MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — Dunes West residents in Mount Pleasant are weighing how to address a rapidly growing deer overpopulation. The community reports more than a 1000% increase in the herd over the last decade, climbing from just 74 deer in 2015 to nearly 1000 in 2025.
Biologists from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources say the surge is tied to fewer natural predators, and neighbors feeding the animals. A recent study found Dunes West is now overpopulated by nearly ten to one, meaning the neighborhood has almost ten times more deer than the land can sustainably support.
Some residents say the change is obvious. They’ve noticed deer showing new behaviors, competing for food, and appearing in places they rarely ventured before. Others say they’ve grown anxious driving through the neighborhood…