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Mar 29, 2014 4:16 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
I was talking to my sister who had been at a town meeting to discuss their deer problem.
They are exploring a controlled kill .
I know this is shocking and abhorrent to many gentle hearted gardeners BUT ,in this town there are many serious accidents that have taken lives not to mention stripping new growth trees in woods.
The veterinarian who addressed the public discussed the deer eating habits and unique digestion condition that changes depending on the season.
Apparently deer have two cycles for digesting food.
Winter cycle allows them to eat bark,branches and many garden shrubs.
Summer cycle the digestive system changes this is the one I am most familiar with.Greens,emerging spring perennials,tulips and summer lilies to mention a small sample.
This was interesting to me as another piece of information about my nemesis.
Last edited by ge1836 Mar 29, 2014 4:27 PM Icon for preview
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Mar 30, 2014 10:13 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Region: Georgia Garden Sages Organic Gardener Beekeeper Vegetable Grower
Seed Starter Cut Flowers Composter Keeper of Poultry Keeps Goats Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I had no idea. How interesting.

I am returning from a trip to MI and on the way to the northern part we saw so many deer, I mean HUNDREDS! There was one field where they looked like a head of cattle, there were so many! And many right out in the open in broad daylight. Apparently because there has been so much snow on the ground all winter they have not been able to get much to eat so with the snow melting, they are really hungry and coming out in droves.
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Mar 31, 2014 7:47 AM CST
Name: Tom Cagle
SE-OH (Zone 6a)
Old, fat, and gardening in OH
The relationship between predators and herbivors is fixed. The short is: If people don't eat deer, predators will.

If many deer in the farmers field is not a problem, then when apex predators like mountain lion show up to take care of business, Don't fuss when he eats a few of the neighbors kids.

The Bostington strip (from Boston MA to Washington DC) is I think particularly vunerable to predation.
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Mar 31, 2014 8:14 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Tom: That Boston to Wash strip is also most densly populated. There are bound to be clashes.
I wish the DEC would allow a larger number taken in hunting season.
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Apr 10, 2014 4:39 AM CST
Name: Tom Cagle
SE-OH (Zone 6a)
Old, fat, and gardening in OH
Too often a hunter wants a trophy. Its the total population that has to be reduced if you want to limit predators.
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Apr 10, 2014 6:22 PM CST
Name: Karen
Valencia, Pa (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cut Flowers Winter Sowing Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Echinacea
Plant and/or Seed Trader Region: Ohio Region: United States of America Butterflies Hummingbirder Celebrating Gardening: 2015
We don't have a whole lot of mountain lions here in Cincinnati to prey on the deer. Hence, we have a LOT of deer in my subdivision.

Karen
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Apr 10, 2014 6:32 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Same deer issue here. More deer are killed in our town by cars than hunters and we're #1 in Lyme Disease, something no one wants. Yet many protest that the "poor, innocent" deer are being killed. If those who protest were to lose a parent, spouse or child due to deer, or have a loved one infected with Lyme's Disease, it would change their song.

I had no idea about their dual digestive systems. Thanks for the information, Jo Ann.
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Apr 11, 2014 2:46 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
Nature gives them 2 seasonal systems for survival.
There are Deer sterilizing programs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Last edited by ge1836 Apr 11, 2014 2:53 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 11, 2014 6:19 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
They've used sterilization on Shelter Island but it met with objections by enough people on the North Fork that it isn't under consideration.
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Apr 11, 2014 6:24 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
I would think it's a better option for the deer than killing or slow starvation due to disease.
We all know cruel nature can be,floods and mudslides arent enough to point out we dont live on a Disney planet.
Last edited by ge1836 Apr 11, 2014 6:25 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 11, 2014 6:30 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Ditto. The farmers would rather the deer be killed and I can see their point. We need relief.
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Apr 12, 2014 12:02 PM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Disney and "Bambi" have a lot to answer for. Rolling my eyes.
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Apr 13, 2014 8:17 AM CST
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I guess in TX, the west and middle are the big deer areas. When we were traveling south towards Fredericksburg, there were so many dead deer, we started counting. Stopped at over 100 in one hour. And, they are picked up each day, I'm told. That's a lot of deer's hit by cars. Not sure a controlled kill is going to help either.
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Apr 13, 2014 8:27 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Southold, Long Island, NY (Zone 7a)
Region: Ukraine Dahlias I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Houseplants Tomato Heads Garden Ideas: Level 1
Plant Identifier Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015
When the many towns and states won't control the population then the result is very serious overpopulation and tortured deaths of deer and drivers on the roads. Who benefits from that?
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Apr 13, 2014 9:22 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
When herd density becomes critical they become malnourished because there isnt enough "brouse" for them even what they eat in our gardens.

There are diseases deer pass on to humans Deer Ticks which carry Lyme Disease is just one.
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Apr 13, 2014 2:10 PM CST
Name: cheshirekat
New Mexico, USA Zone 8 (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Dog Lover Herbs Garden Procrastinator Vegetable Grower
There are a lot of hungry people that could benefit from all that deer roaming around needing to be eaten.

I don't eat a lot of meat, but times are tough. I wouldn't mind having some deer, especially when it is so plentiful. Not a Bambi fan, because the movie was one that was overly cutesy to me.

I think a time is soon coming that "the pursuit of happiness" will see deer as a healthier option to beef in our failing economy.
"A garden is a friend you can visit any time." - Anonymous
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Apr 13, 2014 2:21 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jo Ann Gentle
Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Cat Lover Heucheras Hellebores Container Gardener
Birds Region: New York Avid Green Pages Reviewer Irises Garden Ideas: Master Level Lilies
There are problems hunting everywhere on the east coast.
Many farmers do not allow hunting on their open lands and it is impossible in areas where there are developments and parks and suburbs.
The controlled kill in my sisters town cant give the meat away because there are no stations for dressing the deer. If bow and arrow hunting in the controlled area is allowed only a few hunters will be allowed to hunt and they will take the deer and dress it themselves for their own use.
The hunters are screened and vetted so no fly by night crazies will be allowed to hunt. The DEC strictly controles the whole process. It really makes sense.
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Apr 13, 2014 2:27 PM CST
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Except during deer session, when a permit must be bought, you can't eat the deer, not even the one you were unfortunate to hit with the car.
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Apr 13, 2014 2:59 PM CST
Name: cheshirekat
New Mexico, USA Zone 8 (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Dog Lover Herbs Garden Procrastinator Vegetable Grower
That's sad that all that meat goes to waste instead of in bellies.

I understand that hunting must be controlled, but still... I know too well how an empty belly aches just thinking about all that deer being restricted to just a few fortunate ones.
"A garden is a friend you can visit any time." - Anonymous
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Apr 13, 2014 3:15 PM CST
Name: tk
97478 (Zone 8b)

Tomato Heads Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I got to admit it sounds bad to the gov to be so strict, but I think the intent there was originally good. I believe they were trying to prevent people from deliberately hitting deer, then taking the meat home. Problem is, no matter what rules there are, somebody is going to push it too far for their own gain.

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