DEER NUMBERS EXPECTED TO RISE.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST - Deer sightings are expected to increase in the next few weeks, thanks in part to breeding season and fresh, green brush growing on nearby burned hillsides.

Los Angeles County's deer population has remained steady in the last few years with as many as 2,180 in the county. But those numbers could increase in the next few years, said Craig Stowers, deer program coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Game.

``There are periodic times when people see more deer,'' Stowers said. ``Deer are migrating out because mid-November is the breeding season. They are going to be more active.''

Hills charred by recent fires have created new ecosystems, he said. Old brush died off, and the fresh green grass growing out likely will lure more deer toward urban areas, Stowers said.

``There's some slight increases of deer sightings in urban areas,'' he said. ``But there may be more next year. The fires down in San Bernardino and Los Angeles (counties) set it up for a population growth. The fires came through and removed old thick timber and opened it up for the grasses the deer like. In essence, it may create more deer habitat.''

Hunting season, which was halted temporarily in San Bernardino, would not have an effect on slowing the deer population, Stowers said.

``Our deer habitat is at capacity,'' he said. ``You won't take them out through hunting.''

In some parts of the country, an increase of deer brings a host of diseases, such as Lyme disease, health experts said, which is why Stowers said residents should not use food to encourage the animals to enter back yards.

Deer often serve as tick reservoirs, meaning the insect feeds on the animal, then drops off. Ticks then multiply, and will feed on a human host if a deer is unavailable, passing on the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease include a red, blotchy expanding rash, accompanied by a fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain. If caught early, it is treated with antibiotics.

The California Department of Health Services reported that in 2003, there were seven cases of Lyme disease in Los Angeles County, compared to six in 2002, and nine in 2001.

Adult ticks become active in the fall, said Dr. Anne Kjemtrup, a research scientist with the state Department of Health Services. The ticks ``will sit on the edge of grass blades, and wait for a mammal,'' she said. ``It wouldn't surprise me to see them in the coastal areas of Los Angeles County. We've had a few positive ticks in Pacific Palisades, Tapia State Park.''

But Southern California's ecosystem is less likely to attract a high population of infected ticks, even with an increase in the deer population, Kjemtrup said.

``It has to be all the right elements for (Lyme disease) to exist,'' she said. Still, Kjemtrup and wildlife officials agree it's not a bad idea to take precautions when hiking into forests, using the same measures as with West Nile virus.

They advise people to wear long-sleeve shirts and pants. And ``don't put away the DEET just yet,'' Kjemtrup said, encouraging the use of insect repellent sprays.

California Highway Patrol officials, meanwhile, are urging residents to drive with caution through canyons.

CHP spokeswoman Wendy Hahn said she hasn't heard of any recent collisions with deer, but said it would not be unusual.

``When driving through some of these canyons, drive at speeds where you could stop if any kind of animal comes down,'' she said.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com