This remote Michigan island is being eaten up by too many hungry deer

BEAVER ISLAND, MI – There are so many deer on Beaver Island that natural resources experts worry Michigan’s signature game species is gobbling up too much of the rare plant life found on the isolated island in northern Lake Michigan.

Recent deer population research on Beaver Island found 32 deer per square mile. That’s nearly 1,800 deer across the remote island, which is roughly 13 miles long and between 2 and 7 miles wide.

“It is way over the island’s carrying capacity,” said Pam Grassmick, Beaver Island resident and longtime environmental advocate. She said the island can sustainably support about 12 deer per square mile, nearly three times fewer than it currently has.

In fact, there are so many deer on Beaver Island that high-end real estate listings highlight tall fencing instal