A mild winter may be responsible for what looks like a baby boom in New Brunswick's deer population.
Rod Cumberland, the province's deer biologist, says numbers are up in certain areas of the province, including the Tobique River Valley, the Saint John-Kennebecasis River Valley and the Miramichi River Valley.
Cumberland says biologists are also seeing an increase in multiple births, with three sets of triplets found this year and four sets of quadruplets.
Single births and twins are common among deer.
Not only are there more fawns, more of them are surviving through the winter and early spring. Cumberland says the weather had a lot to do with that.
"The lack of snow, of course, is a good thing for deer, especially those that live this far north," he said. "Usually it's the tough winters that keep our deer population from growing a lot."
Researchers are now watching to see how many of the fawns survive the summer.
A previous study found 54 per cent of fawns don't make it to fall, but last year, only 30 per cent died.
Cumberland says that may mean a healthier deer population in New Brunswick.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2007/07/12/nb-moredeer.html
Thursday, July 12, 2007
RESEARCH NEWS: CWD Prion More Infectious Than Previously Thought
New research shows that the prion — a mysterious infectious agent that is neither bacterium nor virus — is 700 times more infectious when combined with common minerals found in dirt.
Not only is the prion an abnormal protein that can devastate infected animals and humans — it has has been compared to an alien due to its virtual indestructibility, its unusual ability to replicate itself and its propensity for eating away at the brain — but it may live on and remain virulent in the soil itself.
The finding is important to hunters across the country, as chronic wasting disease continues to spread in wild deer herds. It also has important implications for cattle and sheep farmers, as mad cow disease in cows and scrapie in sheep are also caused by prions.
As for humans, the implications for illness– known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — is unknown. While serious disease among humans has been tied to the eating of meat from diseased cows, no such links have been made between venison and human health, and hunters are well informed about steps needed to reduce the risk of transmission.
Source: www.thedailygreen.com/2007/07/11/deer-hunters-beware-study-shows-cwd-virulence/3691/
Not only is the prion an abnormal protein that can devastate infected animals and humans — it has has been compared to an alien due to its virtual indestructibility, its unusual ability to replicate itself and its propensity for eating away at the brain — but it may live on and remain virulent in the soil itself.
The finding is important to hunters across the country, as chronic wasting disease continues to spread in wild deer herds. It also has important implications for cattle and sheep farmers, as mad cow disease in cows and scrapie in sheep are also caused by prions.
As for humans, the implications for illness– known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — is unknown. While serious disease among humans has been tied to the eating of meat from diseased cows, no such links have been made between venison and human health, and hunters are well informed about steps needed to reduce the risk of transmission.
Source: www.thedailygreen.com/2007/07/11/deer-hunters-beware-study-shows-cwd-virulence/3691/
Thursday, July 05, 2007
WISCONSIN OPINION: Good Reasons to Ban Deer Baiting and Feeding
Keith McCaffery, retired northern deer biologist for the DNR, emphasizes that the state can not effectively manage deer in the presence of baiting and feeding.
"It changes their productivity, survivorship, their behavior and distribution, and greatly confounds harvest management," McCaffery said. "This is 'old hat' and has been known by deer biologists for a long time."
"But, some of the new reasons for concern are that saliva was proven to be a means of transmission for CWD, which converted a number of doubters," he said. "They had speculated that saliva was highly suspect and that has now been proven. Researchers took saliva from animals that manifested symptoms and orally gave it to fawns that later came down with CWD."
Other relatively new factors that should turn the tide against baiting and feeding, include the report last December by DNR Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark that highlights problems wardens are seeing with illegal baiting. To McCaffery the violations that occur and the way some hunters use baiting to take over land that should be open to the public is an embarrassment.
Third is University of Wisconsin-Wildlife Ecology assistant professor Tim Van Deelen's report analyzing the effect of baiting on herd control."Van Deelen found that baiting tended to increase the archery harvest slightly, but it decreased the firearm harvest and the net effect was no effect," McCaffery said.
Another new reason why baiting and feeding should be banned, McCaffery said, is the emergence of new diseases. Michigan has had a problem with Bovine tuberculosis in its wild deer herd, and more recently Minnesota has found tuberculosis in part of its deer herd. In addition, Pseudorabies has appeared around Marshfield and there is speculation that it may have come from feral hogs. McCaffery wonders if baiting is playing a factor in its transmission.
"The fact that diseases continue to pop up should be an alarm bell," McCaffery said.
McCaffery said he has been concerned about the lack of political support for actions to control CWD in Wisconsin.
Source: http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/200107
"It changes their productivity, survivorship, their behavior and distribution, and greatly confounds harvest management," McCaffery said. "This is 'old hat' and has been known by deer biologists for a long time."
"But, some of the new reasons for concern are that saliva was proven to be a means of transmission for CWD, which converted a number of doubters," he said. "They had speculated that saliva was highly suspect and that has now been proven. Researchers took saliva from animals that manifested symptoms and orally gave it to fawns that later came down with CWD."
Other relatively new factors that should turn the tide against baiting and feeding, include the report last December by DNR Chief Conservation Warden Randy Stark that highlights problems wardens are seeing with illegal baiting. To McCaffery the violations that occur and the way some hunters use baiting to take over land that should be open to the public is an embarrassment.
Third is University of Wisconsin-Wildlife Ecology assistant professor Tim Van Deelen's report analyzing the effect of baiting on herd control."Van Deelen found that baiting tended to increase the archery harvest slightly, but it decreased the firearm harvest and the net effect was no effect," McCaffery said.
Another new reason why baiting and feeding should be banned, McCaffery said, is the emergence of new diseases. Michigan has had a problem with Bovine tuberculosis in its wild deer herd, and more recently Minnesota has found tuberculosis in part of its deer herd. In addition, Pseudorabies has appeared around Marshfield and there is speculation that it may have come from feral hogs. McCaffery wonders if baiting is playing a factor in its transmission.
"The fact that diseases continue to pop up should be an alarm bell," McCaffery said.
McCaffery said he has been concerned about the lack of political support for actions to control CWD in Wisconsin.
Source: http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/200107
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
SWITZERLAND NEWS: Another Deer in the Alps Gets Stoned
Authorities in Switzerland uncovered an illegal cannabis farm after locals complained about a stoned deer.
It is reported the deer had been attacking hikers, sleeping in roads and even wandering into homes and stores.
After numerous complaints forest rangers in Trient, Switzerland, launched an investigation.
They discovered an illegal cannabis farm set up by two locals, who were arrested as they went to harvest their crop.
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=iol1183440553562D600
It is reported the deer had been attacking hikers, sleeping in roads and even wandering into homes and stores.
After numerous complaints forest rangers in Trient, Switzerland, launched an investigation.
They discovered an illegal cannabis farm set up by two locals, who were arrested as they went to harvest their crop.
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=iol1183440553562D600
Friday, June 29, 2007
ITALY NEWS: Deer Eats Marijuana, Frisky Behavior Ensues
Forest rangers have uncovered a marijuana farm on a mountaintop near Trento after residents commented on how the deer were 'unusually frisky' and leaping about uncharacteristically.
The rangers themselves had observed that the deer were out in the daytime which is unusual for the species. Further investigation yielded some pots and the remains of marijuana plants.
Police arrested two people in their twenties over the plantation, a factory worker and a university student. The charges may be dropped, however, as the deer consumed most of the evidence.
source: http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=63330
The rangers themselves had observed that the deer were out in the daytime which is unusual for the species. Further investigation yielded some pots and the remains of marijuana plants.
Police arrested two people in their twenties over the plantation, a factory worker and a university student. The charges may be dropped, however, as the deer consumed most of the evidence.
source: http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=63330
Monday, June 25, 2007
CALIFORNIA NEWS: Santa Rosa Island Ungulates Soon To Be Back in Crosshairs
WASHINGTON -- Santa Rosa Island is once again the subject of federal legislation as California Democrats have taken steps toward restoring the National Park Service’s ability to help remove deer and elk from the island.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the 2008 Interior Department spending bill Thursday and included a repeal of a section of law enacted late last year that restricted the park service.
