The white-tailed deer population in the township could soon find themselves being watched. This week the Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution encouraging Union County to study the number of deer that live in the parks and wooded areas in Cranford.
The move comes after a discussion in July when members of the Cranford Environmental Commission, Hanson Park Conversancy, the Tree Advisory Board, and the Union County Board of Agriculture called for the committee to act on the issue. Making their case, residents said last month that white-tailed deer had crowded into wooded areas of Nomehegan Park and the grassy land of the Lenape Basin before moving into the surrounding residential areas, crossing major roads such as Springfield Avenue and Kenilworth Boulevard along the way.
The Township Committee members agreed with the idea of helping to thin the herd, passing the resolution that mentioned a visual inspection of the areas the deer frequent that showed a clear loss of the understory of vegetatrion in the parkland.
The move has drawn comments on both sides of the issue, with some residents supporting a deer hunt as a humane way to deal with a deer population that is out of control, while others have objected to any attempts to thin the herd as a cruel reaction to animals forced out by of their habitat by suburban sprawl.
According to the Cranford Police Department, there have been few accidents involving collisions between a deer and a vehicle, however, the accidents have been reported on Springfield Avenue, Kenilworth Boulevard and Orange Avenue.
While Union County allows a deer hunt in the area around the Watchung Reservation, usually once each year, such a measure has never been held in the area of the township.
Even with the resolution seeking action with regard to the white-tail deer population, the committee members said they would encourage efforts to thin the herd, such as trapping and relocation, or birth control measures.
"We'll make it clear that we want a shotgun hunt to be a method of last resort," Mayor David Robinson said this week of the efforts.
Source: NJ.com
Thursday, August 20, 2009
NEW JERSEY NEWS: Denville Approves Deer Hunt
The Denville Township Council voted in favor of a deer hunt and will meet next month to discuss how to institute it in a safe manner.
"Initially I was opposed to the deer hunt," said township councilwoman Deborah A. Smith. "But after hearing testimony on the state of deer in Denville and how unhealthy they are, I am in support of the culling of the heard."
Denville's 11 square miles can not sustain the 2,000 deer that populate the area (182 deer per square mile!), according to Smith, who said that having a hunt will preserve both the deer and local vegetation which deer are eating due to lack of adequate food supply. The vote was taken Tuesday night.
The manner in which the hunt will take place and when will be discussed at the next meeting, which will be held on Sept. 1 in the municipal building at 1 St. Mary's Place.
In response to concerns about safety, the town will publish the locations and dates of the hunts, which will likely be done by bow hunters. The town will also require hunters go through a training program to learn how to hunt in as humane a manner as possible, Smith said.
Some Denville residents oppose the hunt, which would be the township's first in recent memory.
Wendy Bozzolasco, a concerned Denville resident and Morristown attorney, said she has researched the implications of deer hunts extensively and opposes them because they will exacerbate some of the problems they are intended to solve: automotive collisions and ticks among humans.
Citing a study from the Erie Auto Insurance Group, Bozzolasco said that insurance claims often increase during deer hunting seasons because deer, fleeing hunters often enter the roadway. Moreover, killing deer, Bozzolasco said, can increase Lyme disease among humans because deer do not spread the disease. Rather they act as hosts for ticks, she said.
"Deer are not a vector species for Lyme disease. A white tail mouse is the vector species," Bozzolasco said. "Ticks need a large bodied warm host," and when there are less deer, ticks seek out people, she said.
Bozzolasco said there are legal implications to moving forward with the proposed deer hunt and the town's plan to donate excess venison to a charity in Paterson.
"There are repercussions in terms of liability if people are injured or property damaged and specifics of that have not been discussed," Bozzolasco said. "What liability would there be if toxic meat would be donated."
Smith said the council has considered the legal implications of allowing a hunt.
"We're always concerned about those things. The group we're talking to carries their own liability. It's been done in Mountain Lakes and in Randolph," said Smith. "This is not a new thing."
Denville resident Genie Cisti, 48, suggested other alternatives include installing roadside reflectors that would discourage deer from entering roadways and encouraging residents to plant deer resistant plants.
Source: DailyRecord
"Initially I was opposed to the deer hunt," said township councilwoman Deborah A. Smith. "But after hearing testimony on the state of deer in Denville and how unhealthy they are, I am in support of the culling of the heard."
Denville's 11 square miles can not sustain the 2,000 deer that populate the area (182 deer per square mile!), according to Smith, who said that having a hunt will preserve both the deer and local vegetation which deer are eating due to lack of adequate food supply. The vote was taken Tuesday night.
The manner in which the hunt will take place and when will be discussed at the next meeting, which will be held on Sept. 1 in the municipal building at 1 St. Mary's Place.
In response to concerns about safety, the town will publish the locations and dates of the hunts, which will likely be done by bow hunters. The town will also require hunters go through a training program to learn how to hunt in as humane a manner as possible, Smith said.
Some Denville residents oppose the hunt, which would be the township's first in recent memory.
Wendy Bozzolasco, a concerned Denville resident and Morristown attorney, said she has researched the implications of deer hunts extensively and opposes them because they will exacerbate some of the problems they are intended to solve: automotive collisions and ticks among humans.
Citing a study from the Erie Auto Insurance Group, Bozzolasco said that insurance claims often increase during deer hunting seasons because deer, fleeing hunters often enter the roadway. Moreover, killing deer, Bozzolasco said, can increase Lyme disease among humans because deer do not spread the disease. Rather they act as hosts for ticks, she said.
"Deer are not a vector species for Lyme disease. A white tail mouse is the vector species," Bozzolasco said. "Ticks need a large bodied warm host," and when there are less deer, ticks seek out people, she said.
Bozzolasco said there are legal implications to moving forward with the proposed deer hunt and the town's plan to donate excess venison to a charity in Paterson.
"There are repercussions in terms of liability if people are injured or property damaged and specifics of that have not been discussed," Bozzolasco said. "What liability would there be if toxic meat would be donated."
Smith said the council has considered the legal implications of allowing a hunt.
"We're always concerned about those things. The group we're talking to carries their own liability. It's been done in Mountain Lakes and in Randolph," said Smith. "This is not a new thing."
Denville resident Genie Cisti, 48, suggested other alternatives include installing roadside reflectors that would discourage deer from entering roadways and encouraging residents to plant deer resistant plants.
Source: DailyRecord
MARYLAND NEWS: Community Fights Lyme with Four-Posters
'Faced with the highest number of reported Lyme disease cases in the state, Howard County officials have expanded a program to combat the disease.
The county has installed four new "Four-Poster" devices, which coat deer with pesticide that kills the ticks that cause Lyme disease, in Schooley Mill Park in Highland, said Philip Norman, deer project manager for the county Department of Recreation and Parks.
"That area of the county had an extremely high incidence of Lyme disease," Norman said. "The primary concern we have here is Lyme disease carried by the black-legged tick, also called the deer tick."
The devices, installed at the beginning of July, joined six others in Blandair Park, in Columbia, which were installed in 2005, Norman said. They consist of a dish of corn surrounded by four rollers, which roll pesticide onto the deer's head and ears as it noses toward the food.
Norman noted that ticks tend to concentrate around the head and ears, plus the deer then uses its head to groom the rest of its body, spreading the pesticide.
The United States Department of Agriculture developed the device in the 1990s and they are manufactured in Ellicott City, Norman said. "It's amazing in its simplicity," he said.
Howard County had the highest number of reported cases of Lyme disease in the state in 2008, according the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
There were 369 confirmed and probable cases reported in the county in 2008, the department reported last month, up from 358 in 2007. Statewide, the total decreased from 2,576 cases in 2007 to 2,216 in 2008.
Officials have attributed the increase here to increased development.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted by an infected tick. If not detected and treated, it may cause chronic symptoms that can include joint pain, heart palpitations and neurological problems, according to Howard County health officials.
Norman said treating the deer is key to combating the disease. "After several years of treatment in any given area you can greatly reduce the prevalence," Norman said. The white-tailed deer is the primary host of the adult tick in the county, Norman said.
The Four-Poster devices are manufactured by C.R. Daniels Co., an Ellicott City-based firm.
Andy Szulinski, a vice president at C.R. Daniels, said the company manufactures about 400 Four-Posters a year, serving 20 states, Canada and Scotland. Each unit sells for about $800 and services between 50 and 100 acres, he said.
Szulinski said the company collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on designing the devices and is the only company in the country that sells them.
Deer host more ticks than any other animal, Szulinski said, making the device the most effective way of combating Lyme disease.
"You're going after the source of the adult ticks," he said.
All of the Four-Posters are made in the company's Ellicott City manufacturing plant, he added.
C.R. Daniels was established in 1918 and makes a variety of products, from carts used by the U.S. Postal Service to lawn and garden equipment, he said. The company has a 180,000-square foot plant in Ellicott City and a 100,000-square foot plant in Tennessee, he said.
Source: ExploreHoward.com
The county has installed four new "Four-Poster" devices, which coat deer with pesticide that kills the ticks that cause Lyme disease, in Schooley Mill Park in Highland, said Philip Norman, deer project manager for the county Department of Recreation and Parks.
"That area of the county had an extremely high incidence of Lyme disease," Norman said. "The primary concern we have here is Lyme disease carried by the black-legged tick, also called the deer tick."
The devices, installed at the beginning of July, joined six others in Blandair Park, in Columbia, which were installed in 2005, Norman said. They consist of a dish of corn surrounded by four rollers, which roll pesticide onto the deer's head and ears as it noses toward the food.
Norman noted that ticks tend to concentrate around the head and ears, plus the deer then uses its head to groom the rest of its body, spreading the pesticide.
The United States Department of Agriculture developed the device in the 1990s and they are manufactured in Ellicott City, Norman said. "It's amazing in its simplicity," he said.
Howard County had the highest number of reported cases of Lyme disease in the state in 2008, according the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
There were 369 confirmed and probable cases reported in the county in 2008, the department reported last month, up from 358 in 2007. Statewide, the total decreased from 2,576 cases in 2007 to 2,216 in 2008.
Officials have attributed the increase here to increased development.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted by an infected tick. If not detected and treated, it may cause chronic symptoms that can include joint pain, heart palpitations and neurological problems, according to Howard County health officials.
Norman said treating the deer is key to combating the disease. "After several years of treatment in any given area you can greatly reduce the prevalence," Norman said. The white-tailed deer is the primary host of the adult tick in the county, Norman said.
The Four-Poster devices are manufactured by C.R. Daniels Co., an Ellicott City-based firm.
Andy Szulinski, a vice president at C.R. Daniels, said the company manufactures about 400 Four-Posters a year, serving 20 states, Canada and Scotland. Each unit sells for about $800 and services between 50 and 100 acres, he said.
Szulinski said the company collaborated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on designing the devices and is the only company in the country that sells them.
Deer host more ticks than any other animal, Szulinski said, making the device the most effective way of combating Lyme disease.
"You're going after the source of the adult ticks," he said.
All of the Four-Posters are made in the company's Ellicott City manufacturing plant, he added.
C.R. Daniels was established in 1918 and makes a variety of products, from carts used by the U.S. Postal Service to lawn and garden equipment, he said. The company has a 180,000-square foot plant in Ellicott City and a 100,000-square foot plant in Tennessee, he said.
Source: ExploreHoward.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
KANSAS NEWS: Police Officers to do the Shooting at Shawnee Mission Park
The Lenexa City Council on Tuesday cleared the way for police officers to significantly reduce the deer population in Shawnee Mission Park this fall.
The council unanimously approved a special event permit to allow a deer harvest in the southern half of the park, which is within Lenexa’s city limits. The park’s northern half is in Shawnee.
The permit, which costs $75, runs from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and was sought by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm said approving the permit wasn’t a matter of passing judgment on the deer program. He said that issue had been settled by the county Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners.
“It’s on parkland owned by the county. It’s their jurisdiction,” Boehm said. “They can lock down the park and do it in a safe manner. We believe it should be allowed.”
Vicki Charlesworth, Shawnee’s assistant city manager, said her city has an ordinance allowing law enforcement officers to shoot within the city limits, and that park officials did not need a special permit.
The park district is recruiting volunteer police officers to reduce the herd from about 200 deer per square mile to 50 — a 75 percent reduction. The culling could begin as early as October.
If shooting the deer doesn’t kill enough, the park district plans to bring in bow hunters to finish the job.
The park covers 3.5 square miles.
Park officials have said factors influencing their recommendation were statistics on deer-vehicle accidents, complaints from homeowners and commercial businesses about increased plant and landscaping damage, and concerns about diseases associated with ticks carried by deer. They added that the deer population also was affecting the ecology of the park.
Animal-rights activists have argued that overdevelopment in the area has destroyed deer habitat and have urged implementation of nonlethal methods of deer control.
Source: Kansas City Star
The council unanimously approved a special event permit to allow a deer harvest in the southern half of the park, which is within Lenexa’s city limits. The park’s northern half is in Shawnee.
The permit, which costs $75, runs from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 and was sought by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.
Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm said approving the permit wasn’t a matter of passing judgment on the deer program. He said that issue had been settled by the county Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners.
“It’s on parkland owned by the county. It’s their jurisdiction,” Boehm said. “They can lock down the park and do it in a safe manner. We believe it should be allowed.”
Vicki Charlesworth, Shawnee’s assistant city manager, said her city has an ordinance allowing law enforcement officers to shoot within the city limits, and that park officials did not need a special permit.
The park district is recruiting volunteer police officers to reduce the herd from about 200 deer per square mile to 50 — a 75 percent reduction. The culling could begin as early as October.
If shooting the deer doesn’t kill enough, the park district plans to bring in bow hunters to finish the job.
The park covers 3.5 square miles.
Park officials have said factors influencing their recommendation were statistics on deer-vehicle accidents, complaints from homeowners and commercial businesses about increased plant and landscaping damage, and concerns about diseases associated with ticks carried by deer. They added that the deer population also was affecting the ecology of the park.
Animal-rights activists have argued that overdevelopment in the area has destroyed deer habitat and have urged implementation of nonlethal methods of deer control.
Source: Kansas City Star
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
MONTANA NEWS: Helena Deer Cull Expanded Again
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission has given tentative approval to allow an additional 150 mule deer to be killed in Helena between November and March.
As part of its proposal, Helena officials promised to further monitor the urban deer population and to look at the effects of a previous effort that removed 200 deer from the city limits. They also will tally how many deer live in the city and determine what the human tolerance is for them.
Some of Helena’s 30,000 residents like the animals’ presence but others complain about property damage, traffic obstruction and risk to people and pets.
Source: Great Falls Tribune
As part of its proposal, Helena officials promised to further monitor the urban deer population and to look at the effects of a previous effort that removed 200 deer from the city limits. They also will tally how many deer live in the city and determine what the human tolerance is for them.
Some of Helena’s 30,000 residents like the animals’ presence but others complain about property damage, traffic obstruction and risk to people and pets.
Source: Great Falls Tribune
MARYLAND NEWS: National Park Considers Cull to Combat CWD
The spread of a disease fatal to white-tailed deer has prompted the National Park Service to endorse a lethal response at two Civil War battlefields in western Maryland.
The agency is seeking public comment through Sept. 18 on its preferred option of potentially slaughtering hundreds of deer at the Antietam (an-TEE'-tem) and Monocacy (mah-NAH'-kah-see) national battlefields if Chronic Wasting Disease is found within 20 miles.
Both parks are within 60 miles of confirmed cases of the brain disease in West Virginia.
The park service says killing large numbers of deer could prevent the disease from becoming established among the overpopulated herds within the parks.
The contagious illness is fatal to deer but poses no apparent risk to humans.
Source: WJZ
The agency is seeking public comment through Sept. 18 on its preferred option of potentially slaughtering hundreds of deer at the Antietam (an-TEE'-tem) and Monocacy (mah-NAH'-kah-see) national battlefields if Chronic Wasting Disease is found within 20 miles.
Both parks are within 60 miles of confirmed cases of the brain disease in West Virginia.
The park service says killing large numbers of deer could prevent the disease from becoming established among the overpopulated herds within the parks.
The contagious illness is fatal to deer but poses no apparent risk to humans.
Source: WJZ
WEST VIRGINIA NEWS: Urban Bowhunting Approved in Charleston
Bow hunters will be able to stalk deer in Charleston two weeks early, but will want to take special care not to violate the rules of the hunt.
The Charleston City Council voted Monday to start the hunting season September 19 and to increase the bag limit from two to seven.
It also voted to institute penalties of up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $500 for violating the ordinance.
Councilman Jack Harrison says the new penalties will address the concerns of residents who say deer hunters stray from designated hunting areas and onto property where hunting isn't permitted.
Harrison hopes the new rules will attract more hunters, since the Charleston season will start earlier than other cities with urban hunts.
Source: WHSV
The Charleston City Council voted Monday to start the hunting season September 19 and to increase the bag limit from two to seven.
It also voted to institute penalties of up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $500 for violating the ordinance.
Councilman Jack Harrison says the new penalties will address the concerns of residents who say deer hunters stray from designated hunting areas and onto property where hunting isn't permitted.
Harrison hopes the new rules will attract more hunters, since the Charleston season will start earlier than other cities with urban hunts.
Source: WHSV
Friday, August 07, 2009
DELAWARE NEWS: Some Residents Not Receptive to Deer Hunt in Wilmington
The feedback from the public was both pro and con Thursday at a forum to consider permitting bow hunting of deer within the city limits of Wilmington. But more residents spoke against the idea than in favor.
Wilmington Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Mike Wallace, at the close of the forum, said he thinks city officials need to keep the issue on the table. He proposed holding a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting to discuss the matter further, but added he doesn’t know when the committee would have some sort of deer control program to present to the full council for consideration.
