Controlling the Deer Population

Before delving in to the question of how to control the deer, we need to address five major points listed below:

1. How many deer are there in East Goshen Township?
2. What is the biological carrying capacity and cultural carrying capacity of the herd?
3. What is the effect of an overpopulation of deer?
4. Do we need to interact in keeping the numbers down?
5. So if there are too many deer how can we reduce and control their numbers?

1. How many deer are there in East Goshen Township?
In a study completed in March of 2007, is was estimated that East Goshen Township area had approximately 350+ deer. However, the count was only done one time. So we really don't have an accurate count because, as members of the board have pointed out, we have free-roaming deer. That mean we could have move and we could have less. Shouldn't we have done multiple tests to determine a better count? Back in 2006, when a piloted hunt was conducted, with not much notice, they reported we had between 600 - 800 deer. So either they were wrong then or the population drop.

Anyone educated in Statists would tell you that one "view" of the deer is not a valid study. But it's very costly test more and too do it more than one time is not practical. Yet the one test did prove the Township was wrong. Would another prove them wrong yet again?

So as it stands, the Township wants to reduce the herd from 350 deer to 150 deer.

2. What is the biological carrying capacity and cultural carrying capacity of the herd?
This is the question that many have debated over from time to time. Biological carrying capacity refers to the number of deer that a given area can sustain. Once this capacity is exceeded, meaning there is no longer enough food and shelter for the deer living there, the deer herd goes through a process of self-regulation. In other words, the population reduces itself through dispersal, decrease in the reproductive rate and death. Thus the health of the deer herd is the major indicator of whether or not biological carrying capacity has been exceeded, a healthy deer population is evidence that the population is still in balance with the carrying capacity of the land.

So it is important to prevent the deer from eating plant and flower found in our gardens. Which leads us to the second part of the question, what is cultural carrying capacity of the herd?

Cultural carrying capacity is the number of deer within a given area that the human population will tolerate. It is here that the focus moves from science to politics and public relations. This seems to be root of why East Goshen Township wants to have a hunt. Back in April of 2005, there was a signed petition from 62 people requesting the Township to permit bow hunting on Township property in order to reduce the deer population. And so in the fall, with out asking everyone in the Township, they had a bow hunt.

No study was done. No one has done a long term review of the total deer-vehicle collisions here in the Township. How are we to detemine if the hunt successful if we don't have valid number to compare? No one got a real count of deer. No one knew the extent of Lyme disease in East Goshen. As a matter of fact to this day, no one has captured mice and tested them for Lyme disease. Shouldn't we try to determine if Lyme disease is in the Township. Like deer people travel too, so how do we know where the Lyme disease is? But most importantly why are we not SPENDING more money to stop Lyme disease and SPENDING more money to find a cure for it? Instead, the Township just quickly reacted to the call of 62 people.

3. What is the effect of an overpopulation of deer?
The damaging effects of an overpopulation of deer of woodlands have been well documented. But has it been well documented in our parks? Have you been in the parks? Do you see significant damages in our parks caused by deer? We will not dispute deer have damaged some private properties but that doesn’t mean there’s an overpopulation of deer. Any ecologist will tell you the value of preventing any species in woodland from getting out of control. If any of the herbivores get too numerous, the damage done can be tremendous. We don’t believe there are major indications of such damage in East Goshen Township parks.

4. Do we need to interact in keeping the numbers down?
Yes, if the population does go beyond the biological carrying capacity, and the majority of residents feel the deer past the cultural carrying capacity then steps have to be made to control the deer population.

Some in the Township will argue yes, we have reached that point yet they will not request a general survey of the residents. Why not? Is it because they don’t want to hear what others have to say? Do they not want to look at all the alternatives to recreational hunting? Why bow hunting? Why not look out side the box? Are these individuals only thinking about themselves?

5. So if there are too many deer how can we reduce and control their numbers?
This is a tuff questions to answer. This is the very question that is pulling East Goshen Township apart. We feel the majority truly believe the deer need to be controlled however we also believe the majority are against having recreational hunting in East Goshen Township. Especially a hunt for four months, 6 days a week, from sun rise to sun set and for ten years. It’s too intrusive and too dangerous. It is not the right answer for a complex and very controversial issue. Contrary to Thom Clapper’s opinion, when he stated on January 22, 2008, “…it’s the Board’s responsibility to make a decision whether to hunt or not, not the residents”; we the residents should have more say in what happens in our Township. Joe was quick to disagree with Thom and stated the Board needs to represent the wishes of the residents.

There is a push and a strong belief that non-lethal alternative should be taken before resorting to recreational hunting. Other would be open to having sharp-shooters come in for only a few days and have a controlled hunt. We believe that the Township should be more open to immunocontraception - a birth control method that uses the deer body's immune response to prevent pregnancy. It is the most promising method of birth control. Of the various birth control systems that have been devised, 'PZP' (porcine or pig zona pellucida) vaccination is the most widely advocated.

Yet here in Pennsylvania, which is ranks at the top of the list for numbers of deer killed during hunting season (firearms and bow-hunting) across the nation, we have to battle the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to use such a promising product and we have to battle the hunters who don’t want to control the deer population.

Here is an exchange between Dr. Ferrater-Mora and our Board members on July 15, 2008, regarding the use of PZP in controlling deer.

Dr. Ferrater-Mora stated that PZP is authorized by the FDA. Marty asked her if she was challenging the information the Township has from the Department of Agriculture indicating otherwise and she said yes. Dr. Fermter-Mora thanked the Board for letting her speak. She said she is not a resident of East Goshen, but she has extensive credentials and taught at Penn State for 35 years.

She read a quote from a Pennsylvania Game Commission publication about "compensatory reproduction" and said that every male deer the Township kills will be a waste, because it is only effective to kill females. She then cited references from several publications to support her point. She said it would be possible to bait the deer and dart them with contraceptives. Dr. Ferrater- Mora said PZP is effective, stops conception, reduces herd size, is inexpensive, poses no danger to humans or the food chain, results in no psychological trauma to children, and causes no harm to the deer who are treated. She stated that a contraceptive program can be implemented very cheaply if volunteer labor is used. She said she had a $10K check made out to the Township for use in starting such a program. She said she has been in contact with Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick of Billings, Montana. an expert on this topic, and he is willing to provide training to the volunteers. She suggested the $10K could be used for airfare and other expenses while the volunteers are Trained.

Even with an offer of ten thousand dollars to start a test program the East Goshen Township turn it back on us.

But the question remains: Are there really too many deer in East Goshen Township?

http://safetyfirstforeastgoshen.org

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