Last fall, Rep. Duncal Hunter, D-Calif., specifically barred the park service from eliminating or nearly eliminating deer and elk from Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park.
He had previously proposed transferring control of the island to the Defense Department and designating it as a hunting refuge for disabled veterans. But he failed to gain support for that measure.
Hunter’s provision, attached to the 2007 defense bill, intentionally conflicted with a court settlement that mandated the park service share in the cost of removing the last of the deer and elk from the island.
Source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=38355
Under that settlement, Vail & Vickers, which holds a private hunting permit for deer and elk on the island, must begin culling the herds in 2008 and eliminate them by 2011, with the park service’s help.
The park service, which acquired the island from the Vail and Vickers family in 1986, believes the non-native deer and elk wreak havoc on the island’s ecosystem. The 53,000-acre island is home to hundreds of plant and bird species, as well as the native island fox and marine life.
Private hunting forces the park to close 45,000 acres of the island to the public from August through December.
Duncan’s law made it illegal for the park service to comply with the terms of the court settlement.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Rep. Lois Capps have been working to repeal the provision since it took effect in late 2006.
The panel’s spending bill would accomplish just that if it passes the full Senate and survives scrunity by the U.S. House later this year.
“To ensure that the public is able to enjoy year-round access to Santa Rosa and that the Park Service can protect the Island’s natural resources, it is critical that this ill-advised provision be repealed,” Capps said. “I am pleased that the Senate is moving quickly.”
Hunter’s office could not be reached for comment Friday.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the 2008 Interior Department spending bill Thursday and included a repeal of a section of law enacted late last year that restricted the park service.
Last fall, Rep. Duncal Hunter, D-Calif., specifically barred the park service from eliminating or nearly eliminating deer and elk from Santa Rosa Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park.
He had previously proposed transferring control of the island to the Defense Department and designating it as a hunting refuge for disabled veterans. But he failed to gain support for that measure.
Hunter’s provision, attached to the 2007 defense bill, intentionally conflicted with a court settlement that mandated the park service share in the cost of removing the last of the deer and elk from the island.
Source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=38355
Under that settlement, Vail & Vickers, which holds a private hunting permit for deer and elk on the island, must begin culling the herds in 2008 and eliminate them by 2011, with the park service’s help.
The park service, which acquired the island from the Vail and Vickers family in 1986, believes the non-native deer and elk wreak havoc on the island’s ecosystem. The 53,000-acre island is home to hundreds of plant and bird species, as well as the native island fox and marine life.
Private hunting forces the park to close 45,000 acres of the island to the public from August through December.
Duncan’s law made it illegal for the park service to comply with the terms of the court settlement.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Rep. Lois Capps have been working to repeal the provision since it took effect in late 2006.
The panel’s spending bill would accomplish just that if it passes the full Senate and survives scrunity by the U.S. House later this year.
“To ensure that the public is able to enjoy year-round access to Santa Rosa and that the Park Service can protect the Island’s natural resources, it is critical that this ill-advised provision be repealed,” Capps said. “I am pleased that the Senate is moving quickly.”
Hunter’s office could not be reached for comment Friday.
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: Another Philly Suburb Struggles With Deer
Bow-hunting is one of three deer-control recommendations that East Goshen supervisors will listen to Tuesday night when they hear a report from a township study group, but no decision on the issue is expected until after a public hearing in September.
James McRee, who heads the township deer-management committee, said the group will unveil its plan Tuesday after finalizing it at a meeting of its own Monday.
The recommendations are that East Goshen employ a private hunting club to thin the deer herd with bows and arrows, that property owners use "non-lethal" means such as building fences and spraying repellants on plants and that the township educate its residents about deer.
"We want to do all three" of the recommendations, McRee said during an interview last week.
At the Pennsylvania Game Commission, spokesman Jerry Feaser said a town can permit hunting only on town-owned land - just as a landowner can invite or forbid hunters only on his own property - during a state hunting season.
Feaser offered a standing statement which reads:
"Only the Pennsylvania Game Commission has been empowered to regulate hunting and trapping in the commonwealth. And, while municipalities have the authority to limit the discharge of firearms and bows for target practice or other non-hunting related activities within their municipalities' limits, local officials do not have the authority to impact this activity when it is being done as part of lawful hunting."
The statement noted that "the statewide archery and crossbow safety zone is 50 yards" from most buildings but the zone for all hunters "is 150 yards from any playground, school, nursery school or day-care center."
The question for township officials, Feaser said, is: "Are they trying to impact all township property or are they acting in their role as landowner of township-owned land?"
East Goshen zoning officer Mark Gordon in an interview pointed out that if hunting becomes an option, the township will regulate it only "on township-owned property."
In an interview earlier this year, township manager Rick Smith noted that in 2005, East Goshen allowed archers in tree stands "on three parcels of the township open space. I believe they took 10 or 11 deer over the course of the hunting season."
But an aerial survey on the night of March 25-26 counted 296 deer within East Goshen and 142 nearby.
In a parallel Chester County situation, Schuylkill Township has worked to persuade homeowners to allow hunting by a private group, the White Tail Associates Hunting Club.
Jim Morrison, head of Schuylkill's deer-management committee, said that since 1993 hunters have killed 996 deer, without killing the problem.
"Despite our best efforts over 14 years," Morrison said for an April article, "we still have got a fairly high deer population."
Ellen Sinclair, an elementary school teacher, was a no vote when the East Goshen deer-management committee recently voted 6-2 to make the three recommendations to the supervisors.
"A lot of my reservations for hunting in the township are safety," Sinclair said in an interview. "I don't think we have have a well-developed plan yet."
Source: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/voices/20070617_A_plan_to_reduce_the_deer_herd_to_be_
unveiled_in_East_Goshen_The_supervisors_will_hear_the_three-part_proposal_on_Tuesday_night__It_will_include_
a_hunting_plan_.html
James McRee, who heads the township deer-management committee, said the group will unveil its plan Tuesday after finalizing it at a meeting of its own Monday.
The recommendations are that East Goshen employ a private hunting club to thin the deer herd with bows and arrows, that property owners use "non-lethal" means such as building fences and spraying repellants on plants and that the township educate its residents about deer.
"We want to do all three" of the recommendations, McRee said during an interview last week.
At the Pennsylvania Game Commission, spokesman Jerry Feaser said a town can permit hunting only on town-owned land - just as a landowner can invite or forbid hunters only on his own property - during a state hunting season.
Feaser offered a standing statement which reads:
"Only the Pennsylvania Game Commission has been empowered to regulate hunting and trapping in the commonwealth. And, while municipalities have the authority to limit the discharge of firearms and bows for target practice or other non-hunting related activities within their municipalities' limits, local officials do not have the authority to impact this activity when it is being done as part of lawful hunting."
The statement noted that "the statewide archery and crossbow safety zone is 50 yards" from most buildings but the zone for all hunters "is 150 yards from any playground, school, nursery school or day-care center."
The question for township officials, Feaser said, is: "Are they trying to impact all township property or are they acting in their role as landowner of township-owned land?"
East Goshen zoning officer Mark Gordon in an interview pointed out that if hunting becomes an option, the township will regulate it only "on township-owned property."
In an interview earlier this year, township manager Rick Smith noted that in 2005, East Goshen allowed archers in tree stands "on three parcels of the township open space. I believe they took 10 or 11 deer over the course of the hunting season."
But an aerial survey on the night of March 25-26 counted 296 deer within East Goshen and 142 nearby.
In a parallel Chester County situation, Schuylkill Township has worked to persuade homeowners to allow hunting by a private group, the White Tail Associates Hunting Club.
Jim Morrison, head of Schuylkill's deer-management committee, said that since 1993 hunters have killed 996 deer, without killing the problem.
"Despite our best efforts over 14 years," Morrison said for an April article, "we still have got a fairly high deer population."
