Deer, oh deer, oh deer, oh deer....

A math problem for junior/senior high students


One pair of adult deer, living in a good habitat, can produce two fawns per year. Fawns are born 50-50 males and females (bucks and does). Fawns mature at two years of age. How many deer would be in this herd at the end of five years? Ten years?

If hunters harvest 10 percent of the mature bucks each year, how many will they harvest the third year? The fifth year? The tenth year? Make a chart or graph of the herd growth and the harvest.

Discussion: What would be the herd size in 25 years? Why are your figures not really "true-to-life"? What are limiting factors?

from: Multidisciplinary Wildlife Teaching Activities by Wm. R. Hernbrode.