How do deer survive in dense burbs?

[bag-mania]

I'm looking out my back window right now and SIXTEEN deer just went running by (followed by some rambunctious teens).

I'd much rather have the deer in my yard than the teenagers that were chasing them.

 

[Melissa71]

They're way over populated where I live, too. They come right up to people's houses and eat the landscaping by the driveways, in full daylight. They need to give out more hunting permits. If there can't be hunting in an area, they need to cull the herd with an alternative method. When there are that many of them in one area, diseases and food shortages become a major problem.

 

[Couturegrl]

^Or humans could just stop encroaching on their land...but unfortunately, that is never going to happen

 

[lilian]

I always thought it was because the gestation period is only 6 months....so 1 female can have roughly 2 babies a year... but to answer more about your question - 16 deer isn't really that uncommon. And it's just sad, I know around here, because we're just destroying their natural habitat and that's leading to more and more getting killed because they can't find a place to live.......honestly I've thought before that we might be able to control it a little more if residential hunting was given it's own season. Perhaps a few days every now and again?

My school actually has a program (starting this past year) where you can apply for a permit to hunt deer on campus. They even have designated "archery only" and "firearm only" zones. I think it's similar to what you're suggesting, in that you get a few days a month to do it, and there are all types of rules about what to wear, when to do it, and what type you can hunt (like 2 females before a male or something like that, no radio-collared ones, etc.).

 

[fantasiatzu]

OMG isn't like shooting them with bow and arrow (archery) a slower death than just shooting them with a gun?

Or is it the same?

 

[evekitti]

I'm appalled that hunting is condoned as an acceptable option for controlling deer population. I do not believe it to be a humane method at all. And I thought this was a forum for animal lovers?

 

[Couturegrl]

^^ita.

 

[lilian]

I'm appalled that hunting is condoned as an acceptable option for controlling deer population. I do not believe it to be a humane method at all. And I thought this was a forum for animal lovers?

I'm not endorsing it, but just pointing out an actual instance of something someone mentioned that happens at my school. I didn't realize we weren't allowed to share experiences that we had that were non-animal friendly.