Larry Reinsmith, who lives in the Timber Glen subdivision in the southern part of town, said the key to success for residents who are unhappy about deer feeding on flowers and other plants in their yards is “to understand deer are here to stay and property owners have a responsibility to take steps that will ease conflicts with them.”
Last year, there were eight deer crashes in the city, said Reinsmith, down from 16 the year before.
He also said there has been material distributed regarding Lyme disease and deer “trying to instill fear into the public.” But he said Lyme disease is easily treatable and moreover, there has been no reported case in Clinton County since 2004, when there was one reported incident, citing data from the Clinton County Health Department.
Barb Wells said her family is not opposed to hunting but is opposed to hunting within the city limits.
She feels hunting should stay outside the city limits “where it has traditionally been for years.”
“After living in the south end of town for more than 40 years, I haven’t noticed an increase in deer problems,” Wells said.
Hunting “domesticated” deer that have become accustomed to humans “doesn’t seem like much of a sport to me,” Wells said.
Bob Thobaben, who is not a resident of Wilmington, said, “If you allow nature to take its course, there is no control.”
Nick Babb, who is safety director for Wilmington, said “you can’t legislate where arrows go.”
Greg Keeton said staff at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are the wildlife population management professionals. Other residential communities have utilized bow hunting of deer within town “with great success.”
Bob Schaeffing said he has planted flowers that deer aren’t supposed to eat, but they did.
Deer will multiply, said Schaeffing, adding he is “really concerned” about the issue. Permitting bow hunting would help, at least in part, because “deer will move away from pressure.”
Cathie Spilker said she takes her dog out to the woods on walks and she doesn’t want it to be struck by an arrow. Deer move, she said, but an arrow continues on its same trajectory.
Wilmington City Council needs to be concerned that it could be opening itself up to liability and a lawsuit if there were an accident, Spilker said.
Scott Kirchner said he is “not even sure” the deer population in town is a problem. He said he has lived on South Mulberry Street near the bike path and Sugar Grove Cemetery and he hasn’t seen a “grand increase in deer.”
But Kirchner said he’s aware people need to be cognizant of managing the deer herd.
There are no safe answers in addressing the deer population growth, said Kim Hilderbrand of Wilmington.
At the conclusion of the forum, Wilmington Mayor David Raizk said the administration’s number one concern will be the health and safety of the citizens, and that this concern will come before property concerns.
Source: Wilmington News Journal
Wilmington Parks and Recreation Committee Chairman Mike Wallace, at the close of the forum, said he thinks city officials need to keep the issue on the table. He proposed holding a Parks and Recreation Committee meeting to discuss the matter further, but added he doesn’t know when the committee would have some sort of deer control program to present to the full council for consideration.
Larry Reinsmith, who lives in the Timber Glen subdivision in the southern part of town, said the key to success for residents who are unhappy about deer feeding on flowers and other plants in their yards is “to understand deer are here to stay and property owners have a responsibility to take steps that will ease conflicts with them.”
Last year, there were eight deer crashes in the city, said Reinsmith, down from 16 the year before.
He also said there has been material distributed regarding Lyme disease and deer “trying to instill fear into the public.” But he said Lyme disease is easily treatable and moreover, there has been no reported case in Clinton County since 2004, when there was one reported incident, citing data from the Clinton County Health Department.
Barb Wells said her family is not opposed to hunting but is opposed to hunting within the city limits.
She feels hunting should stay outside the city limits “where it has traditionally been for years.”
“After living in the south end of town for more than 40 years, I haven’t noticed an increase in deer problems,” Wells said.
Hunting “domesticated” deer that have become accustomed to humans “doesn’t seem like much of a sport to me,” Wells said.
Bob Thobaben, who is not a resident of Wilmington, said, “If you allow nature to take its course, there is no control.”
Nick Babb, who is safety director for Wilmington, said “you can’t legislate where arrows go.”
Greg Keeton said staff at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are the wildlife population management professionals. Other residential communities have utilized bow hunting of deer within town “with great success.”
Bob Schaeffing said he has planted flowers that deer aren’t supposed to eat, but they did.
Deer will multiply, said Schaeffing, adding he is “really concerned” about the issue. Permitting bow hunting would help, at least in part, because “deer will move away from pressure.”
Cathie Spilker said she takes her dog out to the woods on walks and she doesn’t want it to be struck by an arrow. Deer move, she said, but an arrow continues on its same trajectory.
Wilmington City Council needs to be concerned that it could be opening itself up to liability and a lawsuit if there were an accident, Spilker said.
Scott Kirchner said he is “not even sure” the deer population in town is a problem. He said he has lived on South Mulberry Street near the bike path and Sugar Grove Cemetery and he hasn’t seen a “grand increase in deer.”
But Kirchner said he’s aware people need to be cognizant of managing the deer herd.
There are no safe answers in addressing the deer population growth, said Kim Hilderbrand of Wilmington.
At the conclusion of the forum, Wilmington Mayor David Raizk said the administration’s number one concern will be the health and safety of the citizens, and that this concern will come before property concerns.
Source: Wilmington News Journal
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
KANSAS NEWS: Animal Rights Group to Defend 200 Deer Per Square Mile
A new animal-rights group is pledging to defend the deer in Shawnee Mission Park.
Jason Miller, founder of Bite Club of KC, recently asked to meet with the staff of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District to discuss their concerns. Miller said that request was turned down.
So, he and his group plan to show up at the next park board meeting Aug. 19 and present those concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting. A demonstration is also planned.
In a unanimous vote last month, the board approved a plan to employ sharpshooters and bow hunters to solve the problem of too many deer in Shawnee Mission Park.
The board wants to reduce the herd from about 200 deer per square mile to 50—- a 75 percent reduction.
“If the deer herd in Shawnee Mission Park is not culled or reduced as humanely as possible, Mother Nature will do so,” said Michael Meadors, park district director. “And I believe it will be less humane—through starvation or worse, disease that could wipe out the entire herd.”
The Bite Club, on the other hand, said the park district’s plan amounts to animal cruelty.
“We have several serious concerns about the legality, not to mention the ethics, of the board’s decision to slaughter deer in Shawnee Mission Park,” Miller said in a recent e-mail.
The group’s motto: “Activism with a bite.”
Miller is also a press officer for a national organization, North American Animal Liberation.
Source: Kansas City Star
Jason Miller, founder of Bite Club of KC, recently asked to meet with the staff of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District to discuss their concerns. Miller said that request was turned down.
So, he and his group plan to show up at the next park board meeting Aug. 19 and present those concerns during the public comment portion of the meeting. A demonstration is also planned.
In a unanimous vote last month, the board approved a plan to employ sharpshooters and bow hunters to solve the problem of too many deer in Shawnee Mission Park.
The board wants to reduce the herd from about 200 deer per square mile to 50—- a 75 percent reduction.
“If the deer herd in Shawnee Mission Park is not culled or reduced as humanely as possible, Mother Nature will do so,” said Michael Meadors, park district director. “And I believe it will be less humane—through starvation or worse, disease that could wipe out the entire herd.”
The Bite Club, on the other hand, said the park district’s plan amounts to animal cruelty.
“We have several serious concerns about the legality, not to mention the ethics, of the board’s decision to slaughter deer in Shawnee Mission Park,” Miller said in a recent e-mail.
The group’s motto: “Activism with a bite.”
Miller is also a press officer for a national organization, North American Animal Liberation.
Source: Kansas City Star
WISCONSIN NEWS: Prevalence of CWD Jumps Up
The rate of chronic wasting disease infection in Wisconsin's white-tailed deer herd increased last year.
The prevalence rate for adult bucks 2 1/2 years or older in the first epicenter of the outbreak, which covers mostly western Dane County and eastern Iowa County, increased from 10% in 2007 to 15.5% last year, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Natural Resources.
The infection rate for yearling bucks increased from 3% to 6% in the same period.
Chronic wasting disease was first discovered in Wisconsin in 2002. Since then, DNR officials have analyzed almost 152,000 deer, with 1,172 free-ranging deer testing positive for the always-fatal nervous system disease.
"Five to 10 years in the future, we will know better whether this was just a one-year blip on the chart or the beginning of a trend of increasing disease prevalence in Wisconsin," population ecologist Robert Rolley said in a statement.
Researchers used sophisticated statistical techniques that adjust for factors such as age and gender to estimate infection rates, which appear to vary randomly from one year to the next. But evidence points to a general trend of a 4% infection increase each year in Wisconsin.
Chronic wasting disease has been discovered in wild deer or elk herds in 11 states and two Canadian provinces. All of the infected free-ranging deer in Wisconsin have been found in two areas: the south-central region of Dane and Iowa counties, and a spot in southeastern Wisconsin that's part of a chronic wasting disease area in northern Illinois.
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
The prevalence rate for adult bucks 2 1/2 years or older in the first epicenter of the outbreak, which covers mostly western Dane County and eastern Iowa County, increased from 10% in 2007 to 15.5% last year, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Natural Resources.
The infection rate for yearling bucks increased from 3% to 6% in the same period.
Chronic wasting disease was first discovered in Wisconsin in 2002. Since then, DNR officials have analyzed almost 152,000 deer, with 1,172 free-ranging deer testing positive for the always-fatal nervous system disease.
"Five to 10 years in the future, we will know better whether this was just a one-year blip on the chart or the beginning of a trend of increasing disease prevalence in Wisconsin," population ecologist Robert Rolley said in a statement.
Researchers used sophisticated statistical techniques that adjust for factors such as age and gender to estimate infection rates, which appear to vary randomly from one year to the next. But evidence points to a general trend of a 4% infection increase each year in Wisconsin.
Chronic wasting disease has been discovered in wild deer or elk herds in 11 states and two Canadian provinces. All of the infected free-ranging deer in Wisconsin have been found in two areas: the south-central region of Dane and Iowa counties, and a spot in southeastern Wisconsin that's part of a chronic wasting disease area in northern Illinois.
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Monday, August 03, 2009
MIDWESTERN US NEWS: Lyme Disease on the Rise
MINNEAPOLIS - Deer ticks are expanding their range in the Upper Midwest, increasing the threat of disease to hikers and others tramping through the region's woods.
Public health officials say it's happening in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and southern Canada. The number of Lyme disease cases has been growing with the expansion.
No one is sure why the range is growing, but there's growing suspicion that subtle changes in the climate are tipping the ticks' complicated ecosystems toward expansion.
Health officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are trying to get funding to test that theory.
Officials agree that it's not enough to keep people out of the woods, but they say outdoors enthusiasts should be smart and take precautions against tick bites.
Source: Chi Tribune
Public health officials say it's happening in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and southern Canada. The number of Lyme disease cases has been growing with the expansion.
No one is sure why the range is growing, but there's growing suspicion that subtle changes in the climate are tipping the ticks' complicated ecosystems toward expansion.
Health officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are trying to get funding to test that theory.
Officials agree that it's not enough to keep people out of the woods, but they say outdoors enthusiasts should be smart and take precautions against tick bites.
Source: Chi Tribune
UZBEKISTAN NEWS: Bukhara Deer Reintroduced Along Syr Darya River
For almost half a century, the Bukhara deer -- a species endemic to Central Asia -- had not been seen in the wild in the forests along the Syr Darya river. But the species has now returned to Kazakhstan's southern Turkestan district with the recent release of ten deer into their traditional habitat.
The animals, bred in a pen set up in 2001, were released in late May by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and local conservationists.
Olga Pereladova, the director of WWF's Central Asia Program in Moscow, explains that the last of the Bukhara deer in the Syr Darya valley were killed in 1962. “Since then, there have been no deer at all. It was not only a problem of the animals' elimination, but a problem of destruction of habitats because a lot of riparian forests were cut down," Pereladova said.
The deer will continue to be fed for several months to help them adapt to life in the wild, their new territory, and a change in diet.
Pereladova says the sanctuary offers good protection during the adaptation period. The territory forms a peninsula surrounded by the waters of the Syr Darya and is fenced off from people living on nearby farms.
During the eight years of preparation for the release, funding of up to $15,000 a year was provided mainly by WWF Netherlands. Norway's government and the Kazakh regional government have also been contributing.
The Bukhara deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus) is ash gray, with yellowish highlights and a grayish-white rump patch. The male deer have antlers. The animals’ habitat includes Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The WWF has been working since 1999 to save the species in cooperation with local communities and officials across the region. Pereladova says the population has since increased from only 350 to 1,300.
Successful Strategy
That's partly thanks to a series of successful reintroductions.
In 2007, a group of deer was released in Uzbekistan's Zarafshan Nature Reserve. The animals, raised in nearby pens, were the second group to be set free in the reserve, following a successful release in 2005.
A similar release took place in 2007 in Kazakhstan's Altyn Emel National Park, on the right bank of the Ili River. The animals came from a game reserve located on the other bank of the river.
"In Zarafshan, they're reproducing very well and the released groups are already contacting the group of deer in the Tajik part of the [river] valley,” Pereladova said. “So we hope for the sustainable establishment of the population. But new releases are planned because we again have extra animals in the pens. In Altyn Emel, newborns were seen."
Pereladova says a transfer of deer was also planned in the lower regions of the Amu Darya River in Uzbekistan.
"The Badaitugai Nature Reserve is overpopulated, [while in] downstream Amu Darya, new sites of riparian forests have developed, and [deer] can be released there,” she said. “There is now a UNDP [United Nations Development Program] project ongoing in a system of protected areas of development of the Amu Darya Delta. Together with them, we are planning these translocations."
The Bukhara deer lives in Central Asia's riparian forests, which are characterized by thickets of trees and grassy clearings interspersed with wetlands. These forests, locally known as tugai, are located on the floodplains of rivers.
Overgrazing, agriculture, and illegal logging have contributed significantly to the destruction of the tugai. The problem is particularly acute along the Amu Darya River in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Pereladova says, however, that riparian forests are recovering fast along the Syr Darya, which lies primarily in Kazakhstan.
A number of protected areas have been established to preserve tugai ecosystems across the region.
One of them is the Beshai Palangon (which means "the forest of tigers" in Tajik) Nature Reserve in southern Tajikistan, between the Vakhsh and Pyandj rivers.
The reserve's chief, Nuriddin Saifulloev, told RFE/RL's Tajik Service that the Bukhara deer population there has increased to 18.
"When I was appointed head of the reserve [three years ago], we brought in 14 deer,” Saifulloev said. “They were very little. Now they are living freely in the reserve. Their life is very good. Some of them gave birth to fawns, so there are baby deer now."
Unbroken Habitat
Late last year, 100,000 hectares were included as buffer zones around the reserve. Pereladova calls the move "very important," saying it unites a previously fragmented protected territory.
Since 2007, WWF says that thanks to funding from Norway's government, it has improved the water drainage system in the reserve and surrounding areas. Canals were cleaned to ensure water flow from rivers to the tugai lakes and allow the recovery of the lakes, forest, and populations of various species.
But Saifulloev warns that the Bukhara deer and its habitat still need better protection. He says that the population has disappeared in Tajikistan's Romit Nature Reserve, while only a few animals remain in the Qarotogh Nature Refuge.
Pereladova says Central Asian states have demonstrated their commitment to preserve the Bukhara deer and tugai, despite often limited resources.
Central Asian governments are “doing what they can and sometimes even more than they can, initiating activities for which they don't have enough funding, but anyway trying to do what is possible; and applying for support,” she said. “So it's not that we're coming and doing something from outside, but we are combining our efforts."
But she says education among the local populations and winning their participation in nature conservancy work is crucial, and begins with educating children.
"When we started work, the habitats suffered from illegal logging, grazing, etc. And people didn't know what Bukhara deer was. They had forgotten it. Now all of them know it,” Pereladova said.
“Children participated in special actions, collecting winter forage for our deer, and they transferred this knowledge to their parents,” she continued. “In Turkmenistan, go along the border of the [Amu Darya Nature Reserve and] talk to people: they know what the [Bukhara deer] is, why it is protected, and [they say] it is an honor for them that they have saved their national heritage."
Source: Radio Free Europe
The animals, bred in a pen set up in 2001, were released in late May by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and local conservationists.
Olga Pereladova, the director of WWF's Central Asia Program in Moscow, explains that the last of the Bukhara deer in the Syr Darya valley were killed in 1962. “Since then, there have been no deer at all. It was not only a problem of the animals' elimination, but a problem of destruction of habitats because a lot of riparian forests were cut down," Pereladova said.
The deer will continue to be fed for several months to help them adapt to life in the wild, their new territory, and a change in diet.
Pereladova says the sanctuary offers good protection during the adaptation period. The territory forms a peninsula surrounded by the waters of the Syr Darya and is fenced off from people living on nearby farms.
During the eight years of preparation for the release, funding of up to $15,000 a year was provided mainly by WWF Netherlands. Norway's government and the Kazakh regional government have also been contributing.
The Bukhara deer (Cervus elaphus bactrianus) is ash gray, with yellowish highlights and a grayish-white rump patch. The male deer have antlers. The animals’ habitat includes Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The WWF has been working since 1999 to save the species in cooperation with local communities and officials across the region. Pereladova says the population has since increased from only 350 to 1,300.
Successful Strategy
That's partly thanks to a series of successful reintroductions.
In 2007, a group of deer was released in Uzbekistan's Zarafshan Nature Reserve. The animals, raised in nearby pens, were the second group to be set free in the reserve, following a successful release in 2005.
A similar release took place in 2007 in Kazakhstan's Altyn Emel National Park, on the right bank of the Ili River. The animals came from a game reserve located on the other bank of the river.
"In Zarafshan, they're reproducing very well and the released groups are already contacting the group of deer in the Tajik part of the [river] valley,” Pereladova said. “So we hope for the sustainable establishment of the population. But new releases are planned because we again have extra animals in the pens. In Altyn Emel, newborns were seen."
Pereladova says a transfer of deer was also planned in the lower regions of the Amu Darya River in Uzbekistan.
