Jim you make a lot of sense.
Nature will fix it one way or the other... remember that 'mankind' is part
of nature. We have displaced the natural environments and natural chain of
predator and prey in many if not most areas.
I know in Michigan, there are many, many deer, probably more than there were
there 200 years ago, because most of the 'natural' predators have been
driven out as they could also be predators for humans... while the food
supply has been both displaced and altered by farming and development. This
has resulted in the deer population being kept in check by several other
factors, in different weights than would have applied 200 years ago, but no
less 'natural' for all that.
We have also opened up the deep woods, creating the environment that the
deer prefer.
Human hunting, starvation, road kills, disease, and probably still some
natural predators in some areas are likely the major factors now... Whether
this is 'better' or worse than the pristine natural environment of 200 years
ago for the deer, it is the way things are now.
Taking human predator activity out of the equation would not by itself make
things any better for the deer population, since the population level would
still reach an equiblirium determined at some level by the other factors,
most likely more disease, more starvation, and more road kills. Having said
all this, I am not a 'hunter' but I don't have any problem with others doing
it, for consumption or recreation as is legally permitted.
It would be nice if hunters would try to emulate animal predators. ie, go
for the weakest or genetically disfigured rather than the largest and
nicest looking of the animals. I think we may be changing the gene pool by
killing off the biggest and best. Certainly, if we want to be upset with
killing, it would be best to attack companies like McDonalds or companies
that raise and harvest chickens and pigs etc. The numbers of animals they
deal with are astonishing.
Hunters probably do not impact deer populations that much anyway. A study
I read recently showed that as more animals are removed, if the food and
habitat remain good, the remaining animals will quickly repopulate by
having twins or triplets. I saw that happen in Wyoming after a
particularly hard winter. We had so many young the next summer it was
really interesting to watch.
gregg
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