Ellen Sinclair, an elementary school teacher, was a no vote when the East Goshen deer-management committee recently voted 6-2 to make the three recommendations to the supervisors.
"A lot of my reservations for hunting in the township are safety," Sinclair said in an interview. "I don't think we have have a well-developed plan yet."
Source: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/voices/20070617_A_plan_to_reduce_the_deer_herd_to_be_
unveiled_in_East_Goshen_The_supervisors_will_hear_the_three-part_proposal_on_Tuesday_night__It_will_include_
a_hunting_plan_.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
DEER BEHAVING BADLY: Daily Roundup
MICHIGAN--It wasn't your ordinary day of work for some office personnel at MSU. A mother deer and her fawn crashed right through their window. Michigan State University police say the deer, clearly disoriented, thrashed around the college of human medicine's office. One deer even jumped into an employee's lap, leaving her with minor injuries.
Source (with video): http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6568200
COLORADO--Run-ins in between wildlife and people are on the rise this spring. Just ask Louis Gaz, who saw a deer crash through a window and into a bedroom in his home.
"I just saw this brown flash going my direction," said Gaz, 76, who was outside with a friend on Saturday when the deer burst into his house in Lafayette, about 20 miles north of Denver.
Gaz said he tried to get the deer to leave through a door, but it eventually bolted back through the jagged hole in the window, leaving blood, fur and broken glass behind.
Source: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2007/05/25/news/regional/612fa28241e27adf872572e5006d229f.txt
Source (with video): http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=6568200
COLORADO--Run-ins in between wildlife and people are on the rise this spring. Just ask Louis Gaz, who saw a deer crash through a window and into a bedroom in his home.
"I just saw this brown flash going my direction," said Gaz, 76, who was outside with a friend on Saturday when the deer burst into his house in Lafayette, about 20 miles north of Denver.
Gaz said he tried to get the deer to leave through a door, but it eventually bolted back through the jagged hole in the window, leaving blood, fur and broken glass behind.
Source: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2007/05/25/news/regional/612fa28241e27adf872572e5006d229f.txt
Monday, May 21, 2007
NEW HAMPSHIRE NEWS: Too Many in Southeast, Too Few Everywhere Else
NEW HAMPSHIRE (AP) -- New Hampshire Fish and Game officials are trying to increase the white-tailed deer population everywhere except the southeast corner of the state, where there's too much of a good thing.
Thanks to a healthy herd and good weather, hunters killed nearly 12,000 deer in New Hampshire last year, the fourth-highest total on record. More than one in ten were killed in the area stretching from the Nashua area to the Seacoast, south of Route 101.
After a serious drop in the deer population, the state limited hunting in 1983. The herd has rebounded since then, but Fish and Game would like to see it increase by another 45 percent, except in the southeast, where they'd like to see it fall by nearly one-third.
Last year, the state increased the number of special permits it sold allowing hunters to kill a second deer in that area.
Source: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=61117
Thanks to a healthy herd and good weather, hunters killed nearly 12,000 deer in New Hampshire last year, the fourth-highest total on record. More than one in ten were killed in the area stretching from the Nashua area to the Seacoast, south of Route 101.
After a serious drop in the deer population, the state limited hunting in 1983. The herd has rebounded since then, but Fish and Game would like to see it increase by another 45 percent, except in the southeast, where they'd like to see it fall by nearly one-third.
Last year, the state increased the number of special permits it sold allowing hunters to kill a second deer in that area.
Source: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=61117
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
INDIANA NEWS: Deer Breaks Into House, Bleeds Out
The first half of May has been quite eventful for Bob and Helen Meyer of Decatur. On May 8, their son, city police Detective Eric "Keebie" Meyer, was the upset winner of the Republican primary election for nomination to run for mayor, deposing five-term chief executive Fred Isch. Saturday, May 12 was Keebie's birthday. Sunday, May 13, was Bob's and Helen's 57th wedding anniversary and also Mother's Day.
Oh, yeah, there was one more thing: on the 12th - a young deer bashed into the couple's Mercer Ave. home and bled to death after severing a jugular vein on broken window glass. The Meyers said they were watching television around 6 p.m. on Saturday in the rear of their home when they heard glass breaking. They went to the front door and saw a man who had stopped his pickup truck on Mercer, near Adams Memorial Hospital, and who told them he had just missed two deer darting across the road. The man then said one of the deer jumped through a window into the Meyer home. That window is beside the front door, but a wall separates the door from the room next door, so Bob and Helen could not see the damage.
As they investigated the damage in that bedroom, they heard another sound of breaking glass, so they went to a second bedroom and found a young male deer on the floor, dying. "He was still kicking." Bob recalls, but there was blood everywhere: on walls, the floor, the bed, pillows, clothes, etc. The deer had apparently not been badly hurt going through the first window, but severed a major vein as he tried to escape through the second window. Luckily, the animal did not damage any of the many plastic warplane models that Bob, an Air Force veteran, has in the den and the bedroom in which the deer died.
"If he'd have damaged those planes, I would have killed him," Bob said on Tuesday. The Meyers expect their insurance to cover the losses and the replacement of such things as carpeting and even a pair of pants that Bob had never worn, but which were spotted with blood. Maybe the second half of the month will be calmer . . . but wait until the mayoral race culminates in November.
Source: http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5501&Itemid=27
Oh, yeah, there was one more thing: on the 12th - a young deer bashed into the couple's Mercer Ave. home and bled to death after severing a jugular vein on broken window glass. The Meyers said they were watching television around 6 p.m. on Saturday in the rear of their home when they heard glass breaking. They went to the front door and saw a man who had stopped his pickup truck on Mercer, near Adams Memorial Hospital, and who told them he had just missed two deer darting across the road. The man then said one of the deer jumped through a window into the Meyer home. That window is beside the front door, but a wall separates the door from the room next door, so Bob and Helen could not see the damage.
As they investigated the damage in that bedroom, they heard another sound of breaking glass, so they went to a second bedroom and found a young male deer on the floor, dying. "He was still kicking." Bob recalls, but there was blood everywhere: on walls, the floor, the bed, pillows, clothes, etc. The deer had apparently not been badly hurt going through the first window, but severed a major vein as he tried to escape through the second window. Luckily, the animal did not damage any of the many plastic warplane models that Bob, an Air Force veteran, has in the den and the bedroom in which the deer died.
"If he'd have damaged those planes, I would have killed him," Bob said on Tuesday. The Meyers expect their insurance to cover the losses and the replacement of such things as carpeting and even a pair of pants that Bob had never worn, but which were spotted with blood. Maybe the second half of the month will be calmer . . . but wait until the mayoral race culminates in November.
Source: http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5501&Itemid=27
Monday, May 14, 2007
WEST VIRGINIA NEWS: Three More Cases of CWD Confirmed
CHARLESTON — Three more free-ranging white-tailed deer in Hampshire County have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, bringing the total of CWD-positive deer found in that county to 13, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources an-nounced Friday.
These most recent samples were collected from 101 adult deer taken in March and April by DNR personnel as part of an ongoing and intensive CWD surveillance effort. The three CWD-positive deer were collected within the CWD Containment Area located north of U.S. Route 50 in Hampshire County. The laboratory testing was conducted by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
When CWD was first confirmed in Hampshire County in September 2005, the DNR immediately implemented a response plan. The DNR has been engaged in intensive CWD surveillance efforts designed to determine the distribution and prevalence of the disease. These efforts have included carefully planned and coordinated deer collections within Hampshire County by CWD deer collection teams.
“These deer collection teams have continued their efforts to gather appropriate samples within the surveillance area to accurately determine the prevalence and distribution of CWD,” said DNR Director Frank Jezioro.
“Our initial CWD surveillance data suggests the disease is located within a relatively small geographic area located near Slanesville,” said Jezioro. “This is encouraging news. Based upon these findings, we have implemented appropriate management actions designed to control the spread of this disease, prevent further introduction of the disease and possibly eliminate the disease from the state,” Jezioro added.