"The Badaitugai Nature Reserve is overpopulated, [while in] downstream Amu Darya, new sites of riparian forests have developed, and [deer] can be released there,” she said. “There is now a UNDP [United Nations Development Program] project ongoing in a system of protected areas of development of the Amu Darya Delta. Together with them, we are planning these translocations."
The Bukhara deer lives in Central Asia's riparian forests, which are characterized by thickets of trees and grassy clearings interspersed with wetlands. These forests, locally known as tugai, are located on the floodplains of rivers.
Overgrazing, agriculture, and illegal logging have contributed significantly to the destruction of the tugai. The problem is particularly acute along the Amu Darya River in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Pereladova says, however, that riparian forests are recovering fast along the Syr Darya, which lies primarily in Kazakhstan.
A number of protected areas have been established to preserve tugai ecosystems across the region.
One of them is the Beshai Palangon (which means "the forest of tigers" in Tajik) Nature Reserve in southern Tajikistan, between the Vakhsh and Pyandj rivers.
The reserve's chief, Nuriddin Saifulloev, told RFE/RL's Tajik Service that the Bukhara deer population there has increased to 18.
"When I was appointed head of the reserve [three years ago], we brought in 14 deer,” Saifulloev said. “They were very little. Now they are living freely in the reserve. Their life is very good. Some of them gave birth to fawns, so there are baby deer now."
Unbroken Habitat
Late last year, 100,000 hectares were included as buffer zones around the reserve. Pereladova calls the move "very important," saying it unites a previously fragmented protected territory.
Since 2007, WWF says that thanks to funding from Norway's government, it has improved the water drainage system in the reserve and surrounding areas. Canals were cleaned to ensure water flow from rivers to the tugai lakes and allow the recovery of the lakes, forest, and populations of various species.
But Saifulloev warns that the Bukhara deer and its habitat still need better protection. He says that the population has disappeared in Tajikistan's Romit Nature Reserve, while only a few animals remain in the Qarotogh Nature Refuge.
Pereladova says Central Asian states have demonstrated their commitment to preserve the Bukhara deer and tugai, despite often limited resources.
Central Asian governments are “doing what they can and sometimes even more than they can, initiating activities for which they don't have enough funding, but anyway trying to do what is possible; and applying for support,” she said. “So it's not that we're coming and doing something from outside, but we are combining our efforts."
But she says education among the local populations and winning their participation in nature conservancy work is crucial, and begins with educating children.
"When we started work, the habitats suffered from illegal logging, grazing, etc. And people didn't know what Bukhara deer was. They had forgotten it. Now all of them know it,” Pereladova said.
“Children participated in special actions, collecting winter forage for our deer, and they transferred this knowledge to their parents,” she continued. “In Turkmenistan, go along the border of the [Amu Darya Nature Reserve and] talk to people: they know what the [Bukhara deer] is, why it is protected, and [they say] it is an honor for them that they have saved their national heritage."
Source: Radio Free Europe
IOWA NEWS: Marshalltown to Begin Urban Deer Hunting
The city of Marshalltown is reminding those interested in the upcoming deer hunt inside the city limits that some safety classes are coming up that are required for participation.
Permits will not go on sale until Aug. 26, but bow hunters wanting to hunt within the city limits will be required to take the Bow Hunter Safety Education course as well as pass a proficiency test. All classes being offered are between Aug. 15-25.
These are the only classes available for bow hunters between now and the beginning of the city's hunting season.
Because this is the first year bow hunting will be allowed, Terry Gray, director of the Marshalltown Parks & Recreation Department, said the city will be watching the entire process very closely.
"We really don't know what to expect," she said.
There are two ways to take the safety education course. The whole class can be taken on site or a portion of the course may be taken online and the second portion, the field day, can be taken at the on site class. A listing of the classes available can be found at www.iowadnr.gov.
None are available in Marshalltown at this time, and Gray said that might hurt participation a little bit. Most of the classes being offered are only the field day portion which requires the participant to take the online bow course. Early registration is recommended.
Any proficiency test by a certified International Education Foundation (IBEF/NBEF) instructor will be accepted. Proof is required. At this time, no test is available in Marshalltown.
Once a hunter has completed the course and proficiency test, a permit to hunt within the city limits must be obtained at the Marshalltown Parks and Recreation office. The permit fee costs $10.
The permit will then enable the hunter to get an urban hunting license available at the General Store, 116 E. Church St. There are 75 licenses available.
Additional deer hunting licenses will also be available around Marshalltown's perimeter.
The goal is to reduce the deer population inside the city.
"One thing we are doing is antlerless deer only," Gray said. "The bucks are the prize, but we are doing this to control the deer population. It's not for sport."
Source: Times Republican
Permits will not go on sale until Aug. 26, but bow hunters wanting to hunt within the city limits will be required to take the Bow Hunter Safety Education course as well as pass a proficiency test. All classes being offered are between Aug. 15-25.
These are the only classes available for bow hunters between now and the beginning of the city's hunting season.
Because this is the first year bow hunting will be allowed, Terry Gray, director of the Marshalltown Parks & Recreation Department, said the city will be watching the entire process very closely.
"We really don't know what to expect," she said.
There are two ways to take the safety education course. The whole class can be taken on site or a portion of the course may be taken online and the second portion, the field day, can be taken at the on site class. A listing of the classes available can be found at www.iowadnr.gov.
None are available in Marshalltown at this time, and Gray said that might hurt participation a little bit. Most of the classes being offered are only the field day portion which requires the participant to take the online bow course. Early registration is recommended.
Any proficiency test by a certified International Education Foundation (IBEF/NBEF) instructor will be accepted. Proof is required. At this time, no test is available in Marshalltown.
Once a hunter has completed the course and proficiency test, a permit to hunt within the city limits must be obtained at the Marshalltown Parks and Recreation office. The permit fee costs $10.
The permit will then enable the hunter to get an urban hunting license available at the General Store, 116 E. Church St. There are 75 licenses available.
Additional deer hunting licenses will also be available around Marshalltown's perimeter.
The goal is to reduce the deer population inside the city.
"One thing we are doing is antlerless deer only," Gray said. "The bucks are the prize, but we are doing this to control the deer population. It's not for sport."
Source: Times Republican
INDIANA NEWS: TB Found in Captive Deer, Wild Deer Tested
The Department of Natural Resources has collected around 30 white-tailed deer in Franklin County this past week. The concern? The spread of tuberculosis into wild populations.
So far, three facilities in southeast Indiana have captive deer that have tested positive for the disease. After the deer‘s carcasses are collected they will be transported to the animal disease diagnostic laboratory at Purdue university.
There is only a remote chance of humans contracting the disease from animals, and the risk decreases further when proper food handling and cooking procedures are used.
Source: WCSI Radio
So far, three facilities in southeast Indiana have captive deer that have tested positive for the disease. After the deer‘s carcasses are collected they will be transported to the animal disease diagnostic laboratory at Purdue university.
There is only a remote chance of humans contracting the disease from animals, and the risk decreases further when proper food handling and cooking procedures are used.
Source: WCSI Radio
NEW YORK NEWS: Deer Management Options Mulled for Green Lakes State Park
Deer here, deer there -- deer everywhere.
That's one thing that most people seem to agree on when it comes to the deer at Green Lakes State Park in the town of Manlius.
But are there too many deer? And should hunting be allowed to reduce their numbers?
It's an emotional issue and some people tie both topics together. Others feel they should be handled separately. The question about what to do with the deer is being discussed now because the state is currently formulating a new, 25-year master plan for the park and is seeking input.
A recent public hearing brought out strong feelings about the park's deer, and in particular the hunting issue. Nothing's been decided yet.
Among the key, deer-related discussion points are the high number of deer/motor vehicle accidents around the park, the fact that the park has been identified as ground zero in Central New York for the deer-carried Lyme disease tick and the fact that many surrounding homeowners are tired of having their shrubs and flowers munched on by deer.
And the most emotional: Are park users who hike, bike, bird, shoe and cross-country ski in the 1,900-acre park willing to share its use with hunters?
But first, just how many deer are there at Green Lakes State Park?
That's right. And that figures into the state parks department official position.
A total of 24 were spotted along roads in the park and just off Route 290 during a recent, early morning, one-hour visit by this reporter. Park officials said it's not uncommon to see herds of 10 to 20 deer in the late fall, winter and early spring.
"How many deer? That's an honest question that we can't answer," said Jim Semar, the park's manager for 19 months. "What we need to do is have a deer count."
His boss, Robert Hibrandt, assistant regional director for the state park's Central Region, agreed. "Everything is moot until that question, 'Are there too many deer?' is answered. And only then will we have the discussion whether we have hunting or not."
A wildlife survey was proposed several years ago by the town of Manlius, in conjunction with SUNY ESF officials. It never happened.
David Riehlman, a senior wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said "something" has to be done to manage the park's deer.
"There's certainly evidence of a high number of animals in there. Most anyone looking at the park grounds would say deer are having some impact on the vegetation in the park," he said.
But will a study answer everyone's questions? Probably not, said Brian Underwood, a wildlife biologist with the United States Geology Survey who has looked at this issue at national parks across the country. He said the answer comes down to a mix of scientific and social concerns.
"There's no magic number. The truth is there's plenty of food there for the deer. If there wasn't there wouldn't be that many deer there," he said. "I've seen 300 deer per square mile supported by mowed lawns. The question is do you want to have that many deer?
A host of accidents
The town of Manlius, which includes the villages of Manlius, Fayetteville and Minoa, is a fast-growing residential area. As undeveloped land disappears, the deer in the area continue to gravitate to the park and other open land, officials said.
Captain Jason Cassalia of the Town of Manlius Police Department acknowledged his municipality has "a lot" of deer/motor vehicle accidents.
"Last year of the 842 total accidents in our town -- which includes the town and the village of Manlius, Fayetteville and Minoa -- 114 of them were car/deer accidents," he said.
On the highly traveled roads surrounding the park (Routes 5, 257 and 290), he added, there were 33.
Along one stretch of Route 290, the state has put up Swareflex reflectors, which are supposed to reflect car lights off the road and into the woods into the deer's eyes.
"Basically, they don't work very well," said Underwood, who recently oversaw a SUNY ESF graduate student's study on deer car accidents in Onondaga County.
Nuisance permits, sterilization
Private landowners with excessive deer problems can get "nuisance permits" issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to bring in sharp shooters, or that allows them to take the multiple deer out themselves over a short period of time. Such a permit has never been issued for a Central New York park, state park officials said. Other areas have tried the sterilization approach to reduce deer numbers. "To date, none have proven to be practical or effective," a DEC official said.
Lyme disease
It's not news that county health department officials, doctors and veterinarians have essentially tagged Green Lakes State Park as "Ground Zero" for Lyme Disease in Central New York. The tick-borne disease moves from area to area carried by deer.
This year appears to be the worst deer tick and Lyme disease seasons yet in Central New York. A local dermatologist was quoted recently by The Post-Standard as saying he had 10 patients with Lyme disease, with seven believed to come from Green Lakes State Park.
Last year, a state Health Department study found that 63 percent of the deer ticks collected from Green Lakes in the summer of 2008 were infected with the bacteria, compared to an infection rate of 30 percent earlier in the year.
Typical symptoms for humans include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. Most cases can be treated with antibiotics.
In dogs, symptoms include lameness, fever, swollen joints, anorexia and kidney failure and can be fatal. Dogs can be vaccinated. There's nothing on the market, though, for humans.
Will it do any good now to take out a sizeable chunk of the park's deer herd?
Experts say it's too late. The ticks have established themselves by using all available, warm-blooded hosts, including small rodents, rabbits, skunks and raccoons. The best tool in controlling the disease at this point, officials said, is education -- specifically, taking the proper precautions when recreating in the area. Warnings are posted throughout the park.
Managing the munching
Anybody living next to Green Lakes State Park is aware of the large numbers of deer that wander into nearby residential areas throughout the year to munch on shrubs, small trees and flowers.
Town Supervisor Mark Tetley said his house borders the park.
"My neighborhood is frustrated," he said. "It's difficult to have any shrubs or plantings out. It's a difficult problem. You have so many people on different sides of it."
However, Tetley, who's been in office for two years, said he "hasn't seen a groundswell yet," of residents demanding something be done about the deer."
Sister Margaret Patrick, administrator at the Spirituality and Nature Center at Alverna Heights -- a 160-acre Catholic spiritual retreat center that's embedded on one side of the park -- said they've had to put caging and tubing around many of the retreat's "memorial trees."
"And we spray garlic spray on the trees, that seems to protect them," she said. "They (the deer) are not super destructive for us. We don't have massive gardens like people in some of the houses (surrounding the park)."
So, what about hunting?
Outdoorsman Charlie Pace successfully lobbied for bow hunting at Selkirk Shores State Park in Oswego County. He and others would like to see Green Lakes State Park opened up as well.
"The argument is not about deer management," he said. "It's about providing another recreational opportunity at the park."
He said parks officials should not be so concerned about managing the deer numbers, adding that their job is to provide recreational opportunities and to protect the fauna and flora of the park. Managing deer numbers, he said, is the DEC's job.
He pointed out Bowman Lake State Park in Chenango County, and the county-run, Highland Forest in Tully both allow hunting. Specific accommodations have been made to appease other park users, such as restricting it to a specific area, special hunting days, no permanent tree stands and no ATVs.
"Say you only opened it up for three weeks (for hunting). Had a permit system. Only 10 to 30 guys. Or maybe just handicapped guys. Or even one guy. Either way, it would be an increase in the recreational use of that park," he said.
He said park officials and other critics point to safety concerns. He bristled at comments made at the recent public hearing that high school cross country runners training in the park might be injured themselves by a misdirected or stray arrow.
"If safety is such a concern ... you have cross country kids in shorts and T-shirts running through there all the time. Are they taking all the precautions (for Lyme Disease)?," he said. "And show me where there's been such accidents in state parks (involving hunting)."
Semar, who manages the park, has a unique perspective. Before coming to Green Lakes, he managed Bowman and Selkirk state parks.
He acknowledged none of them had any problems with hunters. He also noted that each park is different because of its layout, its use and access points to various areas.
"The areas open to hunting in Selkirk and Bowman, they weren't used that much in the first place," he said. Those two parks, including Highland Forest, are in more rural areas, often bordered by undeveloped land where hunting is allowed."
At Green Lakes, the park is surrounded by a great deal of residential development, with various communities having directed access through public and privately owned trailheads.
If hunting was to be allowed, Semar said, it would make sense to have it on the park's undeveloped, 500-acre, western half. However, that area contains a number of trails used extensively by hikers, joggers, bikers, birders, cross country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts.
Semar said the public's input on the park's use carries a lot of weight in regard to what's to be done with the deer and whether hunting should be allowed.
"It's their park. It's a big issue," he said. "People are pro-hunting, but there's a lot of people who use the park who don't want hunting.
Source: Syracuse.com
That's one thing that most people seem to agree on when it comes to the deer at Green Lakes State Park in the town of Manlius.
But are there too many deer? And should hunting be allowed to reduce their numbers?
It's an emotional issue and some people tie both topics together. Others feel they should be handled separately. The question about what to do with the deer is being discussed now because the state is currently formulating a new, 25-year master plan for the park and is seeking input.
A recent public hearing brought out strong feelings about the park's deer, and in particular the hunting issue. Nothing's been decided yet.
Among the key, deer-related discussion points are the high number of deer/motor vehicle accidents around the park, the fact that the park has been identified as ground zero in Central New York for the deer-carried Lyme disease tick and the fact that many surrounding homeowners are tired of having their shrubs and flowers munched on by deer.
And the most emotional: Are park users who hike, bike, bird, shoe and cross-country ski in the 1,900-acre park willing to share its use with hunters?
But first, just how many deer are there at Green Lakes State Park?
That's right. And that figures into the state parks department official position.
A total of 24 were spotted along roads in the park and just off Route 290 during a recent, early morning, one-hour visit by this reporter. Park officials said it's not uncommon to see herds of 10 to 20 deer in the late fall, winter and early spring.
"How many deer? That's an honest question that we can't answer," said Jim Semar, the park's manager for 19 months. "What we need to do is have a deer count."
His boss, Robert Hibrandt, assistant regional director for the state park's Central Region, agreed. "Everything is moot until that question, 'Are there too many deer?' is answered. And only then will we have the discussion whether we have hunting or not."
A wildlife survey was proposed several years ago by the town of Manlius, in conjunction with SUNY ESF officials. It never happened.
David Riehlman, a senior wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said "something" has to be done to manage the park's deer.
"There's certainly evidence of a high number of animals in there. Most anyone looking at the park grounds would say deer are having some impact on the vegetation in the park," he said.
But will a study answer everyone's questions? Probably not, said Brian Underwood, a wildlife biologist with the United States Geology Survey who has looked at this issue at national parks across the country. He said the answer comes down to a mix of scientific and social concerns.
"There's no magic number. The truth is there's plenty of food there for the deer. If there wasn't there wouldn't be that many deer there," he said. "I've seen 300 deer per square mile supported by mowed lawns. The question is do you want to have that many deer?
A host of accidents
The town of Manlius, which includes the villages of Manlius, Fayetteville and Minoa, is a fast-growing residential area. As undeveloped land disappears, the deer in the area continue to gravitate to the park and other open land, officials said.
Captain Jason Cassalia of the Town of Manlius Police Department acknowledged his municipality has "a lot" of deer/motor vehicle accidents.
"Last year of the 842 total accidents in our town -- which includes the town and the village of Manlius, Fayetteville and Minoa -- 114 of them were car/deer accidents," he said.
On the highly traveled roads surrounding the park (Routes 5, 257 and 290), he added, there were 33.
Along one stretch of Route 290, the state has put up Swareflex reflectors, which are supposed to reflect car lights off the road and into the woods into the deer's eyes.
