Only Answer for Deer is Licensed Hunting

If A2Kers want to liberalize something, it should be hunting!


With deer numbers exploding throughout the United States, it is a great time to be a hunter.

It is not so great if you are a motorist. According to State Farm Insurance, there are roughly 1.5 million deer/auto collisions each year that result in 150 deaths. The collisions also cost 1.1 billion dollars in damage to automobiles, most of which is picked up by the insurance industry.

Deer populations are soaring in urban areas where hunting is virtually restricted. Without hunting pressure to limit the numbers of deer, the only predator of deer is automobiles.

Many of the deer/auto collisions occur in urban areas, not rural areas. Encroachment on deer habitat by urban sprawl does not mean that deer and other wildlife are going to necessarily move on. In fact, often times the opposite is true?-deer populations explode in growing urban areas. One would be hard pressed to identify one city in America that does not have an overpopulation of deer.

Compounding the problem of overpopulation has been the historical reticence of state wildlife agencies to greatly expand bag limits and seasons for deer. Recognizing this management error, state wildlife agencies have begun to change their policies and expand hunting seasons and bag limits. What is needed is even more liberal seasons and bag limits?-and now.

Working in conjunction with municipalities that are expanding their borders into what once was deer habitat, state wildlife agencies need to exert pressure on these municipalities to allow bow hunters to hunt within the city limits. This, too, needs to be done. Hiring sharpshooters to kill deer is an unnecessary cost to taxpayers. Through licensing fees, bow hunters would actually generate money for state coffers.

Local, state and national hunting organizations must also exert pressure on state wildlife agencies to expand deer hunting opportunities. It should be their number one priority. There is no other immediate problem which requires more of our attention than working to expand hunting opportunities for deer.

Hunters and state wildlife agencies are fooling themselves to believe insurance industry is going to keep picking up the 1.1 billion dollar tab each year because state wildlife agencies and municipalities are not implementing sound management decisions to control deer populations.

Do not believe it is beyond the realm of possibility for the insurance industry to one day make a business decision to no longer provide coverage for deer/auto collisions. Instead, they recommend to their clients to sue the state wildlife agency for failing to enact sound wildlife management policies. If insurance industries can cancel coverage for entire cities and regions for hail damage to roofs, they could also just as easily decide to no longer pay for deer/auto collisions, especially in the top ten or so states for deer/auto collisions.

We must not wait for the insurance industry to drive state wildlife agencies into taking brash steps to curtail the number of deer, which could also have a negative impact on deer and deer hunters.

The time to do what is right is now?-not later. We must not wait to have decisions forced upon us but should instead work as a united community of hunters to exert pressure on state wildlife agencies and communities who are wringing their hands over the problem instead of correcting it.

For the record, I don't mind hunting to cull wild deer populations.

I mind that hunting and development has to do with why they're so out of control -- that their natural predators like wolves aren't able to do what they've done forever.

Man caused the problem by getting rid of natural predators, and now has to do something about it.

When hunting has a legitimate reason, I'm fine with it.

Okay, go kill some deer.

The problem with that Soz is that wolves aren't really as selective as they are opportunistic. Coyotes have more than filled the gap where wolves have been eliminated, but they cannot bring down larger game.

Nobody really wants wolves in their backyard. Some will say they are fine with it until their livestock is threatened and Fluffy disappears.

That's why I said "and development." The problem is also that people have been building houses in the wolves' territory, so of course there will be wolves in their backyard. I'd prefer that they not build their houses in the former wilderness in the first place.

But hunting (historically) is definitely a big part of why wolves' numbers are so low.

It's all about management and finding equilibrium.

Sure. I'm just saying that the fact that the environment as a whole can CURRENTLY benefit from (human) hunters culling wild deer herds does not translate to yay for hunting, since hunting is a huge part of why we're in this situation in the first place.

Not for over 100 years has it been a problem - what we have now is a lack of hunters.