Source: http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_132093832.html
These most recent samples were collected from 101 adult deer taken in March and April by DNR personnel as part of an ongoing and intensive CWD surveillance effort. The three CWD-positive deer were collected within the CWD Containment Area located north of U.S. Route 50 in Hampshire County. The laboratory testing was conducted by the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
When CWD was first confirmed in Hampshire County in September 2005, the DNR immediately implemented a response plan. The DNR has been engaged in intensive CWD surveillance efforts designed to determine the distribution and prevalence of the disease. These efforts have included carefully planned and coordinated deer collections within Hampshire County by CWD deer collection teams.
“These deer collection teams have continued their efforts to gather appropriate samples within the surveillance area to accurately determine the prevalence and distribution of CWD,” said DNR Director Frank Jezioro.
“Our initial CWD surveillance data suggests the disease is located within a relatively small geographic area located near Slanesville,” said Jezioro. “This is encouraging news. Based upon these findings, we have implemented appropriate management actions designed to control the spread of this disease, prevent further introduction of the disease and possibly eliminate the disease from the state,” Jezioro added.
Source: http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_132093832.html
Friday, May 11, 2007
DELAWARE NEWS: 269 Deer Shy of a Record Harvest
The numbers are in from last season's deer harvest in Delaware and the total was the second highest in state history.
Hunters bagged 14-thousand-401 deer -- that's 268 fewer than the record set in the 2004-2005 season.
More than 6-thousand of the deer were killed during the 8-day shotgun season in November.
The entire deer season spanned five months from September through January.
This was the second year for the new January handgun season. The handgun kills this year numbered 135, compared to 114 the previous year.
Source: http://www.fw.delaware.gov/Info/DeerInfo.htm.
Hunters bagged 14-thousand-401 deer -- that's 268 fewer than the record set in the 2004-2005 season.
More than 6-thousand of the deer were killed during the 8-day shotgun season in November.
The entire deer season spanned five months from September through January.
This was the second year for the new January handgun season. The handgun kills this year numbered 135, compared to 114 the previous year.
Source: http://www.fw.delaware.gov/Info/DeerInfo.htm.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
MINNESOTA NEWS: Lyme, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis, Oh My!
You probably already know deer ticks can spread lyme disease; but now, there's new concerns about the tiny insects. Health officials are issuing a warning that deer ticks can spread more than just lyme disease.
Minnesota's Health Department says deer ticks can also spread human anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Symptoms of both diseases include high fever, muscle aches, chills, and headaches.
Health officials say they expect the number of people infected to go up. The elderly, or those with compromised immune systems, are the most vulnerable for infection.
Source: http://wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6478976&nav=KoJE
Minnesota's Health Department says deer ticks can also spread human anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Symptoms of both diseases include high fever, muscle aches, chills, and headaches.
Health officials say they expect the number of people infected to go up. The elderly, or those with compromised immune systems, are the most vulnerable for infection.
Source: http://wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6478976&nav=KoJE
Friday, April 27, 2007
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS: More Deer Behaving Badly
New Jersey- A deer became an unexpected guest at a Gloucester County hair salon when it slammed through a glass window.
The deer launched itself head-first through the window of Salon Leezae in Franklin Township at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday while the salon was packed with customers.
Surveillance cameras in the salon captured video of the animal leaping over a customer before landing in the lobby. After flailing around for a few seconds, the deer made a grand exit, jumping back out the gaping hole it left in the window.
"I just couldn’t believe it; we really were in shock," store owner Lisa Vicheto-Scapellato said.
Lisa's daughter and her friend, in the salon for 'Bring Your Daughter to Work Day,' had a front seat view and said at first they thought it was a car because the crash was so loud.
"No one would think that the deer would just jump right through the window," Lisa's daughter said.
"He was kicking all over when he was right by the front and he kicked glass everywhere and it hit me on my arm," she said.
"Right away, I am like 'who do we call, who do we call?' I am thinking of animal control, because we are worried about the deer after we knew that all the human beings were okay," Lisa said.
Lisa's daughter had to get two stitches but luckily there were no other serious injuries.
The deer was last seen fleeing the salon, heading towards Delsea Drive and into the nearby woods where witnesses believe it came from.
Michigan -- Officers used a Taser to subdue a whitetail deer that jumped through a window into an apartment in downtown Owosso Thursday morning.
The 140-pound doe ran through the apartment, knocking things over, before the two men inside closed it in a bathroom, Deputy Chief Mike Rau said.
The officers immobilized the animal with a Taser until state Department of Natural Resources officers sedated it and carried it out of the building, Rau said. The deer suffered injuries and was later destroyed, he said.
Source:
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_116234528.html
http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/04/deer_jumps_into_apartment_wind.html
The deer launched itself head-first through the window of Salon Leezae in Franklin Township at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday while the salon was packed with customers.
Surveillance cameras in the salon captured video of the animal leaping over a customer before landing in the lobby. After flailing around for a few seconds, the deer made a grand exit, jumping back out the gaping hole it left in the window.
"I just couldn’t believe it; we really were in shock," store owner Lisa Vicheto-Scapellato said.
Lisa's daughter and her friend, in the salon for 'Bring Your Daughter to Work Day,' had a front seat view and said at first they thought it was a car because the crash was so loud.
"No one would think that the deer would just jump right through the window," Lisa's daughter said.
"He was kicking all over when he was right by the front and he kicked glass everywhere and it hit me on my arm," she said.
"Right away, I am like 'who do we call, who do we call?' I am thinking of animal control, because we are worried about the deer after we knew that all the human beings were okay," Lisa said.
Lisa's daughter had to get two stitches but luckily there were no other serious injuries.
The deer was last seen fleeing the salon, heading towards Delsea Drive and into the nearby woods where witnesses believe it came from.
Michigan -- Officers used a Taser to subdue a whitetail deer that jumped through a window into an apartment in downtown Owosso Thursday morning.
The 140-pound doe ran through the apartment, knocking things over, before the two men inside closed it in a bathroom, Deputy Chief Mike Rau said.
The officers immobilized the animal with a Taser until state Department of Natural Resources officers sedated it and carried it out of the building, Rau said. The deer suffered injuries and was later destroyed, he said.
Source:
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_116234528.html
http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/04/deer_jumps_into_apartment_wind.html
Thursday, April 26, 2007
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS: Deer Behaving Badly
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:
Hoof prints in the mulch and flower beds, a bent railing, and traces of glass were the only visual reminders left behind after three deer took a stroll through an Adams County retirement home Wednesday morning.
At about 10:30 a.m., three deer entered the west entrance of the Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community through an automatic door and wandered through several hallways before leaving, said Frank Buhrman, director of communications and public relations.
"It was over quickly. We're just extraordinarily fortunate it was without incident," Buhrman said.
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Two deer entered Moulden Hall on West Campus this Sunday, causing damage to the residence hall and wreaking havoc at a student barbeque. Students alerted Public Safety of the incident.
"[We responded] to a report of a live deer roaming inside the building," Public Safety Senior Investigator Jim Conway said.
At approximately 7:45 p.m., the animals entered the building through the door closest to Klekotka Hall. Resident Assistants held a barbeque for the residents of West Campus from 4 to 7 p.m., and students propped open the door as they moved in and out of the residence hall.
Five public safety officers, including a sergeant who served as shift supervisor, reported to the scene to find the deer on the ground floor in the hallway closest to Klekotka Hall. The officers proceeded to ensure that all of the doors to Moulden Hall were secured and that all students cleared out of the way.
The Public Safety officers then called Radnor Police, hoping that they would have animal tranquilizers, Conway said.
Radnor Police did not have any animal tranquilizers to offer Public Safety, but two Radnor police officers did report to the scene.
The officers worked together and "forced the deer out of the open lobby door," Conway said. The deer were not injured.
Rogersville, Tennessee
Police aren't looking for a suspect who broke through an elderly Rogersville woman's bedroom window Wednesday morning and trashed her apartment.
But the suspect's wanted poster can likely be seen at any outdoor sporting goods store.
