Deer Hunting

Won’t Solve The Problem

To the Editor:

I was distressed to learn that the issue of hunting deer in Newtown has once again been raised. I understand the concern about the number of deer in our community, particularly in regard to the subject of Lyme disease. However, hunting these animals will not solve the problem. Studies show that when deer are culled, the remaining animals benefit from the added food supply and reproduce at a younger age with an increase in the number of twins born. It’s also important to realize that ticks exist on 49 bird species, as well as all mammals, including the variety of small critters that are abundant in every yard in Newtown.

There is also the question of human safety when talking about a hunt, as well as the overall issue of what it says about our community in terms of humanitarian values. Killing nonaggressive animals should not be our first reaction to a complicated problem, especially when there is no definitive evidence that it will help. In short, hunting deer as a solution to Lyme disease is a bad idea that will prove to be ineffective in the end.

Janice Paik

15 Overlook Drive, Newtown                                    December 2, 2008