What if there was no deer hunting?

[solidgun]

http://news.yahoo.com/video/minneapolis ... 56991.html

Good video. Have some facts before you engage in any discussions with anti-hunting groups.

However, note that the information is not entirely correct as the deer population managed at this time is really artificial and given time (really really long time) the population will decrease if hunting stopped altogether. But during that time, the starvation, disease spreading, intrusion into human populated areas will be rampant. Also, predator population will increase until they are affected as well.

Have a great weekend hunting!

[Thunder71]

Auto insurance would skyrocket for one...

[xracer390]

Auto insurance would skyrocket for one...

If you lived in a deer area you would probably be put on "risk" insurance.

[FJ540]

Since I'm in the woods, I haven't checked the link - but will add another "fact" for the discussion:

According to our DNR, the total herd is estimated at 1 million deer. Hunters account for 208K or so registered harvests (which is what the DNR wants taken) for 500K licenses sold (40% success rate).

People aren't putting too much hurt on the population with hunting. That's not accounting for collisions though.

[rtk]

I had a big six pointer walk under my stand yesterday morning......That would be my living room window in Minnetonka.

[traveler]

If memory serves Ramsey County is having a "hunt" to cull the deer herd. I welcome it. This is the first year in over five years that we were able to save any tomatoes and sunflowers in the garden. We purchased 8 foot high fencing to encircle a 10 foot by 10 foot area in the garden. We had two fawns laying in the back of the shed again this year — the second year in a row. They are pretty good size now, but appear to be skinny. Mom is healthy and of really good size. I have never seen a buck myself, but the neighbors talk about them a lot.

We live in the middle of a Saint Paul residential neighborhood with 50 foot lots. That to me, not being a biologist and all that, still indicates a herd that is way too big.