Madge Webster, 79, said Wednesday that "by the grace of God" she was sleeping on her couch Wednesday shortly before 1 a.m. when a deer crashed through her bedroom window, landing on her bed.
There's no telling how badly Webster might have been injured had she been under the covers as the hooves stomped across her bed.
The sound of breaking glass startled Webster awake at her apartment at 970 Woodlawn Ave.
At first she thought it might have been her grandson, who smokes outside. But the intruder's identity became apparent when an adult deer stormed through her bedroom door, bouncing off of walls and furniture into the kitchen and dining room area.
"It was just the Lord's will because it came through my bedroom window, across my bed, and I'm glad I wasn't in it," Webster told the Times-News. "I looked up and saw this thing, and I didn't know what in the world it was. I said, ‘Oh dear God what is that?' and I jumped up right quick.
"It was climbing the walls. There's hair all over the walls. It got up on the tables. All my collectibles were destroyed. I just happened to go open the door, and when I did it ran out through the storm door."
Sources:
http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5755909
http://media.www.villanovan.com/media/storage/paper581/news/2007/04/26/News/Deer-Invade.West.Campus-2880421.shtml
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3754086
Hoof prints in the mulch and flower beds, a bent railing, and traces of glass were the only visual reminders left behind after three deer took a stroll through an Adams County retirement home Wednesday morning.
At about 10:30 a.m., three deer entered the west entrance of the Cross Keys Village – The Brethren Home Community through an automatic door and wandered through several hallways before leaving, said Frank Buhrman, director of communications and public relations.
"It was over quickly. We're just extraordinarily fortunate it was without incident," Buhrman said.
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Two deer entered Moulden Hall on West Campus this Sunday, causing damage to the residence hall and wreaking havoc at a student barbeque. Students alerted Public Safety of the incident.
"[We responded] to a report of a live deer roaming inside the building," Public Safety Senior Investigator Jim Conway said.
At approximately 7:45 p.m., the animals entered the building through the door closest to Klekotka Hall. Resident Assistants held a barbeque for the residents of West Campus from 4 to 7 p.m., and students propped open the door as they moved in and out of the residence hall.
Five public safety officers, including a sergeant who served as shift supervisor, reported to the scene to find the deer on the ground floor in the hallway closest to Klekotka Hall. The officers proceeded to ensure that all of the doors to Moulden Hall were secured and that all students cleared out of the way.
The Public Safety officers then called Radnor Police, hoping that they would have animal tranquilizers, Conway said.
Radnor Police did not have any animal tranquilizers to offer Public Safety, but two Radnor police officers did report to the scene.
The officers worked together and "forced the deer out of the open lobby door," Conway said. The deer were not injured.
Rogersville, Tennessee
Police aren't looking for a suspect who broke through an elderly Rogersville woman's bedroom window Wednesday morning and trashed her apartment.
But the suspect's wanted poster can likely be seen at any outdoor sporting goods store.
Madge Webster, 79, said Wednesday that "by the grace of God" she was sleeping on her couch Wednesday shortly before 1 a.m. when a deer crashed through her bedroom window, landing on her bed.
There's no telling how badly Webster might have been injured had she been under the covers as the hooves stomped across her bed.
The sound of breaking glass startled Webster awake at her apartment at 970 Woodlawn Ave.
At first she thought it might have been her grandson, who smokes outside. But the intruder's identity became apparent when an adult deer stormed through her bedroom door, bouncing off of walls and furniture into the kitchen and dining room area.
"It was just the Lord's will because it came through my bedroom window, across my bed, and I'm glad I wasn't in it," Webster told the Times-News. "I looked up and saw this thing, and I didn't know what in the world it was. I said, ‘Oh dear God what is that?' and I jumped up right quick.
"It was climbing the walls. There's hair all over the walls. It got up on the tables. All my collectibles were destroyed. I just happened to go open the door, and when I did it ran out through the storm door."
Sources:
http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_5755909
http://media.www.villanovan.com/media/storage/paper581/news/2007/04/26/News/Deer-Invade.West.Campus-2880421.shtml
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=3754086
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: Game Commission Board of Directors Vs. Biologists
Rooney's two cents: Hey Thomas Boop--of course you would never run a business this way. Then again, (1) this is not a business, which is a good thing, because (2) the price of deer tags does not include many of the economic costs of deer damage, such as auto collisions and medical treatment, crop and landscape damage, disease transmission to humans and livestock, and damage to forests and forestry. I'm all for your proposal to fix the "fatal flaws" in the deer management program if you are all for adding these externalities into the price of tags. I think hunters might balk at the $200-300 price per tag, though (based on some back of the envelope calculations).
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The president of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's board of directors said Tuesday the agency's controversial deer-management plan is "fatally flawed."
"We would never run a business the way we're running our deer-management program," board president Thomas E. Boop said.
Just a few hours after Boop delivered his stinging criticism of the program, the agency biologists responsible for that program recommended continuing it with virtually no changes for the upcoming 2007-08 hunting season.
"We're going to base our information and recommendations on the best science that we can and on the best data that we can," said Cal DuBrock, head of the Game Commission's Bureau of Wildlife Management.
Tuesday was the first day of the Game Commission's annual, two-day spring meeting, at which hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the state's game animals are set for the following fall and winter. The commissioners will vote today to set those seasons and bag limits.
As has been the case over the past decade, deer and deer management proved to be the most discussed and most controversial topics of the meeting's first day.
Hunters lined up to tell the commissioners the deer herd across the state has been decimated by years of overhunting.
"To stay the course (with the management program) would adversely affect the sport of hunting for all ages in our state," said East Hempfield Township resident Charles Bolgiano, who is legislative liaison for Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania.
Likewise, forest managers and people interested in seeing diversified wildlife and plant life lined up to encourage the commissioners not to alter the course of the deer-management program.
"We are finally seeing signs of recovery in forest regeneration," said Jim Chapman, a forest manager who works for a lumber company in Warren County.
Wildlife biologist Chris Rosenberry, who heads the Game Commission's deer-management division, agreed with Chapman's assessment, and said now is not the time to reverse course on the program.
The health of the state's deer and the health of the state's forest, Rosenberry said, indicate the Game Commission must keep up the current amount of hunting pressure applied to the deer herd.
As a result, Rosenberry recommended the commissioners vote today to maintain last year's slate of hunting seasons, with the exception of extending it in part of the southeast region, where deer numbers are particularly high.
He also recommended the commissioners allocate 6,000 more antlerless deer licenses than they issued last year, for a total of 865,000 licenses.
The Game Commission controls the state's deer population by regulating the number of female deer that are killed each year.
Each license allows a hunter to kill one antlerless deer, which is either a doe, a buck that's too young to have grown antlers or an older buck that has lost its antlers.
State Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County, who is the minority chairman of the House Game & Fisheries Committee, said more people from across the state complain to him about the deer-management program than any other issue.
Hunters are complaining to their legislators about the lack of deer, Rohrer said, because the hunters believe the Game Commission isn't listening to their opinions.
Rohrer said the Game Commission's data regarding the state's deer herd sometimes contradicts itself. He recommended the agency submit to an independent audit of its facts and figures.
Boop supported Rohrer's proposal, saying he "can't make any sense out of the data I've seen."
Rohrer said he believes the Legislature would help finance and facilitate the audit if the Game Commission would submit to it.
And he recommended the agency suspend all antlerless deer hunting by adults during the annual two-week firearms deer season this fall until the audit is conducted.
"All I'm asking for is a little bit of a break in the program so that we can focus on the data collection," Rohrer said.
Source: http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/202993
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The president of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's board of directors said Tuesday the agency's controversial deer-management plan is "fatally flawed."
"We would never run a business the way we're running our deer-management program," board president Thomas E. Boop said.
Just a few hours after Boop delivered his stinging criticism of the program, the agency biologists responsible for that program recommended continuing it with virtually no changes for the upcoming 2007-08 hunting season.
"We're going to base our information and recommendations on the best science that we can and on the best data that we can," said Cal DuBrock, head of the Game Commission's Bureau of Wildlife Management.
