People are going to kill because they like to and they can.
People are going to kill because they like to and they can. That’s what hunting is, but to put a $100 bounty on deer is tragic and wrong. The powers that be have so vilified deer that the neurotic among us are growing stronger. Their fear of Lyme disease is infectious and dangerous.
It’s like saying: “I’ve got poison ivy growing up a tree out back — so I took the tree down.” Ticks have been here a long time. You learn to walk the woods and fields intelligently — by going over yourself and your pets, by using tick repellent and by dressing sensibly. Get tested and treated if needed — my dogs and I have, several times.
Don’t promote killing deer through fear and rewarding it with cash. We return to the time of wolf bounties, jack rabbit roundups, toward the slaughter of the passenger pigeons. Perhaps we should just build a wall — to keep nature out. God help us and the poor deer.
Susan Jones
Vineyard Haven and Chilmark
Comments
First, I have to take issue
Dana Nunes VHFirst, I have to take issue with your statement, that people hunt because they like to kill. I’m not a hunter but I am aware that a lot of people on this island fill their freezers during hunting season. They hunt to eat, to feed themselves and their families.
That being said, the deer are the largest vector for ticks on this island. Prevention and protection are certainly your best bet but even though I spray our clothes with permethrin, apply insect repellent and my partner and I are diligent about our end of day tick checks, (aka “Chilmark Foreplay), we still both suffered from Lyme disease this summer; for me it was my sixth bout in 20 years.
And what happens when the prescribed medications are no longer effective?
I can appreciate your compassion but “walking the woods...intelligently,” doesn’t always work.
Walking the woods
Sarah L.Delaney Vineyard HavenWalking the woods intelligently does work. Getting rid of the deer is not going to change the tick population on this Island. When I moved here 22 years ago, there were a plethora of ticks everywhere and the only thing that will get rid of them is a good blast of DDT...which thank god is no longer used as it was when I was a child. Some people do enjoy the sport of hunting, therefore enjoying killing deer is accurate. Hopefully all the deer that are killed will be eaten and not be wasted as I am sure that is the case. I applaud Susan Jone’s letter. Not everyone feels the same way about hunting, regardless of the reason, but culling the deer population on this Island will do nothing to eradicate the tick population. Think of all the other animals that carry ticks too.
Overpopulation is a real
Down IslanderOverpopulation is a real problem for deer on the island. Culling the deer population not only reduces the primary vector for a debilitating illness, but keeps the herd healthy.
Deer can cause a lot of
Jillian Greeley CHILMARKDeer can cause a lot of damage in a short period. They are opportunist animals that can safely eat more than 700 different plant species. They are also adaptable, moving into communities and suburban areas to find cover, food, and security. The amount of damage they can cause in one day on a single property could total several thousand dollars. Hunting is a way to maintain control of the local wildlife population. Not to mention, In the United States, automotive collisions with deer cause an estimated 200 deaths every year. The average cost paid out by vehicle owners and insurance companies to cover the cost of damage to vehicles in these accidents exceeds $4 billion annually. In total, more than 1.2 million accidents are believed to occur every year on US roads. Hunting helps to reduce population levels, which may also be a factor in reducing overall accident levels.
Don't stop for the stupid turkeys in the road and PLEASE kill the deer. And the raccoons.
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