Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 18:36:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Billy Thornton
Subject: deer over population
I saw a map a few years ago that showed the deer population in NC. In Chatham County there were around 35-50 deer per square mile at that time and it has only got worse since then. You can’t blame people moving into the country into the deer’s home range for most of the problem. I am an avid hunter and try my best to kill all the deer I can during hunting season.
The problem with the overpopulation is with the deer hunters. Yes that is right. It has been estimated that 75% of the hunters will not shoot a doe deer. If we can control the doe population then we can control the ever increasing deer population. We have been able to take 6 deer per season here in NC. We could kill at least 4 bucks. Two years ago the NC wildlife made it to where we could only kill two bucks and the rest does plus once you filled your tag of 6 deer we could get two more tags for does and if we killed two more does we could get two more tags. You could do this for the entire season and I know of several people that ended the season without killing a single deer because they only wanted a deer with a big rack that they could hang on their wall. They don’t think it is manly to shoot a doe. You know who I am talking about
It is true that there is clear cutting of land that the deer live in. It would seem that they are destroying the food source that the deer have to live on but it is just the opposite. Land that has been cut over will produce the deer more food in the next year and when a doe has the right anmount of nourishment and fat reserves she will breed and produce babies. A one year old doe will have one fawn and every year after that will produce two fawns and sometimes three. The key to controling the deer population is to take out all the older does that we can each year.
For all of you PETA supporting people let me tell you that shooting a deer is more humane that them starving to death or from disease. Deer meat is also healthier than beef for you. There is only 0.05% fat in venison and it has no cholesterol at all in it.
So I say to all you macho hunters. Get off your A– and start shooting does so we can get the doe to buck ratio in sinc and you will start seeing more big bucks each year.
Billy