Tuesday was the first day of the Game Commission's annual, two-day spring meeting, at which hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for the state's game animals are set for the following fall and winter. The commissioners will vote today to set those seasons and bag limits.
As has been the case over the past decade, deer and deer management proved to be the most discussed and most controversial topics of the meeting's first day.
Hunters lined up to tell the commissioners the deer herd across the state has been decimated by years of overhunting.
"To stay the course (with the management program) would adversely affect the sport of hunting for all ages in our state," said East Hempfield Township resident Charles Bolgiano, who is legislative liaison for Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania.
Likewise, forest managers and people interested in seeing diversified wildlife and plant life lined up to encourage the commissioners not to alter the course of the deer-management program.
"We are finally seeing signs of recovery in forest regeneration," said Jim Chapman, a forest manager who works for a lumber company in Warren County.
Wildlife biologist Chris Rosenberry, who heads the Game Commission's deer-management division, agreed with Chapman's assessment, and said now is not the time to reverse course on the program.
The health of the state's deer and the health of the state's forest, Rosenberry said, indicate the Game Commission must keep up the current amount of hunting pressure applied to the deer herd.
As a result, Rosenberry recommended the commissioners vote today to maintain last year's slate of hunting seasons, with the exception of extending it in part of the southeast region, where deer numbers are particularly high.
He also recommended the commissioners allocate 6,000 more antlerless deer licenses than they issued last year, for a total of 865,000 licenses.
The Game Commission controls the state's deer population by regulating the number of female deer that are killed each year.
Each license allows a hunter to kill one antlerless deer, which is either a doe, a buck that's too young to have grown antlers or an older buck that has lost its antlers.
State Rep. Sam Rohrer of Berks County, who is the minority chairman of the House Game & Fisheries Committee, said more people from across the state complain to him about the deer-management program than any other issue.
Hunters are complaining to their legislators about the lack of deer, Rohrer said, because the hunters believe the Game Commission isn't listening to their opinions.
Rohrer said the Game Commission's data regarding the state's deer herd sometimes contradicts itself. He recommended the agency submit to an independent audit of its facts and figures.
Boop supported Rohrer's proposal, saying he "can't make any sense out of the data I've seen."
Rohrer said he believes the Legislature would help finance and facilitate the audit if the Game Commission would submit to it.
And he recommended the agency suspend all antlerless deer hunting by adults during the annual two-week firearms deer season this fall until the audit is conducted.
"All I'm asking for is a little bit of a break in the program so that we can focus on the data collection," Rohrer said.
Source: http://local.lancasteronline.com/4/202993
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
NEW ZEALAND NEWS: Cull on Secretary Island Nets Over 340 Red Deer
The Department of Conservation has culled more than 340 red deer off the 8140ha Secretary Island in Fiordland since November as part of an ambitious plan to eradicate the species and create another predator-free sanctuary.
In its proposal document, DOC says it also plans to test and develop methods for "intensive control of deer" during the eradication.
Secretary Island is off the Fiordland coast at the entrance to Doubtful Sound.
In 2004 Conservation Minister Chris Carter granted $7 million for the pest eradication work on 8140ha Secretary Island and 20,860ha Resolution Island, in Dusky Sound. An earlier attempt to eradicate deer, during the 1970s and 1980s, was unsuccessful. The first stage, a stoat eradication project for Secretary Island, was initiated in 2004-05.
DOC project manager Dr Kerri-Anne Edge said 341 deer had been shot from the air and ground-hunted since November – representing a significant denting of the deer population.
DOC estimated there had been a total population of between 600 and 700 deer on the island but the species was also breeding rapidly.
The eradication of red deer from Secretary Island is designed to protect the ecological values of the island, and to test and develop "methods for intensive control of deer" , DOC says.
Main methods being tried during the knock-down phase will be ground hunting, helicopter hunting and possibly the use of foliar baited 1080 gel as a promising option. Aerial 1080 drops have been discounted.
Ms Edge said deer pens were being put on the island and self-attaching radio collars would be used to help track deer. The work would continue into next year, she said.
To have the two islands free of all pests would add to a list of important island sanctuaries, including 1336ha Codfish, 1150ha Anchor and 475ha Chalky islands. The island projects are expected to be complete by about 2014. Work on eradicating deer from Resolution Island would start in July, she said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4027345a6568.html
In its proposal document, DOC says it also plans to test and develop methods for "intensive control of deer" during the eradication.
Secretary Island is off the Fiordland coast at the entrance to Doubtful Sound.
In 2004 Conservation Minister Chris Carter granted $7 million for the pest eradication work on 8140ha Secretary Island and 20,860ha Resolution Island, in Dusky Sound. An earlier attempt to eradicate deer, during the 1970s and 1980s, was unsuccessful. The first stage, a stoat eradication project for Secretary Island, was initiated in 2004-05.
DOC project manager Dr Kerri-Anne Edge said 341 deer had been shot from the air and ground-hunted since November – representing a significant denting of the deer population.
DOC estimated there had been a total population of between 600 and 700 deer on the island but the species was also breeding rapidly.
The eradication of red deer from Secretary Island is designed to protect the ecological values of the island, and to test and develop "methods for intensive control of deer" , DOC says.
Main methods being tried during the knock-down phase will be ground hunting, helicopter hunting and possibly the use of foliar baited 1080 gel as a promising option. Aerial 1080 drops have been discounted.
Ms Edge said deer pens were being put on the island and self-attaching radio collars would be used to help track deer. The work would continue into next year, she said.
To have the two islands free of all pests would add to a list of important island sanctuaries, including 1336ha Codfish, 1150ha Anchor and 475ha Chalky islands. The island projects are expected to be complete by about 2014. Work on eradicating deer from Resolution Island would start in July, she said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/4027345a6568.html
Thursday, April 05, 2007
PENNSYLVANIA: Audubon Society Weighs in on Deer Population
The over-browsing of Pennsylvania's forests and agricultural areas by too many deer in too many places has eliminated thousands of acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife, and represents the largest single threat to bird habitat, after urban sprawl, according to Timothy D. Schaeffer, Ph.D., Executive Director of Audubon Pennsylvania, the state office of the National Audubon Society.
Dr. Schaeffer made the comments before the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at a listening session on rural and agricultural issues in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
"The impact of deer on our forest ecosystem, the crop and forest
products losses, the loss of life and property from deer/car collisions and
the impact on public health from the incidence of Lyme disease carried by
deer have all been documented and the picture painted by these numbers is
not good," said Dr. Schaeffer.
A study released in March by the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources showed fewer than 25 percent of the 41,650 forest plots they
looked at across the state showed desirable forest regeneration and almost
45 percent lacked any new, woody growth.
"Here in the Lebanon area -- the Conrad Weiser Forest District -- the
results are even worse," Dr. Schaeffer explained. "59 percent of the 1,126
forest plots surveyed showed no forest regeneration and 28 percent showed
regeneration with undesirable species."
The DCNR study and a 2005 study by Audubon Pennsylvania and the
Pennsylvania Habitat Alliance show that high deer populations have greatly
altered forest understories. The abundance of native wildflowers and other
forest-floor plants has been greatly diminished, shrub species have been
dramatically decreased or eliminated, and the variety of tree species has
declined.
From a bird and wildlife resource perspective, nearly every one of
Audubon's 84 Important Bird Areas in Pennsylvania has experienced
significant damage caused by deer over-browsing, reducing much-needed
habitat areas. These are areas of habitat critical to the survival and
diversity of bird populations that must meet dozens of science-based
criteria for designation.
"In addition to habitat losses, there is an estimated $90 million in
agricultural crop loss and $73 million in damage to our forest products
every year caused by deer, according to the Department of Agriculture,"
said Dr. Schaeffer. "Nurseries are losing an average of $20,000 a year due
to deer damage, and state taxpayers lose $18 million a year in deferred and
lost timber stumpage sales."
