State wildlife officials have long said Nantucket has one of the largest concentrations of deer in Massachusetts. But could the population actually exceed 10,000 deer?

That would be an incredibly large population for a small, isolated geographic area, and a steep increase from previous estimates. But Martin Feehan, the deer and moose biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, believes the 10,000 number could actually be the floor for the island’s deer herd.

“The population is a bit complicated, but 10,000 is a reasonable floor at this point for Nantucket,” Feehan told the Current. “The deer density on the island has continued to grow. Currently, the deer density estimate in areas open to hunting is now between 70 and 100 deer per square mile, post-hunt on Nantucket. A little less than half the island is actually hunted each year. Those areas have much lower densities than areas closed to hunting where densities can be expected to be about three to four times higher. From this alone there would be a floor of around 10,000 when you factor in the 800 to 1,000 deer harvested each year plus the un-reported and unrecovered deer.”

In response to the increasing deer population, the state is now proposing an extended deer hunt on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard that would take place each January. A pair of public hearings on the proposal has been set for this January 23 at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Zoom.