reached in 2012.

The IDNR uses these goals to manage the deer harvest.

For example, if a county stays below its deer crash goal for two years in a row, it's removed from the late-winter deer hunting season, according to the IDNR.

Full article here with further information, including alternatives and effectiveness. The News-Gazette also had the deer totals last week:

There were some later muzzleloader season totals in local counties this week: "Champaign (11), Douglas (three), Ford (11) Piatt (six) and Vermilion (39)."


The UI Extension is offering Master Gardner training in January. From the News-Gazette earlier this week:

In the Garden | Nourishing knowledge in winter
...
Master Gardeners are volunteers who have a love of gardening and a passion to share it with others, but despite the title, don't claim to know everything about gardening. The program focuses on learning for the love of learning. This stress-free approach, along with the opportunity to connect with fellow gardeners, is exactly what makes the Master Gardener program so popular.

During Master Gardener training, attendees have the opportunity to learn about gardening from University of Illinois educators, like me, and other horticulture specialists in a way that is both interesting and practical...

Master Gardeners volunteer at a variety of different community garden projects. They grow vegetables for the local food pantry and work with veterans, children and other diverse groups. They plant and care for the Idea Garden on campus, hold a Garden Day Workshop each March at Danville Area Community College, coordinate educational garden-themed classes each month, organize an annual plant sale in May and run Garden Walks in June.

They also research and answer questions from the public through the Extension office's horticulture hotline. No matter where your talents lie, there is truly something for everyone.

More information at the full article here and the UI Extension program's webpage here.