In addition, a 2006 hearing by the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee found --
-- Over $78 million in property damage occur in the over 39,000 deer/car
collisions each year in Pennsylvania, not counting the deaths and
injuries to the people involved, the highest of any state in the
nation; and
-- The incidence of Lyme disease, a debilitating and sometimes fatal
illness spread by deer ticks, has increased by over 9,000 percent
between 1987 and 2004, according to the Department of Health.
"Hunters will never agree on how many deer there should be in the
woods, and deer certainly don't go where hunters want them to; they go
where there's food and cover," said Dr. Schaeffer. "Deer are having a
devastating impact on forest ecosystems and many agricultural areas, and we
need to continue common sense policies to stem these losses."
Audubon Pennsylvania made several recommendations to the Committee --
-- The first priority should be the restoration and maintenance of fully
functional forest ecosystems, containing a full component of native
biological diversity at all levels. It is the best way to serve the
long-term interests of the people and wildlife of Pennsylvania.
-- Policy-makers and land managers should focus on the indicators of
forest health -- rather than the number of deer people are seeing -- to
assess whether our forests are recovering.
-- Until data shows Pennsylvania's forests are recovering, it would be
imprudent and irresponsible to further limit hunter effectiveness
through restrictions on hunting such as shorter seasons and smaller
antlerless allocations.
-- Support House Bill 550, sponsored by Rep. Hershey (R-Chester) and Rep.
Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks), allowing the owners of farms, forestland and
landscape nurseries to better protect agricultural commodities from the
damage caused by deer and other wildlife and would make it easier for
landowners, local governments and communities to obtain deer removal
permits. Sen. McIlhinney (R-Bucks) is considering introduction of a
similar bill in the Senate.
-- The General Assembly, Governor's Office and the Game Commission should
identify a funding base that is more stable and equitable than funding
derived almost exclusively from sources such as license dollars and
timber sales on game lands in order to facilitate the shift from
single-species management to ecosystem management.
For more information, visit Audubon Pennsylvania's website at:
http://pa.audubon.org/deer_report.html
SOURCE Audubon Pennsylvania and
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-05-2007/0004560408&EDATE=
Dr. Schaeffer made the comments before the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at a listening session on rural and agricultural issues in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
"The impact of deer on our forest ecosystem, the crop and forest
products losses, the loss of life and property from deer/car collisions and
the impact on public health from the incidence of Lyme disease carried by
deer have all been documented and the picture painted by these numbers is
not good," said Dr. Schaeffer.
A study released in March by the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources showed fewer than 25 percent of the 41,650 forest plots they
looked at across the state showed desirable forest regeneration and almost
45 percent lacked any new, woody growth.
"Here in the Lebanon area -- the Conrad Weiser Forest District -- the
results are even worse," Dr. Schaeffer explained. "59 percent of the 1,126
forest plots surveyed showed no forest regeneration and 28 percent showed
regeneration with undesirable species."
The DCNR study and a 2005 study by Audubon Pennsylvania and the
Pennsylvania Habitat Alliance show that high deer populations have greatly
altered forest understories. The abundance of native wildflowers and other
forest-floor plants has been greatly diminished, shrub species have been
dramatically decreased or eliminated, and the variety of tree species has
declined.
From a bird and wildlife resource perspective, nearly every one of
Audubon's 84 Important Bird Areas in Pennsylvania has experienced
significant damage caused by deer over-browsing, reducing much-needed
habitat areas. These are areas of habitat critical to the survival and
diversity of bird populations that must meet dozens of science-based
criteria for designation.
"In addition to habitat losses, there is an estimated $90 million in
agricultural crop loss and $73 million in damage to our forest products
every year caused by deer, according to the Department of Agriculture,"
said Dr. Schaeffer. "Nurseries are losing an average of $20,000 a year due
to deer damage, and state taxpayers lose $18 million a year in deferred and
lost timber stumpage sales."
In addition, a 2006 hearing by the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee found --
-- Over $78 million in property damage occur in the over 39,000 deer/car
collisions each year in Pennsylvania, not counting the deaths and
injuries to the people involved, the highest of any state in the
nation; and
-- The incidence of Lyme disease, a debilitating and sometimes fatal
illness spread by deer ticks, has increased by over 9,000 percent
between 1987 and 2004, according to the Department of Health.
"Hunters will never agree on how many deer there should be in the
woods, and deer certainly don't go where hunters want them to; they go
where there's food and cover," said Dr. Schaeffer. "Deer are having a
devastating impact on forest ecosystems and many agricultural areas, and we
need to continue common sense policies to stem these losses."
Audubon Pennsylvania made several recommendations to the Committee --
-- The first priority should be the restoration and maintenance of fully
functional forest ecosystems, containing a full component of native
biological diversity at all levels. It is the best way to serve the
long-term interests of the people and wildlife of Pennsylvania.
-- Policy-makers and land managers should focus on the indicators of
forest health -- rather than the number of deer people are seeing -- to
assess whether our forests are recovering.
-- Until data shows Pennsylvania's forests are recovering, it would be
imprudent and irresponsible to further limit hunter effectiveness
through restrictions on hunting such as shorter seasons and smaller
antlerless allocations.
-- Support House Bill 550, sponsored by Rep. Hershey (R-Chester) and Rep.
Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks), allowing the owners of farms, forestland and
landscape nurseries to better protect agricultural commodities from the
damage caused by deer and other wildlife and would make it easier for
landowners, local governments and communities to obtain deer removal
permits. Sen. McIlhinney (R-Bucks) is considering introduction of a
similar bill in the Senate.
-- The General Assembly, Governor's Office and the Game Commission should
identify a funding base that is more stable and equitable than funding
derived almost exclusively from sources such as license dollars and
timber sales on game lands in order to facilitate the shift from
single-species management to ecosystem management.
For more information, visit Audubon Pennsylvania's website at:
http://pa.audubon.org/deer_report.html
SOURCE Audubon Pennsylvania and
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-05-2007/0004560408&EDATE=
Monday, April 02, 2007
PENNSYLVANIA NEWS: Forest Regeneration Failure at 75% Statewide
PITTSBURGH - A new state survey shows that Pennsylvania's deer herd is nibbling away at new growth in the state's forest lands at an alarming rate.
Nearly 42,000 plots surveyed from the air in 19 of the state's 20 forest districts show a lack of new, woody growth. Less than 25 percent of the plots in the state showed a desirable level of new vegetation.
The areas with the worst growth were the Weiser, Kittanning, Wyoming, Sproul and Delaware state forests in north-central Pennsylvania.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis called the results of the recent air survey troubling.
The information gathered will be used to direct hunters to certain forest areas, so the deer herd can be thinned more in those areas where deer are nibbling away at new plants and trees, DiBerardinis said.
Hunters killed 361,560 deer in 2006, 2 percent more than in 2005. It was the first time the deer kill increased since 2002. Hunters killed 135,290 bucks last year, a 12 percent increase over 2005.
Source: http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/sports/colleges/mercer/17014721.htm
Nearly 42,000 plots surveyed from the air in 19 of the state's 20 forest districts show a lack of new, woody growth. Less than 25 percent of the plots in the state showed a desirable level of new vegetation.
The areas with the worst growth were the Weiser, Kittanning, Wyoming, Sproul and Delaware state forests in north-central Pennsylvania.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis called the results of the recent air survey troubling.
The information gathered will be used to direct hunters to certain forest areas, so the deer herd can be thinned more in those areas where deer are nibbling away at new plants and trees, DiBerardinis said.
Hunters killed 361,560 deer in 2006, 2 percent more than in 2005. It was the first time the deer kill increased since 2002. Hunters killed 135,290 bucks last year, a 12 percent increase over 2005.
Source: http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/sports/colleges/mercer/17014721.htm
Friday, March 30, 2007
MONTANA NEWS: Helena Task Force Recommends Sharpshooters
Helena’s Urban Wildlife Task Force has recommended officials use sharpshooters in most areas of the city to kill 334 deer next winter. If the city waits even a year, the group’s report said, more than 600 deer will have to be culled in order to attain an acceptable population of urban deer.
