Deer Birth Control Proposed
11-19-2002 | 01:30 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 31
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From: Florence NJ USA
Deer Birth Control Proposed
Article from the Trenton Times paper in central NJ--------Princeton
Since killing hasn't done enough to shrink the local deer population, the township may try a new approach---Promoting sexual abstinence. A committee evaluating the townships deer managment program ha suggested adding birth control and sterilization to it's method of controling the size of the pesky herd. In a report released last week, the Deer Program Evaluation Committee reccomended the township continue it's lethal culling program at least one more year. But it also suggested the killing be augmented with an immunocontraception-sterilization program that would cost about $1000 per deer. Under this proposal, the person hred to lure and shoot hundreds of deer would shoot 50 femaleswith a protein that causes their immune system to prevent contraception. Ten additional females would be trapped, taken to a local veterinarian, surgically sterilized and released back into the herd. For years the township has been among a handful of municipalities that have taken advantage of New Jersey's community based deer management programs. The program, implemented in 1995, allows town to employ a variety of methods to cull deer in areas where conventional hunting isn't feasible. Towns with serious deer problems can augment or replace traditional hunting programs with methods such as trapping or transferring deer and hiring sharp shooters to bait animals to open areas where they are shot en masse.
In the seven years the states program has been in effect, New Jersey's deer population has decreased from more then 204,000 animals to an estimated 150,000, then gone back to 170,000 state Department Enviornmental officials say.
Princeton began it's deer management program in 1997 when it's herd was estimated to be 1300. The goal was to bring the herd down to 340 deer, or 20 animals per square mile in the township and borough. But bow and firearm(which they don't allow in Princeton)sport hunting wasn't enough to control the herd size, which swelled to 1600 that same year.
In 2000, a non-sporting hunting cantract was issued to the Connecticuit-based wildlife management firm of White Buffalo to kill off a significant portion of Princeton's herd.
Over that oast two years the firm has shot and killed 625 deer in the township. But according to the report issued last week, the herd size is estimated at 800 to 1200 deer.
"Even the lowest range, 800, the herd is substancially larger then the goal of 340 deer," the report concluded. And based on the data through October, deer-vehicle accidents for all of 2002 are expected to be between 150 and 163. While that is down an impressive 54% from 342 in 2000, it is still an unacceptably high number of deer vehicle accidents.
"The committee concludes that the Princeton Township still suffers from deer overpopulation."
The committee made other recommendations with regard to the deer, including using a helicopter to do a snow count of the herd, more accurate then the mortality-based estimates being used.
The committee also suggested setting up six fenced in test sites in wooded areas throughout the township. The areas would be closed to deer but not to other animals. If over a period of years, the species that generate within the enclosures are similar to those that survive outside, the experiment would determine that deer grazing does notpresent a serious threat to the local ecosystem.
This is sick in my eyes, The people in this township won't allow hunter onto their land and then they complain about the deer. And there is no gun hunting only bowhunting. Us NJ hunters who spend hundreds of dollars on liscenses and permits should have access to this land, not White buffalo. They come in at night with infra-red and sloughter these deer. It makes me SICCCCCCCK
Since killing hasn't done enough to shrink the local deer population, the township may try a new approach---Promoting sexual abstinence. A committee evaluating the townships deer managment program ha suggested adding birth control and sterilization to it's method of controling the size of the pesky herd. In a report released last week, the Deer Program Evaluation Committee reccomended the township continue it's lethal culling program at least one more year. But it also suggested the killing be augmented with an immunocontraception-sterilization program that would cost about $1000 per deer. Under this proposal, the person hred to lure and shoot hundreds of deer would shoot 50 femaleswith a protein that causes their immune system to prevent contraception. Ten additional females would be trapped, taken to a local veterinarian, surgically sterilized and released back into the herd. For years the township has been among a handful of municipalities that have taken advantage of New Jersey's community based deer management programs. The program, implemented in 1995, allows town to employ a variety of methods to cull deer in areas where conventional hunting isn't feasible. Towns with serious deer problems can augment or replace traditional hunting programs with methods such as trapping or transferring deer and hiring sharp shooters to bait animals to open areas where they are shot en masse.
In the seven years the states program has been in effect, New Jersey's deer population has decreased from more then 204,000 animals to an estimated 150,000, then gone back to 170,000 state Department Enviornmental officials say.
Princeton began it's deer management program in 1997 when it's herd was estimated to be 1300. The goal was to bring the herd down to 340 deer, or 20 animals per square mile in the township and borough. But bow and firearm(which they don't allow in Princeton)sport hunting wasn't enough to control the herd size, which swelled to 1600 that same year.
In 2000, a non-sporting hunting cantract was issued to the Connecticuit-based wildlife management firm of White Buffalo to kill off a significant portion of Princeton's herd.
Over that oast two years the firm has shot and killed 625 deer in the township. But according to the report issued last week, the herd size is estimated at 800 to 1200 deer.
"Even the lowest range, 800, the herd is substancially larger then the goal of 340 deer," the report concluded. And based on the data through October, deer-vehicle accidents for all of 2002 are expected to be between 150 and 163. While that is down an impressive 54% from 342 in 2000, it is still an unacceptably high number of deer vehicle accidents.
"The committee concludes that the Princeton Township still suffers from deer overpopulation."
The committee made other recommendations with regard to the deer, including using a helicopter to do a snow count of the herd, more accurate then the mortality-based estimates being used.
The committee also suggested setting up six fenced in test sites in wooded areas throughout the township. The areas would be closed to deer but not to other animals. If over a period of years, the species that generate within the enclosures are similar to those that survive outside, the experiment would determine that deer grazing does notpresent a serious threat to the local ecosystem.
This is sick in my eyes, The people in this township won't allow hunter onto their land and then they complain about the deer. And there is no gun hunting only bowhunting. Us NJ hunters who spend hundreds of dollars on liscenses and permits should have access to this land, not White buffalo. They come in at night with infra-red and sloughter these deer. It makes me SICCCCCCCK
11-19-2002 | 02:04 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
From: Orangeburg NY Orangeburg, NY USA
RE: Deer Birth Control Proposed
I just heard (2nd hand info) that the town of Tuxedo NY hired a firm from NJ to come into the town and kill off 200 deer. This was supposedly done 2 weeks ago prior to the opening of the south zone regular season. Dont open it up to Archers, just spend the tax dollars to slaughter these animals. Word was that they were left to rot! This kind of senselessness should go up for an open (name on the ballot) vote and those voting Yea, should be responsible for the cost of such programs. See how fast these pukes back away from that.
10 Pointers
10 Pointers
11-19-2002 | 02:15 PM
#4
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 557
Likes: 0
From: Hamilton Square NJ USA
RE: Deer Birth Control Proposed
I work in Princeton, and I say good for us! Let those yuppies pay for these outlandish programs.
When they are deemed ineffective, we'll have that much more amunition, we can always say "look at what these fools tried in Princeton, that didn't work".
Getting to work is more fun than any video game, I can tell you that. Deer and yuppies everywhere. I try to swerve for the deer.
"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"
When they are deemed ineffective, we'll have that much more amunition, we can always say "look at what these fools tried in Princeton, that didn't work".
Getting to work is more fun than any video game, I can tell you that. Deer and yuppies everywhere. I try to swerve for the deer.
"In heaven, even the fish have antlers"
11-19-2002 | 04:15 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,067
Likes: 0
From: Garfield NJ USA
RE: Deer Birth Control Proposed
I guess these fools are still not paying any attention to the Fish and Wildlife's own research data that specifically states that contraception on a free ranging herd just don't work, never has, never will.