"Nobody really wants wolves in their backyard. Some will say they are fine with it until their livestock is threatened and Fluffy disappears. "

seems to me there are more problems with hunters shooting others than there are with wolves eating "fluffy" .
"fluffy" can be kept inside if necessary but hunters can't .
perhaps you'll need dick cheney to control the deer problem

to be serious , there seems to be an over-supply of deer in many areas of the U.S. and canada . so hunting would seem to be necessary - and i've eaten my share of deer meat given us by a friend .
perhaps hunting and increased wolf population could together help stabilize the deer population .
in some areas of canada deer have started to suffer from "wasting disease" ; i understand that it is more prevalent when too many deer are in close proximity , though the disease is actually spread by biting insects .

hbg

Way too many deer here in the southern half of Michigan, where all the people are. They love it here - lots of crops to munch on, roads to cross....

Last year some woman in a minivan hit 10 deer at once. Ten!! The cops had to shoot several of them (deer) that weren't killed by the impact.

Admit it, though, it's not the "only option."

Here in Texas, they've moved into the residential areas, 'cause they can't be hunted there.

If you could make deer meat even closely palatable, Id hunt one down. In Pa they ought to increase the bag limit, but the Game Commission is certain that the herd is dwindling. Weve had our first cases of CWD and that portends a possible dwindling of the herd until some natural immunity gets evolved into the herds.

Venison fajitas and venison chili ain't bad.

Sausage can be good, too, if you find someone with the right recipe.

mrs h marinates the venison meat in buttermilk for 24 hours , wraps it in bacon and slowly braises it in the oven - very tender and flavourful !
hbg

One of the problems with "Hill country " deer is that they eat laurel leaves and acorns. This imparts a tannin flavr to the meat which many people taste (Im one). Ive had farm raised deer that eat alfalfa, they dont taste too bad but their textures are kinda mealy if harvested too old. The very thing that hunters shoot a deer for (a big rack) is what makes the meat taste funky.

The best way to eat deer is to make "deerbasi", Its a garlicky bologna with veal and pork (ya needs some fat and deer is too lean)
Ive had deebasi that was made into loaves like kishka or krakowska, or it can be made the size like slim jims that are called Kabanosi. When this is double smoked its awesome.

I used to let some hunters on my land, but right now I only let the Amish hunt on my land with bows.

The thing that pisses me off about all these deer being hit by cars is the fact that it should almost never happen. You can't blame the deer, but rather the idiotic, unobservant, cell-phone talking, speeding drivers.

I live in an area where driving down the roads at night is like running an obstacle course. Deer, raccoons, possum, skunk, coyote, rabbits, an occasional mink (very rare), and a plethora of other critters of the forest -- are constantly navigating the roadways.

But you know what? I DON'T HIT THEM!

Because I know they are out there and I have come up with this novel idea: I WATCH FOR THEM!

I'm with the animals on this issue. I only wish we could give them massive steel structures that are capable of exceeding 100 miles per hour, put them comfortably behind the steering wheels, wedge their hooves or paws on the accelerator, and turn the beasts loose in the city.

Watch the humans look up with blank stares as a crazed raccoon nails them at seventy miles per hour. SPLAT! There goes the fat accountant.

Look over there! A possum in a pick up truck just took out three lawyers. Nothing left but flattened suits.

Oh, man, I would love to see such a spectacle.

Gustav -- you're a man after my own heart. (Not something I ever thought I'd say.) Just because a fool has a big pickup or SUV and isn't worried about their own safety is no reason to drive like a maniac. We've seen deer a plenty, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, porcupines, you name it near our property and prefer to see them live rather than flattened on our front grill. Why live in beautiful country if you're not going to slow down and look around?

Farmerman -- we know where we can get some farmed red deer meat. Given that it's pastured do you suppose it would be tasty?

PS Gustav -- I can get you that porcupine poop compost next week if you're still interested. Let me know.

Amen, brother.

Hell, Ive seen der run into the sides of cars where the driver was NOT talking on the cell phone. The worst is when somebody whacks a moose. There are usually fatalities when that happens and I must admit , that I feel almost ashamed to ask for the moose carcass when the bodies arent even cold.

Gus why are you collecting porcupine crap?

Tai chi--youre not chai tea in anagram form are you? Ive never eaten red deer and Ill try anything once. I cant say that I dont like something lest I eat it. for a cooked meal.

Like, antelope is delicious, it isnt mealy and its flavor is terrific.