To all opposed to culling as a
solution to human-deer conflict:
I just read an article
discovered by Google Alert - from Quality Deer Management - a highly
influential website which is prohunting yet factual (including the
deer density maps), and frequented by huge numbers of hunters.
In this article, there is a
side-by-side diagram. The left side features 10 does; the caption
says "deer population exceeding carrying capacity, low reproductive
rate"):
DOE
DOE - fawn
DOE
DOE
DOE
DOE - fawn
DOE
DOE
DOE
DOE - fawn
Year end total - 13 deer.
The right side features 5
does; the caption says "deer population below carrying capacity,
high reproductive rate":
DOE - fawn + fawn
DOE - fawn
DOE - fawn + fawn
DOE - fawn
DOE - fawn + fawn
Year end total - 13 deer.
What does this tell us:
1. The culled deer population
can rebound to full strength within 1 year
(straight from the hunter's mouth).
2. The culling method
does not work (except to fatten the pockets of
those in the culling industry year after year)
Here is the problem With or
without culling, the number of deer becomes 13 by year end, when
even 10 deer are considered to exceeding the carrying capacity.
The hunters may argue that
without culling, the problem could be even worse, following whatever
line of their "logic". But basically, they have no
viable solution, especially if they reject
contraception, as well as relocation on grounds of disease
spreading, stress related mortality, and "passing the buck",
literally.
But it cannot be denied by us
that the integrity of the habitat is at risk of irreparable damage
whether culling takes place or not. If we deny it, it'd just be a
confirmation of their long standing accusation that we work on
emotion and not logic, and the general public will just side with
the hunters.
As of last night,
we have a viable solution.
If the deer herd inhabits the
piece of land year-round, and exceeds its biologically carrying
capacity, there would indeed be over-all environmental damage. But
if we divide the piece of land into two halves - A and B - and have
the deer inhabit only one half at a time, then rotated between A and
B periodically, both halves would have the time to recover.
This can be achieved with what
I call an Oscillating DAC (DAC =
Deer Auto-Conveyor - see deer section in
www.HOPE-CARE.org).
It is a simple construct of
two adjacent fenced areas with a common fence in between. In this
common fence is a one-way gate, from A to B. Initially, there are
deer in both areas. After some time, all the deer will have moved
into B. A can then lie fallow to recover.
Meanwhile, all the deer live
in B. B is only half the size of the original piece of land. So
the density is doubled. This will have the effect to slowing down
the reproductive rate even more. We could protect the important
vegetation in B by internal fencing, and keep the herd
borderline-healthy by supplementary feeding, but not as much as to
encourage reproduction. Selective contraception can help, but not
necessary, since the deer population in food shortage
situations will decline naturally and stabilize at a lower level.
After A has recovered, all
that needs to be done is to have the one-way gate reversed, so that
the deer will move from B into A. And so on.
In this manner, the ecology of
the piece of land can be preserved indefinitely.
I will be on my
25-states-in-4-months Deer Tour
as of the end of the Animal Rights
Conference (www.ARConference.org)
until late November. The state-by-state itinerary is as follows:
CA
2007-07-15 - 2007-07-25
(AR Conference July
19-23 -
www.ARConference.org)
NV
2007-07-26
UT
2007-07-27
MT
2007-07-29 (mule deer)
States with
White-tailed deer below:
ND
2007-08-01
MN
2007-08-02
IA
2007-08-06
WI
2007-08-08
IL
2007-08-12
IN
2007-08-16
MI
2007-08-20
OH
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
NJ
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
PA
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
DE
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
NY
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
CT
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
RI
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
MA
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
NH
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
VT
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
WV
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
MD
2007-08-24 - 2007-10-31
VA
2007-11-01
NC
2007-11-05
SC
2007-11-09
GA
2007-11-12
TN
2007-11-16
AR
2007-11-20
TX
2007-11-23
If interested in hosting
or attending an Anthony Marr Deer
Seminar in your city, please contact:
Anthony Marr, founder
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
and/or
Lane Ferrante
Project Coordinator
Return to Stop Killing Deer
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