Regeneration failure is a pressing issue exhibited in forests throughout eastern North America, potentially endangering the future health of forests. Densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have drastically increased in many of these forests and impact tree establishment and growth via browsing. Densities of non-native invasive plant species have also increased, with direct and indirect negative impacts on native tree seedlings. While the individual negative impacts of over-abundant deer and invasive plants are well known, the interactive effects are not as well understood. The goal of this study was to understand the individual and interactive effects of deer and woody invasive plants on tree seedlings in an early successional forest. The study was conducted in a stand of Juniperus virginiana forest near Oxford, OH (39°31’N, 84°42’ W) with a basal area of 31.4 m^2/ha. The understory had very few native seedlings other than Fraxinus spp. and is heavily invaded by non-native shrubs Lonicera maackii and Ligustrum obtusifolium.  A factorial experimental design was used with each combination of deer access/exclosure and invasive woody plants removed/not removed. In June 2022, we placed deer exclosures -  2.13m tall fences made of galvanized poultry wire  using four trees as corner posts. The same month, plots designated for invasive removal had all woody invasive shrubs and vines removed via cutting and stump application of 41% glyphosate herbicide. Seedlings of four native tree species were selected for use in this study due to their relatively fast-growth and ability to grow in the future climate projected for these coordinates: Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Juglans nigra, and Carya cordiformis. Tree seedlings were planted in each plot in June 2022 and natural regeneration within the plots was also monitored. For planted Q. rubra, Northern Red Oak, the greatest height increase and greatest leaf count occurred in plots where deer were excluded and invasives were present. Modified canopy cover index at 0.3 m height was lowest in invasive removal plots. These preliminary results suggest that deer have greater impacts on tree seedlings than invasives, reducing seedling and leaf growth, despite invasives shading these tree seedlings. If these patterns persist, the results suggest that where tree regeneration is the primary goal, land managers should prioritize deer management over invasive plant removal, at least in early-successional forests.