Comments on: Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary

By: Dave729

Dave729 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:55:35 +0000

This article is one of the WORST article I have ever read and articles like this ARE one of the reasons that anti-hunting groups will never gain any ground with state wildlife agencies.

Nature does maintain a balance if left alone but only in the most cruel and destuctive ways. Starvation and disease are what nature uses to limit an animals population. In the case of deer, the population will decline when they have eaten every green leaf within 7 feet of the ground, leaving basically bare earth. Then disease sets in with the weakened animals and there are mass die-offs. Does it work, yes. But that is considered humane?

The author of this article should use current information. The attempt to use chemical birth control in Princeton, NJ was given up many, many years ago because it was ineffective. They now bring in professional sharp-shooters at night to kill deer. The experimental contraseptive program run by the HSUS in NY was also abandoned because IT DID NOT WORK!

In suburban areas there are not enough predators to control the deer population. How many soccer moms do you think would support the re-introduction of cougars and wolves into their backyards where their children play.

By: Bina Robinson

Bina Robinson — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:16:58 +0000

An excellent, factual commentary! One of the best I’ve seen, too. Hunting will never control white-tailed deer as long as it is regulated to allow hunters to kill more bucks than does, the basic cause of the perceived overpopulation in most states. Ms. Metzler explains it well. Killing bucks (presumably so that hunters can acquire trophies and look prestigious posing with their kills) reduces competition for food in hard winters and enables more does to survive and replenish, or even increase the population in the spring. It would be a simple matter to reduce the number of buck permits (or suspend it for a year or two for a quicker result) and allow the population to regain a normal 50/50 sex ratio.

The problem is that most hunters would oppose such regulation, and wildlife is managed in the best interests of the 3 percent of the population that hunts rather than the 97 percent that doesn’t. As a result, the vast majority suffers from crop damage, deer car collisions, and garden depredation in order to provide targets for the sport of the minority.

By: Barbara Metzler

Barbara Metzler — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:44:40 +0000

This is one of the best articles I have ever seen! Everyone should be required to read it, including those who kill for the thrill.

I would like to add one thought to “There are 30 million deer in the U.S., and because hunting has been an ineffective method to “control” populations…”

We have so many deer BECAUSE states deliberately propagate deer for recreational killing.

When deer are killed, the remaining deer will respond by reproducing dramatically. This phenomenon is known as “compensatory rebound,” and explains why sport hunting as a management tool has resulted in an ever-increasing number of deer in this country.

Since hunting causes the reproduction rates of a deer population to double or triple, hunting is not a solution to a problem, but a commitment to a permanent problem! ( And, this is exactly what Game Commissions want. They want more and more deer so they can sell more and more licenses.)

Hunting is ANIMAL CRUELTY. Period!