The task force’s report said the city now could be home to as many as 500 mule deer, with most living in Helena’s southern neighborhoods. Group members called the estimate conservative. If left unchecked, the population could grow to more than 1,800 by 2010, the report said. The group wants to reduce the herd to about 380 animals.
“Given the situation we’re in, (sharpshooting) is probably the most effective, it’s probably the safest, and while this may sound strange … it’s the most humane,” Task Force Co-Chair Matt Cohn said. “This is going to be the best method to achieve the goal we have.”
The group also recommended the city commission set aside between $30,000 and $100,000 for a deer-management program and appoint a permanent wildlife advisory committee to oversee the program into the future.
Task force members are set to present their report to city commissioners on Wednesday.
The report represents the end of one phase and the beginning of another. City commissioners will hold public meetings and discuss the issue. If they settle on a management plan, they’ll have to submit it to the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission for final approval.
City Commissioner Sandy Oitzinger served on the task force, which reached its decision through consensus votes. She said she’s unsure how she’ll address the deer issue at the commission level.
“How I will vote on this as a commissioner is going to depend on the interaction and dialogue with the commission … it would be premature for me to say whether I’m going to support the sharpshooting option or not at this time,” Oitzinger said.
The task force recommended several other options — including ongoing public education and encouraging the use of deer repellants and deer-proof landscaping. The group approved other options, such as fertility controls and certified urban hunting, which members said could become more viable in the future.
“There are some things that we’ve approved, but they’re on the backburner,” group member Bob Habeck said. “We wanted to recommend the slate of appropriate management options, even though they might not come into play in one year.”
Task force members rejected two options: doing nothing, or trapping deer and moving them elsewhere.
The group said allowing the deer herd to continue to grow unchecked will only exacerbate the problem, and the trap-and-transport option, while popular at public meetings held early this year, has a number of associated issues — it’s time-consuming and expensive, it potentially shifts the problem elsewhere and deer often die during the process.
The full report will be available on the city’s Web site, at the Lewis and Clark Library and at the city Parks and Recreation Department after it’s presented to city commissioners.
The herd
Helena is unique from the scores of other communities across the country that have adopted deer-management plans — the Queen City is home to mule deer, while the vast majority of other cities dealing with burgeoning herds are home to whitetails.
“The task force is plowing new ground when it comes to mule deer, because there are virtually no mule deer plans — they are all for whitetail deer,” said FWP Biologist Gayle Joslin, who served on the task force.
The group believes more than 32 deer occupy every square mile in Helena, and population projections put the herd’s total at more than 700 animals by next winter. The group settled on a goal of 25 deer per square mile, a number some other communities have used for whitetail deer, Joslin said.
In a biological sense, Helena — with its watered lawn and gardens and city limits expanding more and more into wildlife habitat — could feed many more deer. The trick is finding how many deer Helenans are willing to live with, and task force members said total elimination is not an option.
Joslin said 25 per square mile might not be the right number, but it’s a place to start.
Is there a problem?
One of the basic questions task force members considered throughout the process — and an issue they heard again and again from the public — is whether an urban deer problem exists in Helena.
The group’s answer: Yes. And it’s only going to get worse.
“The (human) population that we see is going to grow, and the deer population is going to grow,” Task Force Co-Chair Virginia Niccolucci said. “We would have nothing other than more human-deer conflicts, unless we do something now.”
Habeck agreed.
“Using professional judgment and conservative estimates … we’re on the footslope of (an exponential) growth in urban deer population,” he said.
If city and FWP commissioners can’t agree on a plan for even one year, the problem grows, he said.
“The key thing to know is, even in a best-case scenario, we’re going to be losing time and … it’s just going to get worse,” Habeck said.
In 2003, the Police Department received 103 complaints about deer, most of them calls about dead animals. The department received 16 reports of deer-vehicle collisions. Last year, dispatchers fielded 241 calls, with 30 reported collisions. FWP received 73 calls in 2004 and 162 calls last year.
Source: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/03/30/helena/000deer.txt
The task force’s report said the city now could be home to as many as 500 mule deer, with most living in Helena’s southern neighborhoods. Group members called the estimate conservative. If left unchecked, the population could grow to more than 1,800 by 2010, the report said. The group wants to reduce the herd to about 380 animals.
“Given the situation we’re in, (sharpshooting) is probably the most effective, it’s probably the safest, and while this may sound strange … it’s the most humane,” Task Force Co-Chair Matt Cohn said. “This is going to be the best method to achieve the goal we have.”
The group also recommended the city commission set aside between $30,000 and $100,000 for a deer-management program and appoint a permanent wildlife advisory committee to oversee the program into the future.
Task force members are set to present their report to city commissioners on Wednesday.
The report represents the end of one phase and the beginning of another. City commissioners will hold public meetings and discuss the issue. If they settle on a management plan, they’ll have to submit it to the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission for final approval.
City Commissioner Sandy Oitzinger served on the task force, which reached its decision through consensus votes. She said she’s unsure how she’ll address the deer issue at the commission level.
“How I will vote on this as a commissioner is going to depend on the interaction and dialogue with the commission … it would be premature for me to say whether I’m going to support the sharpshooting option or not at this time,” Oitzinger said.
The task force recommended several other options — including ongoing public education and encouraging the use of deer repellants and deer-proof landscaping. The group approved other options, such as fertility controls and certified urban hunting, which members said could become more viable in the future.
“There are some things that we’ve approved, but they’re on the backburner,” group member Bob Habeck said. “We wanted to recommend the slate of appropriate management options, even though they might not come into play in one year.”
Task force members rejected two options: doing nothing, or trapping deer and moving them elsewhere.
The group said allowing the deer herd to continue to grow unchecked will only exacerbate the problem, and the trap-and-transport option, while popular at public meetings held early this year, has a number of associated issues — it’s time-consuming and expensive, it potentially shifts the problem elsewhere and deer often die during the process.
The full report will be available on the city’s Web site, at the Lewis and Clark Library and at the city Parks and Recreation Department after it’s presented to city commissioners.
The herd
Helena is unique from the scores of other communities across the country that have adopted deer-management plans — the Queen City is home to mule deer, while the vast majority of other cities dealing with burgeoning herds are home to whitetails.
“The task force is plowing new ground when it comes to mule deer, because there are virtually no mule deer plans — they are all for whitetail deer,” said FWP Biologist Gayle Joslin, who served on the task force.
The group believes more than 32 deer occupy every square mile in Helena, and population projections put the herd’s total at more than 700 animals by next winter. The group settled on a goal of 25 deer per square mile, a number some other communities have used for whitetail deer, Joslin said.
In a biological sense, Helena — with its watered lawn and gardens and city limits expanding more and more into wildlife habitat — could feed many more deer. The trick is finding how many deer Helenans are willing to live with, and task force members said total elimination is not an option.
Joslin said 25 per square mile might not be the right number, but it’s a place to start.
Is there a problem?
One of the basic questions task force members considered throughout the process — and an issue they heard again and again from the public — is whether an urban deer problem exists in Helena.
The group’s answer: Yes. And it’s only going to get worse.
“The (human) population that we see is going to grow, and the deer population is going to grow,” Task Force Co-Chair Virginia Niccolucci said. “We would have nothing other than more human-deer conflicts, unless we do something now.”
Habeck agreed.
“Using professional judgment and conservative estimates … we’re on the footslope of (an exponential) growth in urban deer population,” he said.
If city and FWP commissioners can’t agree on a plan for even one year, the problem grows, he said.
“The key thing to know is, even in a best-case scenario, we’re going to be losing time and … it’s just going to get worse,” Habeck said.
In 2003, the Police Department received 103 complaints about deer, most of them calls about dead animals. The department received 16 reports of deer-vehicle collisions. Last year, dispatchers fielded 241 calls, with 30 reported collisions. FWP received 73 calls in 2004 and 162 calls last year.
Source: http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/03/30/helena/000deer.txt
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