"Basically, they don't work very well," said Underwood, who recently oversaw a SUNY ESF graduate student's study on deer car accidents in Onondaga County.
Nuisance permits, sterilization
Private landowners with excessive deer problems can get "nuisance permits" issued by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to bring in sharp shooters, or that allows them to take the multiple deer out themselves over a short period of time. Such a permit has never been issued for a Central New York park, state park officials said. Other areas have tried the sterilization approach to reduce deer numbers. "To date, none have proven to be practical or effective," a DEC official said.
Lyme disease
It's not news that county health department officials, doctors and veterinarians have essentially tagged Green Lakes State Park as "Ground Zero" for Lyme Disease in Central New York. The tick-borne disease moves from area to area carried by deer.
This year appears to be the worst deer tick and Lyme disease seasons yet in Central New York. A local dermatologist was quoted recently by The Post-Standard as saying he had 10 patients with Lyme disease, with seven believed to come from Green Lakes State Park.
Last year, a state Health Department study found that 63 percent of the deer ticks collected from Green Lakes in the summer of 2008 were infected with the bacteria, compared to an infection rate of 30 percent earlier in the year.
Typical symptoms for humans include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. Most cases can be treated with antibiotics.
In dogs, symptoms include lameness, fever, swollen joints, anorexia and kidney failure and can be fatal. Dogs can be vaccinated. There's nothing on the market, though, for humans.
Will it do any good now to take out a sizeable chunk of the park's deer herd?
Experts say it's too late. The ticks have established themselves by using all available, warm-blooded hosts, including small rodents, rabbits, skunks and raccoons. The best tool in controlling the disease at this point, officials said, is education -- specifically, taking the proper precautions when recreating in the area. Warnings are posted throughout the park.
Managing the munching
Anybody living next to Green Lakes State Park is aware of the large numbers of deer that wander into nearby residential areas throughout the year to munch on shrubs, small trees and flowers.
Town Supervisor Mark Tetley said his house borders the park.
"My neighborhood is frustrated," he said. "It's difficult to have any shrubs or plantings out. It's a difficult problem. You have so many people on different sides of it."
However, Tetley, who's been in office for two years, said he "hasn't seen a groundswell yet," of residents demanding something be done about the deer."
Sister Margaret Patrick, administrator at the Spirituality and Nature Center at Alverna Heights -- a 160-acre Catholic spiritual retreat center that's embedded on one side of the park -- said they've had to put caging and tubing around many of the retreat's "memorial trees."
"And we spray garlic spray on the trees, that seems to protect them," she said. "They (the deer) are not super destructive for us. We don't have massive gardens like people in some of the houses (surrounding the park)."
So, what about hunting?
Outdoorsman Charlie Pace successfully lobbied for bow hunting at Selkirk Shores State Park in Oswego County. He and others would like to see Green Lakes State Park opened up as well.
"The argument is not about deer management," he said. "It's about providing another recreational opportunity at the park."
He said parks officials should not be so concerned about managing the deer numbers, adding that their job is to provide recreational opportunities and to protect the fauna and flora of the park. Managing deer numbers, he said, is the DEC's job.
He pointed out Bowman Lake State Park in Chenango County, and the county-run, Highland Forest in Tully both allow hunting. Specific accommodations have been made to appease other park users, such as restricting it to a specific area, special hunting days, no permanent tree stands and no ATVs.
"Say you only opened it up for three weeks (for hunting). Had a permit system. Only 10 to 30 guys. Or maybe just handicapped guys. Or even one guy. Either way, it would be an increase in the recreational use of that park," he said.
He said park officials and other critics point to safety concerns. He bristled at comments made at the recent public hearing that high school cross country runners training in the park might be injured themselves by a misdirected or stray arrow.
"If safety is such a concern ... you have cross country kids in shorts and T-shirts running through there all the time. Are they taking all the precautions (for Lyme Disease)?," he said. "And show me where there's been such accidents in state parks (involving hunting)."
Semar, who manages the park, has a unique perspective. Before coming to Green Lakes, he managed Bowman and Selkirk state parks.
He acknowledged none of them had any problems with hunters. He also noted that each park is different because of its layout, its use and access points to various areas.
"The areas open to hunting in Selkirk and Bowman, they weren't used that much in the first place," he said. Those two parks, including Highland Forest, are in more rural areas, often bordered by undeveloped land where hunting is allowed."
At Green Lakes, the park is surrounded by a great deal of residential development, with various communities having directed access through public and privately owned trailheads.
If hunting was to be allowed, Semar said, it would make sense to have it on the park's undeveloped, 500-acre, western half. However, that area contains a number of trails used extensively by hikers, joggers, bikers, birders, cross country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts.
Semar said the public's input on the park's use carries a lot of weight in regard to what's to be done with the deer and whether hunting should be allowed.
"It's their park. It's a big issue," he said. "People are pro-hunting, but there's a lot of people who use the park who don't want hunting.
Source: Syracuse.com
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
MALAYSIA NEWS: Hunting Moratorium on Sanbar and Barking Deer
PETALING JAYA: The hunting of sambar and barking deer will be stopped for two years, in a move to safeguard their numbers and ultimately, that of the Malayan tiger.
Wildlife and National Parks Department enforcement director Saharudin Anan said the two-year moratorium on hunting will start this November, when the annual one-month open season for both game species usually kicks off.
He said no hunting licences will be issued for deer this year and next, to allow the declining deer population to rebound and provide a food source for wild tigers.
Wildlife scientists have said that tiger densities depended very much on the abundance of large preys such as the sambar and barking deer, but they have been overhunted in recent years.
Sambar deer numbers have plunged drastically, prompting the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to list the species as endangered last year.
The Perhilitan 2007 annual report revealed that 221 sambar deer and 315 barking deer were captured by licensed sports hunters that year, the bulk of them in Pahang.
The department issued 574 hunting licences for both species that year, which brought in a revenue of RM81,500.
The licence costs RM200 for the sambar deer and RM100 for the barking deer, and permits the capture of one animal.
In Kuala Lumpur, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said the ministry has sought military assistance to help curb illegal wildlife trade in the country.
“The border is so long and the areas are so wide. And many people realise that our jungles are rich in resources and all kinds of flora and fauna.
“But all hope is not lost. We are working with the military to come out with more effective enforcement,” he said when launching the forum, Mainstreaming Biodiversity with a Focus on the National Tiger Action Plan yesterday.
“We have a masterplan and our commitment is to achieve that plan,” Uggah said.
He added that a task force, consisting of enforcement agencies, would also be formed to look into matters pertaining to wildlife poaching and smuggling.
Source: The Star
Wildlife and National Parks Department enforcement director Saharudin Anan said the two-year moratorium on hunting will start this November, when the annual one-month open season for both game species usually kicks off.
He said no hunting licences will be issued for deer this year and next, to allow the declining deer population to rebound and provide a food source for wild tigers.
Wildlife scientists have said that tiger densities depended very much on the abundance of large preys such as the sambar and barking deer, but they have been overhunted in recent years.
Sambar deer numbers have plunged drastically, prompting the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to list the species as endangered last year.
The Perhilitan 2007 annual report revealed that 221 sambar deer and 315 barking deer were captured by licensed sports hunters that year, the bulk of them in Pahang.
The department issued 574 hunting licences for both species that year, which brought in a revenue of RM81,500.
The licence costs RM200 for the sambar deer and RM100 for the barking deer, and permits the capture of one animal.
In Kuala Lumpur, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said the ministry has sought military assistance to help curb illegal wildlife trade in the country.
“The border is so long and the areas are so wide. And many people realise that our jungles are rich in resources and all kinds of flora and fauna.
“But all hope is not lost. We are working with the military to come out with more effective enforcement,” he said when launching the forum, Mainstreaming Biodiversity with a Focus on the National Tiger Action Plan yesterday.
“We have a masterplan and our commitment is to achieve that plan,” Uggah said.
He added that a task force, consisting of enforcement agencies, would also be formed to look into matters pertaining to wildlife poaching and smuggling.
Source: The Star
MICHIGAN NEWS: Ferrysburg Discusses Deer Management Options
While the debate over what to do with deer living in the city limits may be old hat in Grand Haven, the discussion is just heating up across the Grand River.
Ferrysburg officials have received complaints about deer destroying landscapes in the city, prompting City Council to hold a work session on the issue Monday night to discuss options for controlling the herd — including the possibility of a hunt to thin it.
The area surrounding Ferrysburg is largely undeveloped and agricultural, making it ideal for white-tailed deer, Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Scarpino said. And while the city has received complaints about the deer, he said he was concerned about their effect on other parts of the city.
Deer feed on and damage local vegetation, Scarpino said, including some protected plants at the Ferrysburg-owned Kitchel-Lindquist Dunes Preserve in Grand Haven. Something needs to be done about the deer in order to protect the plants, he said.
"You can't simply value one species of plant or animal over all the others," Scarpino said. "The deer are creating damage to plants that are rare and endangered."
Councilwoman Regina Sjoberg said she wants to look at alternatives to a cull involving sharpshooters — similar to the two conducted in Grand Haven earlier this year — including the possibility of a coordinated bow hunt during hunting season in the fall.
Councilman Chris Larson echoed Sjoberg's idea, suggesting it could be open to local hunters.
Ferrysburg currently bans hunting within 450 feet of an occupied dwelling, but those who live on more than 30 acres and meet certain other criteria are allowed to hunt on their own property.
Sjoberg also suggested attempts at deer contraception, which she said could reduce the herd by 50 percent in six years. [Rooney: This seems far-fetched. I am unaware of any study that has achieved deer reductions with contraception-only as rapidly as they suggest. Fifteen to twenty years is more realistic, assuming annual management of individuals entering the population from elsewhere.]
But one councilman said the decision shouldn't rest with the city. The state gave control over deer hunting and regulation to the Department of Natural Resources, Councilman Thomas Spoelman said.
"It shouldn't be an emotional issue for us — it should be an issue for the DNR," he said. "It's not Ferrysburg's call."
Council directed City Manager Craig Bessinger to stay in contact with Grand Haven about their own deer issues. Council also floated the idea of a possible deer management meeting or group with representatives from Ferrysburg, Grand Haven and Spring Lake.
Source: GrandHavenTribune.com
Ferrysburg officials have received complaints about deer destroying landscapes in the city, prompting City Council to hold a work session on the issue Monday night to discuss options for controlling the herd — including the possibility of a hunt to thin it.
The area surrounding Ferrysburg is largely undeveloped and agricultural, making it ideal for white-tailed deer, Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Scarpino said. And while the city has received complaints about the deer, he said he was concerned about their effect on other parts of the city.
Deer feed on and damage local vegetation, Scarpino said, including some protected plants at the Ferrysburg-owned Kitchel-Lindquist Dunes Preserve in Grand Haven. Something needs to be done about the deer in order to protect the plants, he said.
"You can't simply value one species of plant or animal over all the others," Scarpino said. "The deer are creating damage to plants that are rare and endangered."
Councilwoman Regina Sjoberg said she wants to look at alternatives to a cull involving sharpshooters — similar to the two conducted in Grand Haven earlier this year — including the possibility of a coordinated bow hunt during hunting season in the fall.
Councilman Chris Larson echoed Sjoberg's idea, suggesting it could be open to local hunters.
Ferrysburg currently bans hunting within 450 feet of an occupied dwelling, but those who live on more than 30 acres and meet certain other criteria are allowed to hunt on their own property.
Sjoberg also suggested attempts at deer contraception, which she said could reduce the herd by 50 percent in six years. [Rooney: This seems far-fetched. I am unaware of any study that has achieved deer reductions with contraception-only as rapidly as they suggest. Fifteen to twenty years is more realistic, assuming annual management of individuals entering the population from elsewhere.]
But one councilman said the decision shouldn't rest with the city. The state gave control over deer hunting and regulation to the Department of Natural Resources, Councilman Thomas Spoelman said.
"It shouldn't be an emotional issue for us — it should be an issue for the DNR," he said. "It's not Ferrysburg's call."
Council directed City Manager Craig Bessinger to stay in contact with Grand Haven about their own deer issues. Council also floated the idea of a possible deer management meeting or group with representatives from Ferrysburg, Grand Haven and Spring Lake.
Source: GrandHavenTribune.com
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: Mansfield Council Grapples with Deer
As if it didn't have enough to worry about, borough council can add marauding, shrubbery-eating deer to its list of problems.
Council recently heard from resident Robert Smith of South Academy Street who said deer have eaten most of his outdoor shrubbery. To keep them out of his garden, an electric fence is the only thing that does the job.
Borough manager Ed Grala said Smith is not alone in his problems with the prevalent animals.
"It is a difficult problem, because it's where we live," he said, referring to the rural nature of the area around the borough.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service biologist Jason Wood told borough council that before anything can be done, "they really need to quantify the problem first."
Wood said once that happens, a "management plan" can be developed.
Wood said a survey could be taken by the borough, or the agency could do a high-tech survey to observe the offending behavior at night, when it happens most.
"For us to come in to do a population survey with infrared camera surveys at night to document it could cost as much as $6,000, but if we got the job done for $2,000, that's what they would be billed for," Wood said.
The agency then would use that information to develop a whitetail deer management plan.
"In order for a municipality to proceed with special permits for a controlled hunt or other methods, they have to have a management plan in place. That is the key piece. It is really hard to tell until the counts are done and we assess the problem for what it is. It could be one or two people suffering the damage from a few deer," he added.
Wood said some people put out food for deer and that may be exacerbating the problem.
Grala agreed, adding that some people like to watch deer feeding in their yards.
"Deer are going to come where they can get food. The other thing is, and we didn't even ask the question, if we did eliminate this herd, how long would it take before we have the problem again," he asked.
The problem does appear to be seasonal, peaking in mid- to late summer when maturing vegetable gardens attract deer that seem to have no fear of humans, Grala added.
Grala said one suggestion, which council intends to follow up on, is to see if Mansfield University would like to take a survey on as a class project.
As far as keeping people from deliberately feeding deer, Grala said an ordinance prohibiting that could be passed, but "how would you enforce it?"
Though Grala said he didn't think more urban areas experienced the same problems, Wood disagreed.
"It is a pretty common problem throughout the state, but more of a northeast, southeast situation. It can be urban. It's all relative to the deer population," he said.
"Roughly 99 percent of the calls we get are more urbanized where hunting is not allowed, like big subdivisions, and the deer population hasn't been controlled," Wood added.
Source: Williamsport-Sun Gazette
Council recently heard from resident Robert Smith of South Academy Street who said deer have eaten most of his outdoor shrubbery. To keep them out of his garden, an electric fence is the only thing that does the job.
Borough manager Ed Grala said Smith is not alone in his problems with the prevalent animals.
"It is a difficult problem, because it's where we live," he said, referring to the rural nature of the area around the borough.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service biologist Jason Wood told borough council that before anything can be done, "they really need to quantify the problem first."
Wood said once that happens, a "management plan" can be developed.
Wood said a survey could be taken by the borough, or the agency could do a high-tech survey to observe the offending behavior at night, when it happens most.
"For us to come in to do a population survey with infrared camera surveys at night to document it could cost as much as $6,000, but if we got the job done for $2,000, that's what they would be billed for," Wood said.
The agency then would use that information to develop a whitetail deer management plan.
"In order for a municipality to proceed with special permits for a controlled hunt or other methods, they have to have a management plan in place. That is the key piece. It is really hard to tell until the counts are done and we assess the problem for what it is. It could be one or two people suffering the damage from a few deer," he added.
Wood said some people put out food for deer and that may be exacerbating the problem.
Grala agreed, adding that some people like to watch deer feeding in their yards.
"Deer are going to come where they can get food. The other thing is, and we didn't even ask the question, if we did eliminate this herd, how long would it take before we have the problem again," he asked.
The problem does appear to be seasonal, peaking in mid- to late summer when maturing vegetable gardens attract deer that seem to have no fear of humans, Grala added.
Grala said one suggestion, which council intends to follow up on, is to see if Mansfield University would like to take a survey on as a class project.
As far as keeping people from deliberately feeding deer, Grala said an ordinance prohibiting that could be passed, but "how would you enforce it?"
Though Grala said he didn't think more urban areas experienced the same problems, Wood disagreed.
"It is a pretty common problem throughout the state, but more of a northeast, southeast situation. It can be urban. It's all relative to the deer population," he said.
"Roughly 99 percent of the calls we get are more urbanized where hunting is not allowed, like big subdivisions, and the deer population hasn't been controlled," Wood added.
Source: Williamsport-Sun Gazette
OHIO NEWS: Dayton Metroparks to Bowhunters: We Need You
Skilled area bow hunters looking for places with plenty of deer should consider taking part in the sixth annual Five Rivers MetroParks controlled deer hunt.
Hunters 18 and older must sign up by Aug. 9 and enter a lottery for the opportunity to hunt deer in selected remote, nonpublic areas of the MetroParks. There is a $5 application fee.
The annual controlled hunts are conducted to manage the size of the herd, minimize deer damage and prevent disease.
“Last year we had 450 apply for 270 spots,” said Michael Enright of the MetroParks. “This year we estimate we’ll have 600 to 800 apply for the same number of spots.”
He said 49 deer were taken last year, and that’s about the number his staff would like to see harvested by this year’s hunts – between 40 and 60.
Interested hunters, who must have a current Ohio hunting license and deer permits, can obtain more information and register online at www.metroparks.org/bowhunting.
After hunters have been picked by lottery, they must pass both a shooting qualification test and orientation, scheduled for Aug. 22-23 at the Gander Mountain store, 8001 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights. Hunters must have proof they have passed a hunter-education course or may take a test provided by the MetroParks.
Those drawn will be allowed one month to hunt in a selected area and must take an antlerless deer before an antlered deer. The hunting will be scheduled between October and January, and all deer killed count toward a hunter’s annual state bag limits.
