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July 10, 2005
My Baby was almost Killed
Well I suppose I can't say "My baby was almost killed" in a literal sense. However, in some little messed up way I believe that it is true. Recently I was driving home from work when I narrowly missed a deer prancing merrily across the road. I am telling you it almost killed my baby, my car.
So I was filled with jubilation when I saw an article entitled Bambi Must DIE.
The article is focused on how deer overpopulation may be having negative effects on the ecosystem. This point is argued by focusing on a few aspects which include:
Less plant diversity
May be contributing to the spread of lyme disease and other diseases
Threat to ground nesting birds
Less biodivesity
By looking at these aspects the author is able to build a strong case against the white tail deer. It points out that in many areas of the state the deer population is exceeding 30 deer per square mile. This amount the author says is well over the number of deer that there should be and feels that something will need to be done to curve the population. The problem however is that the more development and logging that takes place, the more of a deer haven the state is creating making it hard to lower the population. Furthermore, many people feel deer are a "weedy" population in that they can double there population in as little as two years. The article then looks at ways the deer population can be curved and the upside and downside to a few of them.
Comments
Great article! It is amazing to read all the harm deer have done to the environment. I think the state could nominally increase the amount they collect for hunting-license fees in return for a larger take-home amount of deer for hunters. It would help generate revenue for the state, reduce the deer population, and allow hunter a more generous take-home count.
Posted by: Matt Nienstedt at July 11, 2005 8:24 PM
I totally agree with Matt. The state should distribute more deer hunting licenses for hunters. Everyone knows that the hunters would be very happy about this as well. There is a lot of deer and increasing the limit during hunting season would be great for both bow hunters and riffle hunters.
Posted by: Dianna at July 12, 2005 8:49 AM
I think that the deer population should be thinned out. The past couple of winters have not been that harsh and lots of deer have thrived because of it. In many areas deer don’t have the natural predictors that they have had in the past (except for cars).
Posted by: Chuck at July 15, 2005 10:57 AM
The very first time I drove, I hit a deer. So yes, I agree with all of you that there should be regulations on deer population and deer hunting. Shannon, you said something in class that really intrigued me. Human beings are the main reason why our ecosystem is unbalanced, not deer. I was thinking about the squirrels, too, are they are problem?
Posted by: Eva at July 15, 2005 2:42 PM