How would you try and manage an over populated and expanding Deer herd?
Asked by
SQUEEKY2 (
23474
)
August 4th, 2015
The Mule Deer here in the interior of B.C is out of control, I see 5 to 6 dead deer a day on my haul that have been hit by motorists, causing lots of damage and in a lot of cases injury.
Farmers and Ranchers in the area have killed off or pushed out the predators that used to keep these herds in check.
I can see herds of plus fifty deer grazing in farmers fields at times.
I myself have hit five deer with my semi in the past four years, one did just around $3000 in damage think what that would have done to a car or pickup?
What would you do to bring these herds under control?
Extend hunting season?
I don’t think Farmers would allow predators back in, like more wolves, and cats.
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10 Answers
I suppose the government could place a bounty on the deer, then extend the hunting season. When you say “cats”, are you talking about animals larger than a bobcat?
You’ve gotta extend hunting season and broaden the scope of the limitations if it’s really that far out of control. Australians do the same with Kangaroo.. they are like vermin over there. Or… “under” there. Since they are.. you know.. down.. under. pity clap.
Shoot them? That’s honestly about all you can do. Let the hunters have at it. Venison is good shit anyway.
Reintroduce predators and shoot the farmers.
@ARE_you_kidding_me I do agree it is good meat.
There is a call for a cull in certain areas but animal lovers have a freak at that thought.
I agree extend hunting season and and make does more of an option.
I like the idea of predators but they are hard on farm animals as well @ragingloli, and the farmers are trying to make a living.
It’s very good eating if you know how to take care of it. But it is lean. Managing the hunting season and the doe permits is the only way unless we want to reintroduce predators.
Deer contraceptives.
Seriously, widespread shooting with darts with deer version of Depo-provera. That’s what was done in Northern California when the tule elk herd got too big.
And, mountain lions. They won’t eat farm animals if there are plenty of deer.
My question is will a predator be more likely to attack wild game when they are in abundance or domestic stock? I have found no answer to this but it was a quick search.
I am not a farmer and have no feel for what they have to put up with and I realize that every animal lost is a loss of income but it seems to me that we have to live in balance with the rest of nature, not try to manipulate it to fit our ideals.
Predators need prey and vice-versa. When you eliminate the predator from the equation then you see prey animals double, triple and sometimes quadruple their population and this causes the problems you are now seeing. Eventually nature will bring it back into balance by decimating the herds through disease and/or starvation but a balance will be had.
Are there not programs that pay farmers and ranchers for their losses in order to maintain a natural predator/prey balance? A kind of acknowledgement that everyone has to sacrifice for the common good and that the common good include those things we would rather not face?
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