Several of the MetroParks hunting areas are within the state’s urban hunting zones.
For more information, contact Enright at michael.enright@metroparks.org or call (937) 277-4109.
“This is a good program for people who are looking for a good place to hunt that’s close to home, and at the same time, it helps us control the size of our deer population,” Enright added.
Source: DaytonDailyNews
Hunters 18 and older must sign up by Aug. 9 and enter a lottery for the opportunity to hunt deer in selected remote, nonpublic areas of the MetroParks. There is a $5 application fee.
The annual controlled hunts are conducted to manage the size of the herd, minimize deer damage and prevent disease.
“Last year we had 450 apply for 270 spots,” said Michael Enright of the MetroParks. “This year we estimate we’ll have 600 to 800 apply for the same number of spots.”
He said 49 deer were taken last year, and that’s about the number his staff would like to see harvested by this year’s hunts – between 40 and 60.
Interested hunters, who must have a current Ohio hunting license and deer permits, can obtain more information and register online at www.metroparks.org/bowhunting.
After hunters have been picked by lottery, they must pass both a shooting qualification test and orientation, scheduled for Aug. 22-23 at the Gander Mountain store, 8001 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights. Hunters must have proof they have passed a hunter-education course or may take a test provided by the MetroParks.
Those drawn will be allowed one month to hunt in a selected area and must take an antlerless deer before an antlered deer. The hunting will be scheduled between October and January, and all deer killed count toward a hunter’s annual state bag limits.
Several of the MetroParks hunting areas are within the state’s urban hunting zones.
For more information, contact Enright at michael.enright@metroparks.org or call (937) 277-4109.
“This is a good program for people who are looking for a good place to hunt that’s close to home, and at the same time, it helps us control the size of our deer population,” Enright added.
Source: DaytonDailyNews
Monday, July 20, 2009
OKLAHOMA NEWS: Near Record Deer Harvest in 2008
Oklahoma’s deer harvest numbers from last season have finally been tabulated and hunters had a very good year.
In fact, it was the second highest ever with a total of 111,427 deer taken in the state by hunters. That number is 7,922 shy of the state record in 2006 of 119,349.
Bow hunters had a record year. More deer were checked in last season by bow hunters than ever before in Oklahoma, a total of 17,784.
Oklahoma deer hunters also set a record for the number of antlerless deer that was harvested with 48,358.
The total number of deer checked in by all hunters increased by 16 percent increase from the previous season.
The top producing counties were Osage (4,409), Pittsburg (3,839), Cherokee (3,402) and Atoka (3,062).
Source: NewsOK
In fact, it was the second highest ever with a total of 111,427 deer taken in the state by hunters. That number is 7,922 shy of the state record in 2006 of 119,349.
Bow hunters had a record year. More deer were checked in last season by bow hunters than ever before in Oklahoma, a total of 17,784.
Oklahoma deer hunters also set a record for the number of antlerless deer that was harvested with 48,358.
The total number of deer checked in by all hunters increased by 16 percent increase from the previous season.
The top producing counties were Osage (4,409), Pittsburg (3,839), Cherokee (3,402) and Atoka (3,062).
Source: NewsOK
OREGON NEWS: Deer Deaths Spread
Black-tailed deer are turning up dead in several rural Jackson County communities in what wildlife officials fear is a new outbreak of a disease associated with backyard feeding that killed hundreds of area deer earlier this decade.
Confirmed and suspected cases of the adenovirus have been found recently outside of Ashland, in the Colestine Valley, rural Gold Hill and outside of Jacksonville, in the highest numbers since 2002, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The highly contagious, quick-killing disease killed "easily hundreds, probably over 1,000" blacktails that summer and fall alone, but no exact estimates of the die-off were known, said Mark Vargas, the ODFW's Rogue District wildlife biologist in Central Point.
"We've seen more now than we've seen since 2002, and I hope it doesn't get worse," Vargas said. "We're hoping it doesn't turn into a big die-off, but we don't know.
"Definitely, we know it's not good," Vargas said.
Similar outbreaks of the disease also are occurring around Bend, and most outbreaks are associated with people setting out food and water for wildlife, said Collin Gillin, the ODFW's state veterinarian who tracks the disease.
The virus can spread as easily as breathing air from an infected animal, so water buckets and grain piles placed by well-intentioned landowners can turn into viral hot-spots that can kill groups of deer in days.
"Congregating deer through feeding is just going to spread it," Gillin said. "It's exacerbating the issue. It's not helping.
"The best thing humans can do is, don't do anything to bring deer together."
First diagnosed in Northern California in the mid-1990s, adenovirus hemorrhagic disease now is believed to have been responsible in the late 1980s for killing hundreds of deer whose deaths originally were attributed to a different disease known as bluetongue.
Infected deer can suffer from bloody diarrhea that can scour the animal or mouth lesions that keep it from feeding.
In some cases, ODFW biologist Steve Niemela said, the deer suffer massive internal hemorrhaging discovered only in field necropsies.
In recent cases, field necropsies revealed a liter or more of liquid in their lungs, Niemela said.
"We're finding more deer described as in good condition other than the fact that they're lying there dead," Niemela said.
Preliminary tests on samples from a deer found dead June 16 near Colestine concluded adenovirus. Not all suspected cases were tested, but the symptoms were similar, he said.
Humans and pets are not considered vulnerable to the virus. While the adenovirus has similar strains affecting cattle and sheep, there are no known instances of the virus spreading from deer to other species.
Placing food or water outside for wildlife is not illegal in Oregon, though a handful of cities, such as Philomath, have adopted anti-feeding ordinances.
Jacksonville considered such an ordinance earlier this year after a ruminitis outbreak was linked to artificial feed, but the city instead has urged residents to stop feeding deer.
"I'm really hoping this doesn't turn into the kind of outbreaks we've had before," Niemela said.
Source: Mail Tribune
Confirmed and suspected cases of the adenovirus have been found recently outside of Ashland, in the Colestine Valley, rural Gold Hill and outside of Jacksonville, in the highest numbers since 2002, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The highly contagious, quick-killing disease killed "easily hundreds, probably over 1,000" blacktails that summer and fall alone, but no exact estimates of the die-off were known, said Mark Vargas, the ODFW's Rogue District wildlife biologist in Central Point.
"We've seen more now than we've seen since 2002, and I hope it doesn't get worse," Vargas said. "We're hoping it doesn't turn into a big die-off, but we don't know.
"Definitely, we know it's not good," Vargas said.
Similar outbreaks of the disease also are occurring around Bend, and most outbreaks are associated with people setting out food and water for wildlife, said Collin Gillin, the ODFW's state veterinarian who tracks the disease.
The virus can spread as easily as breathing air from an infected animal, so water buckets and grain piles placed by well-intentioned landowners can turn into viral hot-spots that can kill groups of deer in days.
"Congregating deer through feeding is just going to spread it," Gillin said. "It's exacerbating the issue. It's not helping.
"The best thing humans can do is, don't do anything to bring deer together."
First diagnosed in Northern California in the mid-1990s, adenovirus hemorrhagic disease now is believed to have been responsible in the late 1980s for killing hundreds of deer whose deaths originally were attributed to a different disease known as bluetongue.
Infected deer can suffer from bloody diarrhea that can scour the animal or mouth lesions that keep it from feeding.
In some cases, ODFW biologist Steve Niemela said, the deer suffer massive internal hemorrhaging discovered only in field necropsies.
In recent cases, field necropsies revealed a liter or more of liquid in their lungs, Niemela said.
"We're finding more deer described as in good condition other than the fact that they're lying there dead," Niemela said.
Preliminary tests on samples from a deer found dead June 16 near Colestine concluded adenovirus. Not all suspected cases were tested, but the symptoms were similar, he said.
Humans and pets are not considered vulnerable to the virus. While the adenovirus has similar strains affecting cattle and sheep, there are no known instances of the virus spreading from deer to other species.
Placing food or water outside for wildlife is not illegal in Oregon, though a handful of cities, such as Philomath, have adopted anti-feeding ordinances.
Jacksonville considered such an ordinance earlier this year after a ruminitis outbreak was linked to artificial feed, but the city instead has urged residents to stop feeding deer.
"I'm really hoping this doesn't turn into the kind of outbreaks we've had before," Niemela said.
Source: Mail Tribune
Thursday, July 16, 2009
MINNESOTA NEWS: City Officials Consider Urban Deer Management
Onalaska city officials are taking a closer look at the options they have to control the deer population.
Officials say they've gotten a number of complaints about deer coming too close to people and pets, property damage as well as car-deer accidents.
Wednesday, city leaders started talking about the specifics of the plan.
They say a non-lethal method is an option, but the results may not be permanent. Joe Barstow from the city says, "the deer will change their habits and adjust if you use sprays for smell and noise makers but there's always other options."
Approval by the city council on the management plan is expected to happen later this fall.
Source: WKBT
Officials say they've gotten a number of complaints about deer coming too close to people and pets, property damage as well as car-deer accidents.
Wednesday, city leaders started talking about the specifics of the plan.
They say a non-lethal method is an option, but the results may not be permanent. Joe Barstow from the city says, "the deer will change their habits and adjust if you use sprays for smell and noise makers but there's always other options."
Approval by the city council on the management plan is expected to happen later this fall.
Source: WKBT
MINNESOTA NEWS: St. Cloud Hunt Enters Fourth Year
St. Cloud's ongoing effort to control its urban deer herd continues this fall with its fourth archery hunt.
The city will issue a limited number of permits for archery deer hunting. Applications are due July 31.
Areas near St. Cloud State University, the Minnesota State Correctional Facility-St. Cloud, Neenah Creek, Serenity Park and in River Bluffs Regional Park will be open to archers Sept. 19-Dec. 31.
Chris Forslund, health and inspections coordinator, said he would have liked to add more areas, but the city doesn't have enough resources to keep a close eye on safety if the hunting areas are expanded.
"We're trying real hard right now to keep it at a manageable level with our time spent on it and keeping it safe, too," he said.
Hunters with the special permits have killed a declining number of deer in the past three years. In 2006, hunters killed 24 deer. They killed 21 in 2007 and 13 in 2008.
Forslund said he hasn't seen any more deer complaints than usual but "the deer are everywhere."
The city will issue 70 permits, giving preference to those who applied but did not receive a permit in 2008, Forslund said.
Once permit candidates are selected, they will be notified by the city and must complete a proficiency test administered by the St. Cloud Archers Association.
If candidates are not able to pass the test, one of 20 alternate candidates will be chosen.
The proficiency test requires the candidate to place five of six arrows within a 9-inch circle from a 5 foot stand 20 yards away.
Source: SCTimes.com
The city will issue a limited number of permits for archery deer hunting. Applications are due July 31.
Areas near St. Cloud State University, the Minnesota State Correctional Facility-St. Cloud, Neenah Creek, Serenity Park and in River Bluffs Regional Park will be open to archers Sept. 19-Dec. 31.
Chris Forslund, health and inspections coordinator, said he would have liked to add more areas, but the city doesn't have enough resources to keep a close eye on safety if the hunting areas are expanded.
"We're trying real hard right now to keep it at a manageable level with our time spent on it and keeping it safe, too," he said.
Hunters with the special permits have killed a declining number of deer in the past three years. In 2006, hunters killed 24 deer. They killed 21 in 2007 and 13 in 2008.
Forslund said he hasn't seen any more deer complaints than usual but "the deer are everywhere."
The city will issue 70 permits, giving preference to those who applied but did not receive a permit in 2008, Forslund said.
Once permit candidates are selected, they will be notified by the city and must complete a proficiency test administered by the St. Cloud Archers Association.
If candidates are not able to pass the test, one of 20 alternate candidates will be chosen.
The proficiency test requires the candidate to place five of six arrows within a 9-inch circle from a 5 foot stand 20 yards away.
Source: SCTimes.com
NEW JERSEY NEWS: Proposed Hunt Draws Ire
A deer hunt proposed by town officials has sparked the ire of several residents, who say the idea is inhumane, unsafe and irresponsible.
"It focuses on the desires of a select group of individuals: bowhunters," said attorney Wendy Bozzolasco, a Denville resident with an interest in animal rights.
Bozzolasco was one of several critics, some of whom live outside the township, who urged the town council Tuesday night to abandon the idea of a hunt.
The town explored the concept last month in response to concerns that the towns deer population has become so large that it is now a threat to the environment and drivers.
Council President Chris Dour said low-lying vegetation has been disappearing because of the deer herd.
Council members reached a consensus last month to work with the United Bowhunters of New Jersey. The nonprofit group, an association of bowhunters, plans to hunt deer from elevated stands in isolated areas.
No binding approval has been made, and details are still being worked out. The council hopes to run a 30-day trial of the program after the hunting season starts in mid-September.
Still, Bozzolasco and several others said the proposal lacks an awareness of all the consequences.
Former Councilwoman Laurie Toth said she thinks the town is too dense for the hunters to remain in seclusion. Councilman Nick Stecky echoed those reservations, saying that "kids don't walk on the paths all the time."
Above all, Bozzolasco said, bowhunts often don't kill deer swiftly or cleanly.
Instead, she said, the town should employ non-lethal methods, such as installing fences and trimming vegetation in grazing areas. Deer contraception and sterilization should also be done, she said.
That way, she said, the deer population will drop naturally as the food supply runs out.
Mayor Ted Hussa said yesterday that the critics claims arent necessarily supportable.
"We're not saying were going to have a hunt every year," he said. "Right now, it's the right thing to do."
Meredith Petrillo, Denvilles animal control officer, believes that not doing the bow hunt could mean more agonzing deaths for local deer.
"Mother Nature would be very cruel in terminating the lives of deer via starvation," she said.
Source: NJ.com
"It focuses on the desires of a select group of individuals: bowhunters," said attorney Wendy Bozzolasco, a Denville resident with an interest in animal rights.
Bozzolasco was one of several critics, some of whom live outside the township, who urged the town council Tuesday night to abandon the idea of a hunt.
The town explored the concept last month in response to concerns that the towns deer population has become so large that it is now a threat to the environment and drivers.
Council President Chris Dour said low-lying vegetation has been disappearing because of the deer herd.
Council members reached a consensus last month to work with the United Bowhunters of New Jersey. The nonprofit group, an association of bowhunters, plans to hunt deer from elevated stands in isolated areas.
No binding approval has been made, and details are still being worked out. The council hopes to run a 30-day trial of the program after the hunting season starts in mid-September.
Still, Bozzolasco and several others said the proposal lacks an awareness of all the consequences.
Former Councilwoman Laurie Toth said she thinks the town is too dense for the hunters to remain in seclusion. Councilman Nick Stecky echoed those reservations, saying that "kids don't walk on the paths all the time."
Above all, Bozzolasco said, bowhunts often don't kill deer swiftly or cleanly.
Instead, she said, the town should employ non-lethal methods, such as installing fences and trimming vegetation in grazing areas. Deer contraception and sterilization should also be done, she said.
That way, she said, the deer population will drop naturally as the food supply runs out.
Mayor Ted Hussa said yesterday that the critics claims arent necessarily supportable.
"We're not saying were going to have a hunt every year," he said. "Right now, it's the right thing to do."
Meredith Petrillo, Denvilles animal control officer, believes that not doing the bow hunt could mean more agonzing deaths for local deer.
"Mother Nature would be very cruel in terminating the lives of deer via starvation," she said.
Source: NJ.com
MONTANA NEWS: Special Deer Hunt Scheduled for Marias River State Park
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission has approved a limited-access deer hunt at the new Marias River State Park and Wildlife Management Area southwest of Shelby.
Hunters have until Aug. 7 to apply online or by mail.
Applications are available at all FWP regional offices or via the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov.
There will be an archery season from Sept. 5 through Oct. 18; and a rifle season from Oct. 25 through Nov. 15. During any given week, only 10 hunters will be allowed in the park and wildlife management area.
Wildlife biologist Gary Olson says area residents, at meetings last winter, stated their preference for a limit on the number of hunters using the new property.
Hunters have until Aug. 7 to apply online or by mail.
Applications are available at all FWP regional offices or via the FWP Web site at fwp.mt.gov.
There will be an archery season from Sept. 5 through Oct. 18; and a rifle season from Oct. 25 through Nov. 15. During any given week, only 10 hunters will be allowed in the park and wildlife management area.
Wildlife biologist Gary Olson says area residents, at meetings last winter, stated their preference for a limit on the number of hunters using the new property.
MICHIGAN NEWS: City Says No to Deer Hunt
Deer will be free to roam the west end of the city after Muskegon city commissioners this week declined to explore a controlled hunt.
A group of 30 residents in the Beachwood Neighborhood petitioned the city to do something about the growing number of deer in areas from Kruse Park to Pere Marquette Park along the city's Lake Michigan shoreline. The deer reportedly have been destroying gardens and landscaping.
City staff investigated deer herd control options with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and found that available options are costly and not effective. And city staff and commissioners didn't want to pursue the controversial option of a controlled hunt.
"I wouldn't be in favor of using firearms in a residential area," Director of Public Safety Tony Kleibecker told commissioners at their work session this week. "It would have to be a bow hunt. But we are told that has not been that successful."
Two options outlined by a DNR wildlife biologist would be to "translocate" the deer by trapping and transporting them outside of the city or by feeding the deer contraceptive-laced foods to keep birthrates low. In both cases, the costs are high and the effectiveness low, Kleibecker said of the opinions of DNR officials.
"We live in an area of the state that deer are present and they have no real predators other than automobiles," the police chief said. Kleibecker said he found no evidence of increased deer-auto accidents in the city this year.
An informal poll of commissioners found none wanting to pursue a controlled hunt nor any other deer-herd containment program.
The deer hunt option was pursued by officials in Grand Haven. The long-term effects on the deer herd are not yet known. In the meantime, the controlled hunts in Grand Haven resulted in public protests by those not wanting to harm the deer.
