Deer Overpopulation

Threatens The Ecosystem

To the Editor:

Regarding the article “Deer Management: An Issue Fraught With Emotion” (Bee, 11/28/08).

My family and I are avid hikers and love to view the wildlife while hiking through the abundant trail systems throughout Connecticut’s open space and parks. We also like venison, and I am a bow hunter. The whitetail deer population in Fairfield County is overpopulated and this not only leads to the spread of Lyme disease, but a whole slew of other problems.

There are only three predators in Connecticut for whitetail deer: cougars (only in the upper northwest), man, and cars. One doe will produce two fawns per year, unchecked over a seven-year period from the subsequential reproduction of those fawns can produce up to almost 50 deer. Now multiply that by many more does and you might begin to understand the problem with deer population here in Newtown.

The number one cause of death for deer in Connecticut is from encounters with cars. In the US there were over 1.5 million accidents reported with over 200 deaths related to deer accidents. This number is ever increasing with deer population going unchecked.

Deer need food, water, cover, and space for survival. The carrying capacity is the number of animals the habitat can support from year to year. Hunting is an effective wildlife management tool to keep animal population in balance with the habitat. More deer die from disease and starvation than from hunting.

Deer are beautiful animals. They should be admired, but respectfully, deer are also wild and as with most wild animals should not be fed. Unless you are prepared to feed the deer throughout the year, by removing their food source and reducing the carrying capacity of their range, you may inadvertently cause those deer to starve during the winter.

Bow hunting is a much more humane way for a deer to die then from disease and starvation or accidents with cars. Hunting accounts for a very small percentage of deer deaths.

In residential situations, bow hunting is shown to be more effective than rifles as there are no setbacks associated with bow hunting. A hunter needs to get within 30 yards to be effective. This drastically reduces the likelihood of making a mistake in target identification because arrows have such a short range. So-called “line-of-fire” accidents are much less likely than with guns. The DEP reports there has not been any third party accidents associated with bows in Connecticut.

With the overpopulation of deer in Fairfield and New Haven Counties come the problems associated with them, Lyme disease, coyotes, car accidents, chronic wasting disease, vegetation destruction, and food depletion needed to sustain other natural wild life. I would much rather enjoy a healthy ecosystem than one that is out of balance. A well-managed deer program by our town can help balance our natural habitats while bringing in revenue by special permits and licenses.

Respectfully,

David Stout

9 Grand Place, Newtown                                          December 4, 2008