Many regions of the world report an increase in deer abundance while others are faced with animal conservation issues. Selective browsing, trampling, and increased nutrient cycling through feces, urine, and carcasses are described either as biotic forest disturbances or chronic stressors dynamizing forests or altering their resilience and integrity. Factors such as deer species identity and density, forest productivity, community composition, and availability of resource subsidies are known to influence the direction and severity of impacts in interactions with other natural and anthropogenic disturbances. We will review direct impacts on plant growth and survival, indirect impacts on the composition and structure of forests, and impacts on forest functions such as biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles. We will explore the interactive role of climate on forest responses to deer-induced disturbances. We suggest the need to restore forest habitats to maintain viable deer populations, their roles in the process of shaping forests, and the ecological services they provide.