Mayor Steve Warmington told commissioners that since the Beachwood group petitioned the city in June about the possibility of a controlled bow hunt in the neighborhood, many west-end residents have told him they enjoy having deer around.
"I love the deer but we just want to control them," said Gail Funk, a Knollwood Court resident who told commissioners she has lost $200 worth of plants eaten by the neighborhood deer. "We can't control the herd if it's impossible. I'm not going to fight city hall on this."
Warmington said that city staff are making two suggestions for residents having problems with deer on their property. DNR officials suggest either using high fencing that is designed to keep deer away from flowers and gardens or the use of commercially sold deer repellent products.
Source: MLive
A group of 30 residents in the Beachwood Neighborhood petitioned the city to do something about the growing number of deer in areas from Kruse Park to Pere Marquette Park along the city's Lake Michigan shoreline. The deer reportedly have been destroying gardens and landscaping.
City staff investigated deer herd control options with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and found that available options are costly and not effective. And city staff and commissioners didn't want to pursue the controversial option of a controlled hunt.
"I wouldn't be in favor of using firearms in a residential area," Director of Public Safety Tony Kleibecker told commissioners at their work session this week. "It would have to be a bow hunt. But we are told that has not been that successful."
Two options outlined by a DNR wildlife biologist would be to "translocate" the deer by trapping and transporting them outside of the city or by feeding the deer contraceptive-laced foods to keep birthrates low. In both cases, the costs are high and the effectiveness low, Kleibecker said of the opinions of DNR officials.
"We live in an area of the state that deer are present and they have no real predators other than automobiles," the police chief said. Kleibecker said he found no evidence of increased deer-auto accidents in the city this year.
An informal poll of commissioners found none wanting to pursue a controlled hunt nor any other deer-herd containment program.
The deer hunt option was pursued by officials in Grand Haven. The long-term effects on the deer herd are not yet known. In the meantime, the controlled hunts in Grand Haven resulted in public protests by those not wanting to harm the deer.
Mayor Steve Warmington told commissioners that since the Beachwood group petitioned the city in June about the possibility of a controlled bow hunt in the neighborhood, many west-end residents have told him they enjoy having deer around.
"I love the deer but we just want to control them," said Gail Funk, a Knollwood Court resident who told commissioners she has lost $200 worth of plants eaten by the neighborhood deer. "We can't control the herd if it's impossible. I'm not going to fight city hall on this."
Warmington said that city staff are making two suggestions for residents having problems with deer on their property. DNR officials suggest either using high fencing that is designed to keep deer away from flowers and gardens or the use of commercially sold deer repellent products.
Source: MLive
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
NEW JERSEY NEWS: Deer Reduction Sought in National Historic Park
The Morris County Park Commission and New Jersey Audubon Society are awaiting a reply from the National Park Service about sanctioning a deer hunt in Jockey Hollow.
David Helmer, the park commission executive director, and Thomas J. Gilmore, Audubon Society president, urged the hunt to reduce the area's white-tailed deer herd. They wrote on June 29 to Randy Turner, superintendent of the Morristown National Historic Park, which includes the 2,500-acre Jockey Hollow section.
Turner said Tuesday that Jockey Hollow is expected to get the initial funding for a three-year deer management study in the 2010 federal budget that begins in October. The funding depends on Congress and the president signing the budget, he said.
Jockey Hollow is adjacent to the Audubon Society's headquarters at the Scherman Hoffman-Wildlife Sanctuary and Morris County's Lewis Morris Park, where hunting is scheduled.
The Morris park commission's 2008-09 deer hunt resulted in the removal of 336 deer, up from 307 in 2007-08, a new report said [ed note: this is a removal of 86 deer per square mile!]. In 2008-09, 249 antlerless deer and 40 antlered deer were killed. Of that total, 68 deer were removed from Lewis Morris Park.
Charles Zafonte, director of natural resources and horticulture, said the 2009-10 schedule would include bow hunting in the Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Old Troy Park, Tourne County Park and, for the first time, Jonathan's Woods.
The June 29 letter said adjacent municipalities allow hunts, leaving only Jockey Hollow without a deer management program.
"A deer management program at MNHP will greatly help to restore the natural and historic landscape the park is meant to protect," Helmer and Gilmore wrote.
The pair requested the National Park Service "accept its obligation to be a responsible neighbor" and take quick action to endorse a deer management program.
They cite the return of natural habitat and diverse animals to park lands where the deer herd has been culled, but also note in the past 15 years the Scherman-Hoffman sanctuary has lost 13 species of ground or shrub-nesting birds as deer have overbrowsed the landscape.
Jockey Hollow "has become the universal poster child for deer-damaged landscapes," Helmer and Gilmore wrote.
Source: Daily Record
David Helmer, the park commission executive director, and Thomas J. Gilmore, Audubon Society president, urged the hunt to reduce the area's white-tailed deer herd. They wrote on June 29 to Randy Turner, superintendent of the Morristown National Historic Park, which includes the 2,500-acre Jockey Hollow section.
Turner said Tuesday that Jockey Hollow is expected to get the initial funding for a three-year deer management study in the 2010 federal budget that begins in October. The funding depends on Congress and the president signing the budget, he said.
Jockey Hollow is adjacent to the Audubon Society's headquarters at the Scherman Hoffman-Wildlife Sanctuary and Morris County's Lewis Morris Park, where hunting is scheduled.
The Morris park commission's 2008-09 deer hunt resulted in the removal of 336 deer, up from 307 in 2007-08, a new report said [ed note: this is a removal of 86 deer per square mile!]. In 2008-09, 249 antlerless deer and 40 antlered deer were killed. Of that total, 68 deer were removed from Lewis Morris Park.
Charles Zafonte, director of natural resources and horticulture, said the 2009-10 schedule would include bow hunting in the Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Old Troy Park, Tourne County Park and, for the first time, Jonathan's Woods.
The June 29 letter said adjacent municipalities allow hunts, leaving only Jockey Hollow without a deer management program.
"A deer management program at MNHP will greatly help to restore the natural and historic landscape the park is meant to protect," Helmer and Gilmore wrote.
The pair requested the National Park Service "accept its obligation to be a responsible neighbor" and take quick action to endorse a deer management program.
They cite the return of natural habitat and diverse animals to park lands where the deer herd has been culled, but also note in the past 15 years the Scherman-Hoffman sanctuary has lost 13 species of ground or shrub-nesting birds as deer have overbrowsed the landscape.
Jockey Hollow "has become the universal poster child for deer-damaged landscapes," Helmer and Gilmore wrote.
Source: Daily Record
Monday, July 13, 2009
NEW YORK NEWS: Cornell Issues Progress Report on Campus/Community Deer Management
A 13-page progress report on Cornell University's Integrated Deer Research and Management Study was recently issued, with updated data on sterilization surgeries, culling and research protocols that include infrared-triggered cameras.
Under "expected outcomes," Drs. Paul Curtis and Jay Boulanger in CU's Department of Natural Resources write: "We will evaluate whether it is possible to integrate deer fertility management with a controlled hunting program to meet localized deer management objectives. The goal is to reduce overall deer abundance and associated impacts (primarily plant damage), and deer-vehicle accidents on and near the Cornell University campus. If this integrated management program is successful, it may have additional applications in other communities in New York state and the Northeast." Additional public presentations on this work will be held later this year, (dates TBD), and results will be published in peer-reviewed literature. To view the full report, access www.govrelations.cornell.edu/community.
Source: The Ithaca Journal
Under "expected outcomes," Drs. Paul Curtis and Jay Boulanger in CU's Department of Natural Resources write: "We will evaluate whether it is possible to integrate deer fertility management with a controlled hunting program to meet localized deer management objectives. The goal is to reduce overall deer abundance and associated impacts (primarily plant damage), and deer-vehicle accidents on and near the Cornell University campus. If this integrated management program is successful, it may have additional applications in other communities in New York state and the Northeast." Additional public presentations on this work will be held later this year, (dates TBD), and results will be published in peer-reviewed literature. To view the full report, access www.govrelations.cornell.edu/community.
Source: The Ithaca Journal
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
CONNECTICUT NEWS: FoA Protests Town Decision to Hunt Deer
No news on whether Friends of Spirochetes was also involved in organizing the protest.
Protesters lined the Post Road at Sherman Green Wednesday afternoon, demonstrating against a town committee's consideration of allowing hunting on public property to control the local deer population.
"The goal is to enlighten Fairfield residents to what's going on, where it's at and encourage people to start making phone calls and writing letters and let the commission know that we're not going to stand for this," said Nancy Rice, a Friends of
Animals employee who organized the rally.
The group held aloft signs that read: "Stop the War on Wildlife," "Ignoring Facts for the Thrill of the Kill," and "Conservation Commission: Do Not Change Regulations to Allow Killing." The protest didn't go off exactly as planned. One dramatic sign -- a photo of a deer with an arrow through its head -- was kept under wraps because a children's concert was under way on the green.
A hunter can now take down a deer on private property with a bow or a gun, depending on the property's size and how close neighboring homes are.
Conservation Commission member Chester Burley told the Fairfield Citizen last week that if hunting deer on public property is allowed in Fairfield, it would be very controlled and probably wouldn't be allowed more than three times per year.
However, Redding resident Lynn Gorfinkle, who has attended meetings of Fairfield's Deer Management Subcommittee and is a longtime opponent of hunting, said Wednesday that no hunting on public space, no matter how controlled, can be entirely safe.
"It will not work," she said, suggesting that large public lands won't be roped off and many people may miss signs that will posted about the controlled hunts, especially children.
In addition, Gorfinkle said hunters wound or kill 1,000 people in the United States each year.
The Conservation Commission's Deer Management Committee has considered various options to control deer overpopulation, and also has heard suggestions by the public. In addition to hunting, the options include trapping and relocating deer, administering birth control, using repellents and fencing off properties.
Gorfinkle said, "The right way to handle the deer population is to handle the perceived problem that some few individuals claim to have."
For example, deer often get blamed for the spread of Lyme disease, but Gofinkle said a deer is only one of the hosts for the ticks that spread the illness.
"Killing deer will not eliminate Lyme disease," Gorfinkle added.
If people have a problem with deer eating their gardens, Gorfinkle said they should erect a wire fence around their plants and flowers, use repellent sprays or plant things they know the deer won't eat.
Fairfield resident Debbie Lake said she has not seen enough deer to back up the Conservation Commission finding that there are 75 deer per square mile in town, even when she's in the Lake Hills area, where her mother lives.
Hunters looking for deer "are going to wind up killing dogs or kids, or anything," Lake said.
Gorfinkle said she suspects that "this effort on the part of the deer committee was choreographed through their contact with the FCMDMA [Fairfield County Municipal Deer Management Alliance] via Milan Bull," a hunter who serves on the Conservation Commission.
A few weeks ago, Rice filed a complaint against the Conservation Commission, claiming that members Bull and Burley violated the town's code of standards and conduct as members of the Deer Management Committee. Rice felt the two members are biased in favor of hunting, as one is a hunter and the other a gardener. The claim was dismissed last week.
In an interview last week, Burley said, "The fact that I'm a gardener and that influences or makes me biased beyond the point of being rational and impartial is as ludicrous an accusation as it is to tell a vegetarian not to shop at Stop & Shop because they sell meat there."
Calls to Bull were not returned.
Gorfinkle, who was born in Fairfield, said past history in various communities and states shows that killing deer increases, rather than decreases, the overall the deer population.
"There's more habitat for the remaining deer," she said. "Their health is amplified.
Their reproductive ability is amplified and instead of maybe having one fawn, a mother will have two or fawns. Hunting spurs the rate of reproduction."
Although the Conservation Commission has been accused of being pro-hunting, it is not following the opinion of the first selectman. Rice said she received a letter from First Selectman Kenneth Flatto stating he opposes the killing of any animals in Fairfield.
"It's good to know he's on our side," Rice said. "I don't know if it will help but it's good to know he's on our side."
Source: Connecticut Post
Protesters lined the Post Road at Sherman Green Wednesday afternoon, demonstrating against a town committee's consideration of allowing hunting on public property to control the local deer population.
"The goal is to enlighten Fairfield residents to what's going on, where it's at and encourage people to start making phone calls and writing letters and let the commission know that we're not going to stand for this," said Nancy Rice, a Friends of
Animals employee who organized the rally.
The group held aloft signs that read: "Stop the War on Wildlife," "Ignoring Facts for the Thrill of the Kill," and "Conservation Commission: Do Not Change Regulations to Allow Killing." The protest didn't go off exactly as planned. One dramatic sign -- a photo of a deer with an arrow through its head -- was kept under wraps because a children's concert was under way on the green.
A hunter can now take down a deer on private property with a bow or a gun, depending on the property's size and how close neighboring homes are.
Conservation Commission member Chester Burley told the Fairfield Citizen last week that if hunting deer on public property is allowed in Fairfield, it would be very controlled and probably wouldn't be allowed more than three times per year.
However, Redding resident Lynn Gorfinkle, who has attended meetings of Fairfield's Deer Management Subcommittee and is a longtime opponent of hunting, said Wednesday that no hunting on public space, no matter how controlled, can be entirely safe.
"It will not work," she said, suggesting that large public lands won't be roped off and many people may miss signs that will posted about the controlled hunts, especially children.
In addition, Gorfinkle said hunters wound or kill 1,000 people in the United States each year.
The Conservation Commission's Deer Management Committee has considered various options to control deer overpopulation, and also has heard suggestions by the public. In addition to hunting, the options include trapping and relocating deer, administering birth control, using repellents and fencing off properties.
Gorfinkle said, "The right way to handle the deer population is to handle the perceived problem that some few individuals claim to have."
For example, deer often get blamed for the spread of Lyme disease, but Gofinkle said a deer is only one of the hosts for the ticks that spread the illness.
"Killing deer will not eliminate Lyme disease," Gorfinkle added.
If people have a problem with deer eating their gardens, Gorfinkle said they should erect a wire fence around their plants and flowers, use repellent sprays or plant things they know the deer won't eat.
Fairfield resident Debbie Lake said she has not seen enough deer to back up the Conservation Commission finding that there are 75 deer per square mile in town, even when she's in the Lake Hills area, where her mother lives.
Hunters looking for deer "are going to wind up killing dogs or kids, or anything," Lake said.
Gorfinkle said she suspects that "this effort on the part of the deer committee was choreographed through their contact with the FCMDMA [Fairfield County Municipal Deer Management Alliance] via Milan Bull," a hunter who serves on the Conservation Commission.
A few weeks ago, Rice filed a complaint against the Conservation Commission, claiming that members Bull and Burley violated the town's code of standards and conduct as members of the Deer Management Committee. Rice felt the two members are biased in favor of hunting, as one is a hunter and the other a gardener. The claim was dismissed last week.
In an interview last week, Burley said, "The fact that I'm a gardener and that influences or makes me biased beyond the point of being rational and impartial is as ludicrous an accusation as it is to tell a vegetarian not to shop at Stop & Shop because they sell meat there."
Calls to Bull were not returned.
Gorfinkle, who was born in Fairfield, said past history in various communities and states shows that killing deer increases, rather than decreases, the overall the deer population.
"There's more habitat for the remaining deer," she said. "Their health is amplified.
Their reproductive ability is amplified and instead of maybe having one fawn, a mother will have two or fawns. Hunting spurs the rate of reproduction."
Although the Conservation Commission has been accused of being pro-hunting, it is not following the opinion of the first selectman. Rice said she received a letter from First Selectman Kenneth Flatto stating he opposes the killing of any animals in Fairfield.
"It's good to know he's on our side," Rice said. "I don't know if it will help but it's good to know he's on our side."
Source: Connecticut Post
Monday, July 06, 2009
ARKANSAS NEWS: Special Hunts Scheduled to Reduce Deer
Every year in Arkansas, thousands of drivers report crashing their vehicles into deer.
Hundreds more complain to their city officials about the animals eating precious rosebushes or grazing in backyard gardens. Deer in some areas have become such nuisances that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been organizing urban hunts over the past few years to thin herds around towns. Those hunters are allowed to use only bows and arrows.
Hunts are scheduled for September and January in Horseshoe Bend, Cherokee Village, Bull Shoals and Hot Springs Village.
"The main thing is we've been getting in a lot of car accidents with them. I've hit three over the last few years," Horseshoe Bend Mayor Bob Barnes said. "This was a very touchy subject. We put it to ballot, and having urban hunts passed with about 67 percent for it."
Brad Miller, a deer biologist for the Game and Fish Commission, said 1,215 people reported crashing into deer in 2007 compared with 1,216 and 1,213 in 2006 and 2005, respectively. The animals can often be seen grazing along roads, Miller noted.
"Basically, they eat weeds," he said. "If it's late in winter, they will likely be eating the grasses on the side of the road. At other times of the year, they like the clover or other various weeds like goldenrod."
A report on deer-vehicle-collision claims from State Farm Insurance lists 18,498 such accidents in Arkansas from 2007 through 2008. Nationwide, the report lists 1.2 million such collisions for the same time period.
Accurately calculating the number of deer-vehicle collisions each year is difficult.
"People aren't required to report the accidents to Game and Fish," Miller said. "So, our numbers are only those folks who called our 24-hour number where you can report accidents with wildlife or if you had something like a bear in your yard."
The State Farm data also include collisions with moose and elk. There is an elk herd in north Arkansas near the Buffalo River.
"This data is based on actual comprehensive and collision claims, and as such, would not include deer-vehicle collisions where the policyholder had only liability insurance coverage, which is typically carried on older vehicles in some states," the report reads.
Miller said that typically, city leaders contact the commission asking for help after resident complaints mount. Wildlife experts then go to the area and survey the deer population and make recommendations to city leaders.
After conducting surveys in 2006 and 2007, the Game and Fish Commission recommended in 2007 that Little Rock consider allowing urban hunts. So far there haven't been any.
The highest density of deer was found in the Two Rivers Park area near Pinnacle Mountain. The June 2007 survey found that the area had one deer for every 3.4 acres. The June 2006 data showed one deer for every 2.5 acres (256 deer per square mile).
Assistant City Manager Bryan Day said having a hunt inside the Little Rock city limits will require much discussion.
He said that eight or nine years ago, the city amended an ordinance to prohibit the discharge of weapons - including bows - inside the city limits.
"Game and Fish came to us a couple of years ago and said a lot of places were having successful urban hunts in other areas of the state, and they would like us to consider it," Day said. "We have forwarded the Game and Fish request to the legal department for review. We're very much in an exploratory phase, and the staff does not have a recommendation yet for the city Board of Directors."
An urban hunt is the cheapest option for an area with nuisance deer herds the Game and Fish Commission found, listing the other options as:
Fertility drugs: $2 to $10 per dose, but $500 to $1,000 to trap or dart each deer.
Trapping and relocating: $400 to $1,000 per deer, with a low survival rate expected for the animals in unfamiliar habitat.
Sharpshooters: $150 to $400 per deer, with harvested animals donated to needy families.
In an urban hunt, each hunter is required to donate his first deer, which must be a doe, to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry.
In addition to reducing the number of collisions with vehicles, Miller said, keeping the deer population in check is important because the animals are a "keystone" species.
"That means they have the propensity to affect numerous other species, some positively and some negatively," Miller said. "For ground-nesting birds, deer can significantly reduce the amount of vegetative cover, and they can potentially eliminate some plant species altogether."
Sitting in his west Little Rock office, decorated with antlers and trophy art made from game fowl feathers, Miller pulled up a photo on his computer to illustrate his point.
The picture shows a wooded area with a fence running down the middle of the frame. On the side of the fence where there are no deer, there are wild fruit bushes, saplings and shrubs bunched between the towering trees. On the other side, the trees appear to be growing from a carpet of ferns. No other vegetation is visible.
"The deer don't eat the ferns," Miller said. "They don't like them much."
After completing the necessary education classes, 250 hunters will be selected at random for each urban hunting season with the exception of the hunt in Hot Springs Village where only 200 will be allowed to participate.
To be eligible, each hunter must complete the International Bowhunter Education Program either in the traditional classroom setting or online. Once a hunter passes the program, the certification is good for life, according to the Game and Fish Commission.
The final step for a hunter to become eligible to participate in the urban hunts is passing a shooting proficiency test.
"Basically they will be shooting at lifelike deer targets from 20 yards away," Miller said. "They'll have to hit a certain place with a certain number of arrows to qualify."
Barnes said that while the deer in Horseshoe Bend have been ravaging flower beds and gardens and crashing into vehicles, he's not planning to be a part of the hunt.
"It wouldn't be to my benefit," he said. "There's no way I could hit one using a bow."
Source: NWANews
Hundreds more complain to their city officials about the animals eating precious rosebushes or grazing in backyard gardens. Deer in some areas have become such nuisances that the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been organizing urban hunts over the past few years to thin herds around towns. Those hunters are allowed to use only bows and arrows.
Hunts are scheduled for September and January in Horseshoe Bend, Cherokee Village, Bull Shoals and Hot Springs Village.
"The main thing is we've been getting in a lot of car accidents with them. I've hit three over the last few years," Horseshoe Bend Mayor Bob Barnes said. "This was a very touchy subject. We put it to ballot, and having urban hunts passed with about 67 percent for it."
Brad Miller, a deer biologist for the Game and Fish Commission, said 1,215 people reported crashing into deer in 2007 compared with 1,216 and 1,213 in 2006 and 2005, respectively. The animals can often be seen grazing along roads, Miller noted.
"Basically, they eat weeds," he said. "If it's late in winter, they will likely be eating the grasses on the side of the road. At other times of the year, they like the clover or other various weeds like goldenrod."
A report on deer-vehicle-collision claims from State Farm Insurance lists 18,498 such accidents in Arkansas from 2007 through 2008. Nationwide, the report lists 1.2 million such collisions for the same time period.
Accurately calculating the number of deer-vehicle collisions each year is difficult.
"People aren't required to report the accidents to Game and Fish," Miller said. "So, our numbers are only those folks who called our 24-hour number where you can report accidents with wildlife or if you had something like a bear in your yard."
The State Farm data also include collisions with moose and elk. There is an elk herd in north Arkansas near the Buffalo River.
"This data is based on actual comprehensive and collision claims, and as such, would not include deer-vehicle collisions where the policyholder had only liability insurance coverage, which is typically carried on older vehicles in some states," the report reads.
Miller said that typically, city leaders contact the commission asking for help after resident complaints mount. Wildlife experts then go to the area and survey the deer population and make recommendations to city leaders.
After conducting surveys in 2006 and 2007, the Game and Fish Commission recommended in 2007 that Little Rock consider allowing urban hunts. So far there haven't been any.
The highest density of deer was found in the Two Rivers Park area near Pinnacle Mountain. The June 2007 survey found that the area had one deer for every 3.4 acres. The June 2006 data showed one deer for every 2.5 acres (256 deer per square mile).
Assistant City Manager Bryan Day said having a hunt inside the Little Rock city limits will require much discussion.
He said that eight or nine years ago, the city amended an ordinance to prohibit the discharge of weapons - including bows - inside the city limits.
"Game and Fish came to us a couple of years ago and said a lot of places were having successful urban hunts in other areas of the state, and they would like us to consider it," Day said. "We have forwarded the Game and Fish request to the legal department for review. We're very much in an exploratory phase, and the staff does not have a recommendation yet for the city Board of Directors."
An urban hunt is the cheapest option for an area with nuisance deer herds the Game and Fish Commission found, listing the other options as:
Fertility drugs: $2 to $10 per dose, but $500 to $1,000 to trap or dart each deer.
Trapping and relocating: $400 to $1,000 per deer, with a low survival rate expected for the animals in unfamiliar habitat.
Sharpshooters: $150 to $400 per deer, with harvested animals donated to needy families.
In an urban hunt, each hunter is required to donate his first deer, which must be a doe, to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry.
In addition to reducing the number of collisions with vehicles, Miller said, keeping the deer population in check is important because the animals are a "keystone" species.
"That means they have the propensity to affect numerous other species, some positively and some negatively," Miller said. "For ground-nesting birds, deer can significantly reduce the amount of vegetative cover, and they can potentially eliminate some plant species altogether."
Sitting in his west Little Rock office, decorated with antlers and trophy art made from game fowl feathers, Miller pulled up a photo on his computer to illustrate his point.
The picture shows a wooded area with a fence running down the middle of the frame. On the side of the fence where there are no deer, there are wild fruit bushes, saplings and shrubs bunched between the towering trees. On the other side, the trees appear to be growing from a carpet of ferns. No other vegetation is visible.
"The deer don't eat the ferns," Miller said. "They don't like them much."
After completing the necessary education classes, 250 hunters will be selected at random for each urban hunting season with the exception of the hunt in Hot Springs Village where only 200 will be allowed to participate.
To be eligible, each hunter must complete the International Bowhunter Education Program either in the traditional classroom setting or online. Once a hunter passes the program, the certification is good for life, according to the Game and Fish Commission.
The final step for a hunter to become eligible to participate in the urban hunts is passing a shooting proficiency test.
"Basically they will be shooting at lifelike deer targets from 20 yards away," Miller said. "They'll have to hit a certain place with a certain number of arrows to qualify."
Barnes said that while the deer in Horseshoe Bend have been ravaging flower beds and gardens and crashing into vehicles, he's not planning to be a part of the hunt.
"It wouldn't be to my benefit," he said. "There's no way I could hit one using a bow."
Source: NWANews
GEORGIA NEWS: Berry College Studies Ways to Reduce Deer-Vehicle Collisions
Deer-vehicle collisions are a nationwide problem, killing an estimated 150 people each year and causing a billion dollars worth of damage, researchers say.
And, with as many as 2,500 deer roaming its property on any given day, Berry College is the perfect setting to study ways to avoid the collisions.
George Gallagher, professor of animal science, and his team of Berry students are collaborating with Bob Warren and Karl Miller of the University of Georgia to develop methods and devices to minimize deer-vehicle collisions. Their efforts are part of a seven-year study funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“We do all our preliminary lab work at UGA’s captive deer facility and all the field work at Berry,” said Gallagher. “Berry represents a very wonderful urban deer population.”
Their past experiments have been designed to measure how a deer perceives and reacts to sights and sounds — in order to better understand the anatomy and physiology of the animal.
A common misconception is that deer have excellent hearing, Gallagher said.
“The truth is, their hearing is much closer to our hearing,” he said.
The current, yearlong, study is focusing on the effectiveness of a new fence designed to keep deer off roadways and lessen the possibility of an accident.
As part of this study, a two-mile stretch of temporary fencing has been constructed along Lavender Mountain Drive, which connects Berry’s main and mountain campuses.
One mile consists of the standard eight-foot fence often seen along highways.
“A deer can typically jump an eight-foot to ninefoot fence,” Gallagher said. This type of fence will work 80 to 90 percent of the time, but it’s relatively expensive and unattractive, he said.
The second mile consists of a new cost-effective design previously tested on the captive deer herd at UGA.
The new design is a fence with Bayco wire lined along the top and angled away from the road.
“Because of the angle, deer are a lot less likely to want to jump the fence,” Gallagher explained.
At the same time, if a deer is on the side of the road and comes upon the fence, it is more likely to jump over the fence to the safer side.
“The goal is to provide a fence that balances the need to minimize deer-vehicle collisions with a more cost-effective design, better suited for implementation and maintenance by Georgia and other DOT operations,” he said.
Before building the fence, teams of researchers canvassed the area around Lavender Mountain Drive in an effort to fit deer with GPS radio collars. Once deer have been collared, researchers are able to track their movements and learn more about their habits.
“The GPS collars provide an unprecedented glimpse into deer behavior by giving us a location update every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, for an entire year,” Gallagher explained.
“This type of information allows us to develop a better understanding of their behavior, which, in turn, puts us in a better position to try to determine how to alter their actions.”
In an effort to be as humane as possible, researchers used both tranquilizer darts and rocket-propelled nets to capture the deer without causing undue injury.
With the fences up, and the GPS collars on approximately 20 deer around Lavender Mountain Drive, Gallagher and his team are now collecting data.
Gallagher said he is hoping to provide more insight about the new fence by January.
“I’m not a fan of the high fences. I’m hoping we’ll have a fence design that is cost-effective and effective for the deer,” he said. “Now, we’re just waiting and letting the deer be deer.”
Source: Rome News Tribune
And, with as many as 2,500 deer roaming its property on any given day, Berry College is the perfect setting to study ways to avoid the collisions.
George Gallagher, professor of animal science, and his team of Berry students are collaborating with Bob Warren and Karl Miller of the University of Georgia to develop methods and devices to minimize deer-vehicle collisions. Their efforts are part of a seven-year study funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
“We do all our preliminary lab work at UGA’s captive deer facility and all the field work at Berry,” said Gallagher. “Berry represents a very wonderful urban deer population.”
Their past experiments have been designed to measure how a deer perceives and reacts to sights and sounds — in order to better understand the anatomy and physiology of the animal.
A common misconception is that deer have excellent hearing, Gallagher said.
“The truth is, their hearing is much closer to our hearing,” he said.
The current, yearlong, study is focusing on the effectiveness of a new fence designed to keep deer off roadways and lessen the possibility of an accident.
As part of this study, a two-mile stretch of temporary fencing has been constructed along Lavender Mountain Drive, which connects Berry’s main and mountain campuses.
One mile consists of the standard eight-foot fence often seen along highways.
“A deer can typically jump an eight-foot to ninefoot fence,” Gallagher said. This type of fence will work 80 to 90 percent of the time, but it’s relatively expensive and unattractive, he said.
The second mile consists of a new cost-effective design previously tested on the captive deer herd at UGA.
The new design is a fence with Bayco wire lined along the top and angled away from the road.
“Because of the angle, deer are a lot less likely to want to jump the fence,” Gallagher explained.
At the same time, if a deer is on the side of the road and comes upon the fence, it is more likely to jump over the fence to the safer side.
“The goal is to provide a fence that balances the need to minimize deer-vehicle collisions with a more cost-effective design, better suited for implementation and maintenance by Georgia and other DOT operations,” he said.
Before building the fence, teams of researchers canvassed the area around Lavender Mountain Drive in an effort to fit deer with GPS radio collars. Once deer have been collared, researchers are able to track their movements and learn more about their habits.
“The GPS collars provide an unprecedented glimpse into deer behavior by giving us a location update every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, for an entire year,” Gallagher explained.
“This type of information allows us to develop a better understanding of their behavior, which, in turn, puts us in a better position to try to determine how to alter their actions.”
In an effort to be as humane as possible, researchers used both tranquilizer darts and rocket-propelled nets to capture the deer without causing undue injury.
With the fences up, and the GPS collars on approximately 20 deer around Lavender Mountain Drive, Gallagher and his team are now collecting data.
Gallagher said he is hoping to provide more insight about the new fence by January.
“I’m not a fan of the high fences. I’m hoping we’ll have a fence design that is cost-effective and effective for the deer,” he said. “Now, we’re just waiting and letting the deer be deer.”
Source: Rome News Tribune
Thursday, June 25, 2009
SPECIAL REPORT: All You Need to Know About Deer Exclosure Construction
The website deerfacts.org has just posted an excellent report entitled "Deer Exclosures: A Comprehensive Practical Guide." The report has excellent photos and drawings, and provides five levels of cost and quality for different types of fencing. I highly recommend the report.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
NEW JERSEY NEWS: Park Employee-Only Hunt Shot Down
A plan to allow only Monmouth County Park System employees to participate in a special "culling" deer hunt next winter at Tatum Park is dead, although hunts open to the public will continue.
A storm of complaints from excluded sportsmen as well as opposition from the anti-hunting community led the county Board of Recreation Commissioners to defeat the employee-only hunt resolution in a split vote Monday night.
The seven residents who spoke during the public hearing mostly ridiculed the idea of park system employees hunting for deer while on the taxpayer's clock, and Commissioner Kevin Mandeville agreed, saying, "I am totally opposed to paying staff to hunt."
The vote was 6-3 against the resolution. Siding with Mandeville were Frederick C. Kniesler, Michael G. Harmon, Violeta Peters, N. Britt Raynor, and Michael W. Brim. Voting in favor of the employee-only hunt were board Chairman Edward J. Loud, Thomas E. Hennessy Jr. and Fred J. Rummel.
However, the commissioners unanimously approved all other elements of the deer management plan for the coming year, which allows deer hunting to continue in the same 15 park areas as last season. The hunts will begin in October at various scheduled times over a 4 1/2-month period and take place in parks in Middletown, Marlboro, Millstone Township, Upper Freehold, Howell, Roosevelt, Holmdel, Wall, Tinton Falls, Neptune and Freehold Township.
New to the program is the establishment of a $20 fee for a so-called deer harvest access permit. Officials said that the revenue is needed because of the county's budget woes and that the money can also offset "program expenses," though they conceded that people who were infrequent hunters in the past may be unlikely to sign up for the permit.
West Long Branch resident Gerard P. Natale, who is an official with several sportsmen's clubs, said hunters already pay for use of the parks through their tax dollars and shouldn't have to pay an additional fee.
"I'm a Monmouth County resident," said Steve Ferrara, Red Bank. "If someone from Ocean County wants to hunt here and you want to charge them, I guess it's OK, but don't charge your own county residents."
Harmon said the fees will be primarily used to ensure program safety.
"We're trying to cover some of the expenses. Maybe you don't see or notice it, but the park rangers are there monitoring you and protecting other people using the park. We appreciate your health and safety, and $20 is nominal for that," Harmon said.
Source: Asbury Park Press
A storm of complaints from excluded sportsmen as well as opposition from the anti-hunting community led the county Board of Recreation Commissioners to defeat the employee-only hunt resolution in a split vote Monday night.
The seven residents who spoke during the public hearing mostly ridiculed the idea of park system employees hunting for deer while on the taxpayer's clock, and Commissioner Kevin Mandeville agreed, saying, "I am totally opposed to paying staff to hunt."
The vote was 6-3 against the resolution. Siding with Mandeville were Frederick C. Kniesler, Michael G. Harmon, Violeta Peters, N. Britt Raynor, and Michael W. Brim. Voting in favor of the employee-only hunt were board Chairman Edward J. Loud, Thomas E. Hennessy Jr. and Fred J. Rummel.
However, the commissioners unanimously approved all other elements of the deer management plan for the coming year, which allows deer hunting to continue in the same 15 park areas as last season. The hunts will begin in October at various scheduled times over a 4 1/2-month period and take place in parks in Middletown, Marlboro, Millstone Township, Upper Freehold, Howell, Roosevelt, Holmdel, Wall, Tinton Falls, Neptune and Freehold Township.
New to the program is the establishment of a $20 fee for a so-called deer harvest access permit. Officials said that the revenue is needed because of the county's budget woes and that the money can also offset "program expenses," though they conceded that people who were infrequent hunters in the past may be unlikely to sign up for the permit.
West Long Branch resident Gerard P. Natale, who is an official with several sportsmen's clubs, said hunters already pay for use of the parks through their tax dollars and shouldn't have to pay an additional fee.
"I'm a Monmouth County resident," said Steve Ferrara, Red Bank. "If someone from Ocean County wants to hunt here and you want to charge them, I guess it's OK, but don't charge your own county residents."
Harmon said the fees will be primarily used to ensure program safety.
"We're trying to cover some of the expenses. Maybe you don't see or notice it, but the park rangers are there monitoring you and protecting other people using the park. We appreciate your health and safety, and $20 is nominal for that," Harmon said.
Source: Asbury Park Press
IOWA NEWS: Municipality Allows Public Bow Hunting to Reduce Deer Numbers
Beginning later this summer, qualified Johnston residents concerned about a high deer population in the city will be able to take matters into their own hands.
As in past years, the city of Johnston is making plans to allow bow hunting in the community between September and January. Under regulations that will be established by the City Council, some residents will be able to hunt deer in certain locations inside city limits.
City administrator Jim Sanders said city staff members have been fielding increased concerns this year about the local deer population.
"The primary concerns are damage caused to plants and gardens, and concerns about deer near the traveled portion of roadways," Sanders said.
The specific dates for this year's hunt will be established by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the council will determine in August or September the areas in which hunting will be allowed, Sanders said.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, deer hunters harvested about 4,000 fewer deer in the most recent season than during the previous season's harvesting of 142,194 statewide.
On its Web site, the Polk County Conservation Board reports deer populations are reaching threatening levels in some parts of the county. When deer populations exceed 20 deer per square mile, overuse of the natural vegetation can lead to destruction of the forest understory, and without a native vegetative habitat, many other species of wildlife may not be able to remain in the area.
In addition to wildlife-related concerns and property damage, deer-vehicle collisions have increased by two-thirds in Polk County during the past 20 years, resulting in greater numbers of personal injuries and higher costs to repair and replace vehicles involved in those collisions, the conservation site said.
Johnston joins Urbandale, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Clive, Pleasant Hill and Polk County in allowing bow hunting in city limits during a designated time frame, Sanders added.
According to permit regulations for last year's hunt, applicants for bow hunting in Johnston must be at least 18 years old and meet the following requirements:
- Possess a valid deer-hunting license from the DNR
- Pass an approved International Bow Hunters' Education Foundation safety education course
- Pass a bow-hunting proficiency test with a score of at least 80 of a total 100 points
- Obtain written permission from the owner of the private property on which he or she wants to hunt. The property must be located within a "deer-management zone" as established by resolution of the City Council.
- Take all bow and arrow shots from an elevated stand and shoot no further than 75 feet
- Refrain from shooting within 300 feet of any street, road, school or electrical facility; within 200 feet of a home or building; or within 100 feet of any recreational trail or bike path.
- Recover and remove all deer carcasses shot
- Follow Iowa DNR hunting guidelines
- Adhere to designated shooting hours, a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset
- Refrain from stalking or driving deer
- Wear a blaze-orange hat when entering and exiting the hunting area, and carry the bow in a case to and from the stand
- Report to the city all deer taken within city limits.
Source: DesMoines Register
As in past years, the city of Johnston is making plans to allow bow hunting in the community between September and January. Under regulations that will be established by the City Council, some residents will be able to hunt deer in certain locations inside city limits.
City administrator Jim Sanders said city staff members have been fielding increased concerns this year about the local deer population.
"The primary concerns are damage caused to plants and gardens, and concerns about deer near the traveled portion of roadways," Sanders said.
The specific dates for this year's hunt will be established by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the council will determine in August or September the areas in which hunting will be allowed, Sanders said.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, deer hunters harvested about 4,000 fewer deer in the most recent season than during the previous season's harvesting of 142,194 statewide.
On its Web site, the Polk County Conservation Board reports deer populations are reaching threatening levels in some parts of the county. When deer populations exceed 20 deer per square mile, overuse of the natural vegetation can lead to destruction of the forest understory, and without a native vegetative habitat, many other species of wildlife may not be able to remain in the area.
In addition to wildlife-related concerns and property damage, deer-vehicle collisions have increased by two-thirds in Polk County during the past 20 years, resulting in greater numbers of personal injuries and higher costs to repair and replace vehicles involved in those collisions, the conservation site said.
Johnston joins Urbandale, West Des Moines, Des Moines, Clive, Pleasant Hill and Polk County in allowing bow hunting in city limits during a designated time frame, Sanders added.
According to permit regulations for last year's hunt, applicants for bow hunting in Johnston must be at least 18 years old and meet the following requirements:
- Possess a valid deer-hunting license from the DNR
- Pass an approved International Bow Hunters' Education Foundation safety education course
- Pass a bow-hunting proficiency test with a score of at least 80 of a total 100 points
- Obtain written permission from the owner of the private property on which he or she wants to hunt. The property must be located within a "deer-management zone" as established by resolution of the City Council.
- Take all bow and arrow shots from an elevated stand and shoot no further than 75 feet
- Refrain from shooting within 300 feet of any street, road, school or electrical facility; within 200 feet of a home or building; or within 100 feet of any recreational trail or bike path.
- Recover and remove all deer carcasses shot
- Follow Iowa DNR hunting guidelines
- Adhere to designated shooting hours, a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset
- Refrain from stalking or driving deer
- Wear a blaze-orange hat when entering and exiting the hunting area, and carry the bow in a case to and from the stand
- Report to the city all deer taken within city limits.
Source: DesMoines Register
Friday, June 19, 2009
KANSAS NEWS: Controlled Hunt Approved for Shawnee Mission Park
SHAWNEE, KS - A controversial plan to kill deer at Shawnee Mission Park got a thumbs-up on Wednesday night, as officials say the deer population has exploded to nearly seven times the normal rate at the suburban park.
According to officials, the deer are overrunning the park, with the population estimated at 200 per square mile. Since there are no natural predators for the deer in the park, officials say that disease or starvation could wipe out the entire herd unless the population is thinned.
"Because there is no natural predator, and our biodiversity policy address this very clearly, we must intervene and we must try to replicate the role mother nature has played before when there was a perfect balance, that balance no longer exists," said Johnson County Parks and Recreation director Michael Meadors.
The plan calls for sharp shooters, made up of park police and other law enforcement agencies, to thin the deer herd. The sharp shooters would likely head out in the Fall.
Source: Fox4kc
According to officials, the deer are overrunning the park, with the population estimated at 200 per square mile. Since there are no natural predators for the deer in the park, officials say that disease or starvation could wipe out the entire herd unless the population is thinned.
"Because there is no natural predator, and our biodiversity policy address this very clearly, we must intervene and we must try to replicate the role mother nature has played before when there was a perfect balance, that balance no longer exists," said Johnson County Parks and Recreation director Michael Meadors.
The plan calls for sharp shooters, made up of park police and other law enforcement agencies, to thin the deer herd. The sharp shooters would likely head out in the Fall.
Source: Fox4kc
MINNESOTA NEWS: New Deer Warning System Tested
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The state is testing a warning system in southwest Minnesota aimed at reducing the number of deer traffic collisions.
The state has stopped putting up the yellow "deer crossing" signs because a University of Minnesota study found drivers were desensitized to them. And, with a deer herd estimated at 1 million, the animals are everywhere.
The system set up along Highway 23 near Camden State Park stretches nearly a mile and includes a wall of light beams that trigger flashing roadside lights to warn drivers when deer approach.
MnDOT says the deer warning system cost $150,000 and reduced collisions by 57 percent over 18 months of study.
Minnesota has averaged nearly 4,500 deer-vehicle crashes annually over that past 10 years.
Source: MLive
The state has stopped putting up the yellow "deer crossing" signs because a University of Minnesota study found drivers were desensitized to them. And, with a deer herd estimated at 1 million, the animals are everywhere.
The system set up along Highway 23 near Camden State Park stretches nearly a mile and includes a wall of light beams that trigger flashing roadside lights to warn drivers when deer approach.
MnDOT says the deer warning system cost $150,000 and reduced collisions by 57 percent over 18 months of study.
Minnesota has averaged nearly 4,500 deer-vehicle crashes annually over that past 10 years.
Source: MLive
Sunday, June 07, 2009
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: A View on Deer Management Policy from Latham's Acre
EMPORIUM, Pa.—Thousands of bright green buds reached through the forest floor or peaked from the tips of branches in the shady patch of forest. On the other side of the fence: a conspicuous absence of new growth.
By late April, spring sprouts were everywhere at Latham's Acre, one of a series of cyclone-fence islands erected nearly 60 years ago on a McKean County mountaintop at North America's east-west continental divide, about 50 miles northwest of State College.
The fenced "deer exclosures" were built in 1950 by Roger Latham, a biologist and head researcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission before he became the outdoors editor of the former Pittsburgh Press.
Latham died in a mountain accident in the Alps in 1979, but each spring the sprouts return to Latham's Acre, demonstrating the level of forest regeneration possible in the absence of over-browsing deer.
The sprouts, and the lack of them outside the exclosure, provided a timely lesson for a dozen members of the Village Garden Club of Sewickley, based about 10 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Members traveled over 150 miles northeast to Emporium to compare the impacts of deer over-browsing in McKean County with the white-tail problems they face at home in Allegheny County.
The spring growth at Latham's Acre coincided with new skirmishes in an ideological battle that pits the Game Commission against many deer hunters, who question the science behind a controversial plan to balance regional white-tail populations with habitat by manipulating hunting seasons, bag limits and antler restrictions.
A national study of white-tail management conducted by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Washington, D.C., found that Pennsylvania is ahead of many states in attaining parity in deer population and habitat, but problems exist with the program's methodology.
The Pinchot study examined agencies throughout the United States that use science-based methods to manage deer populations and maintain healthy forest ecosystems. It cited 2002-2003 stakeholder surveys conducted by the Game Commission in which Pennsylvanians told the commonwealth they ranked "healthy, sustainable forest ecosystems" as their top goal for deer management.
Pinchot researchers noted the state is one of only a few with a written deer plan, calling it "one of the most progressive deer management programs in the country." But they found the program's goals "fall short of what the public has said it wants." The study recommended the Game Commission take critical new steps, including:
—Developing better science-based indicators of deer impacts on forests.
—Employing more staff to focus on ecosystem science.
—Improving methods for determining public expectations on what deer management should achieve.
This April in Harrisburg, the state House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee hired another Washington, D.C.-based conservation organization to conduct an independent audit of the deer management plan. The audit stems from a House bill authored by state Rep. David Levdansky, D-Elizabeth, and unanimously approved by the House in 2008.
Levdansky, treasurer of the Budget and Finance Committee and member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said the goal is to "remove the guesswork" from the deer management program.
"This independent audit...will help us determine if we are harvesting the right number of deer, of the right age and sex ratio, in the right places," he said. "It has been a challenge to locate a qualified and objective company from outside Pennsylvania to perform the audit, which is important for obtaining an independent review."
A Game Commission representative said the agency welcomes the audit.
Up at Latham's Acre, in State Game Land 30, the ground is awash with new wildflowers, and fresh buds shoot from shoulder-high branches. Outside the fence, the forest is barren of new growth from the carpet of dead leaves to the browse line about 5 feet off the ground. Soil acidity, rainfall and other factors are identical on both sides of the fence. Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer John Dzemyan, who's worked on the mountain since the 1970s, hikes past muddy patches surrounding the exclosure pocked with telltale deer tracks.
State Game Land 30, like most of Pennsylvania, was clear cut for timber in the late 1800s and early 1900s, nearly decimating the deer population, said Dzemyan. As vegetation re-grew, the state became a white-tail smorgasbord and populations soared. But by the late 1930s, as forests matured and the canopy grew out of reach, deer found it increasingly difficult to find food. With natural predators removed and hunting managed to put unnatural numbers of deer in front of hunters, he said, a problem grew with the state's deer herd—too many to be sustained by habitat in some places, not enough in others.
The state game land is located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds, in Wildlife Management Unit 2G, where the deer population has been intentionally reduced as part of the deer management plan.
"By going to some of these fenced areas you can see the difference," said Dzemyan. "You can get an idea of what kind of wildflower understory there should be over perhaps hundreds of thousands of acres up here."
A prolific understory, he said, is essential to the health of the deer herd and vital to other animals. Latham and the Game Commission were preaching deer control decades ago.
"But when it came to actually getting it done," said Dzemyan, "there was so much political and social pressure against that, due to misunderstanding, that we couldn't get it through. (Some in the Game Commission) wanted to keep that deer herd high, not understanding that keeping it that high was going to cause long-term problems."
After intentionally reducing the deer herd in 2G, the 2009-2010 doe tag allocation of 26,000 licenses reflects an effort by commission biologists to continue stabilizing the population. Dzemyan said he's seen deer numbers rising incrementally, but it's still "less than hunters are used to."
To Ann Coburn, president of the Village Garden Club, the absence of browse just outside Latham's Acre offered a stark contrast to the flower show inside.
"I was very impressed to learn that the reduction in the deer herd from the issuing of doe licenses has made a reduction in the number of deer and a noticeable gain in the quality and variety of plant life," she said. "The major lesson that we learned going north was how pervasive the problem of deer overgrazing is and how almost scary it was to see huge tracks of woods that are cleared bare, (much like) the limited tracts we have here in Allegheny County. In short, something needs to be done."
Source: York Daily Record
By late April, spring sprouts were everywhere at Latham's Acre, one of a series of cyclone-fence islands erected nearly 60 years ago on a McKean County mountaintop at North America's east-west continental divide, about 50 miles northwest of State College.
The fenced "deer exclosures" were built in 1950 by Roger Latham, a biologist and head researcher for the Pennsylvania Game Commission before he became the outdoors editor of the former Pittsburgh Press.
Latham died in a mountain accident in the Alps in 1979, but each spring the sprouts return to Latham's Acre, demonstrating the level of forest regeneration possible in the absence of over-browsing deer.
The sprouts, and the lack of them outside the exclosure, provided a timely lesson for a dozen members of the Village Garden Club of Sewickley, based about 10 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Members traveled over 150 miles northeast to Emporium to compare the impacts of deer over-browsing in McKean County with the white-tail problems they face at home in Allegheny County.
The spring growth at Latham's Acre coincided with new skirmishes in an ideological battle that pits the Game Commission against many deer hunters, who question the science behind a controversial plan to balance regional white-tail populations with habitat by manipulating hunting seasons, bag limits and antler restrictions.
A national study of white-tail management conducted by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Washington, D.C., found that Pennsylvania is ahead of many states in attaining parity in deer population and habitat, but problems exist with the program's methodology.
The Pinchot study examined agencies throughout the United States that use science-based methods to manage deer populations and maintain healthy forest ecosystems. It cited 2002-2003 stakeholder surveys conducted by the Game Commission in which Pennsylvanians told the commonwealth they ranked "healthy, sustainable forest ecosystems" as their top goal for deer management.
Pinchot researchers noted the state is one of only a few with a written deer plan, calling it "one of the most progressive deer management programs in the country." But they found the program's goals "fall short of what the public has said it wants." The study recommended the Game Commission take critical new steps, including:
—Developing better science-based indicators of deer impacts on forests.
—Employing more staff to focus on ecosystem science.
—Improving methods for determining public expectations on what deer management should achieve.
This April in Harrisburg, the state House Legislative Budget and Finance Committee hired another Washington, D.C.-based conservation organization to conduct an independent audit of the deer management plan. The audit stems from a House bill authored by state Rep. David Levdansky, D-Elizabeth, and unanimously approved by the House in 2008.
Levdansky, treasurer of the Budget and Finance Committee and member of the House Game and Fisheries Committee, said the goal is to "remove the guesswork" from the deer management program.
"This independent audit...will help us determine if we are harvesting the right number of deer, of the right age and sex ratio, in the right places," he said. "It has been a challenge to locate a qualified and objective company from outside Pennsylvania to perform the audit, which is important for obtaining an independent review."
A Game Commission representative said the agency welcomes the audit.
Up at Latham's Acre, in State Game Land 30, the ground is awash with new wildflowers, and fresh buds shoot from shoulder-high branches. Outside the fence, the forest is barren of new growth from the carpet of dead leaves to the browse line about 5 feet off the ground. Soil acidity, rainfall and other factors are identical on both sides of the fence. Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer John Dzemyan, who's worked on the mountain since the 1970s, hikes past muddy patches surrounding the exclosure pocked with telltale deer tracks.
State Game Land 30, like most of Pennsylvania, was clear cut for timber in the late 1800s and early 1900s, nearly decimating the deer population, said Dzemyan. As vegetation re-grew, the state became a white-tail smorgasbord and populations soared. But by the late 1930s, as forests matured and the canopy grew out of reach, deer found it increasingly difficult to find food. With natural predators removed and hunting managed to put unnatural numbers of deer in front of hunters, he said, a problem grew with the state's deer herd—too many to be sustained by habitat in some places, not enough in others.
The state game land is located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds, in Wildlife Management Unit 2G, where the deer population has been intentionally reduced as part of the deer management plan.
"By going to some of these fenced areas you can see the difference," said Dzemyan. "You can get an idea of what kind of wildflower understory there should be over perhaps hundreds of thousands of acres up here."
A prolific understory, he said, is essential to the health of the deer herd and vital to other animals. Latham and the Game Commission were preaching deer control decades ago.
"But when it came to actually getting it done," said Dzemyan, "there was so much political and social pressure against that, due to misunderstanding, that we couldn't get it through. (Some in the Game Commission) wanted to keep that deer herd high, not understanding that keeping it that high was going to cause long-term problems."
After intentionally reducing the deer herd in 2G, the 2009-2010 doe tag allocation of 26,000 licenses reflects an effort by commission biologists to continue stabilizing the population. Dzemyan said he's seen deer numbers rising incrementally, but it's still "less than hunters are used to."
To Ann Coburn, president of the Village Garden Club, the absence of browse just outside Latham's Acre offered a stark contrast to the flower show inside.
"I was very impressed to learn that the reduction in the deer herd from the issuing of doe licenses has made a reduction in the number of deer and a noticeable gain in the quality and variety of plant life," she said. "The major lesson that we learned going north was how pervasive the problem of deer overgrazing is and how almost scary it was to see huge tracks of woods that are cleared bare, (much like) the limited tracts we have here in Allegheny County. In short, something needs to be done."
Source: York Daily Record
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
