Oh Deer!

Montclairians have certainly noticed the rapid increase in deer population in recent years and may be asking the question: "Why are there so many deer roaming around?" The annoyance about the growth in deer population is valid, as overpopulation of these herbivores can lead to major motor accidents and damaged properties within our dear Garden State (pun intended). In northeast New Jersey, there have even been mentions of a zero density population goal due to the lack of land to be shared between humans and deer (meaning some people support wiping out the deer population in certain areas). 

White-Tailed Deer

First, a little background on white-tailed deer! They eat a varied diet of leaves, fruits and nuts, twigs, grass, and even fungi. These deer are typically nocturnal, grazing during dusk and dawn. Bobcats, mountain lions, gray wolves, American alligators, jaguars, and coyotes are their main natural predators. While many of these predators were present in high numbers in the past, most of these primary natural predators of white-tailed deer are locally extinct (which certainly contributes to the overpopulation issue!). White-tailed deer are also an edge species, which means that they populate and thrive in bordered areas where the forest meets fields. The entire eastern United States is an edge, so we are molding this beautiful ecological habitat to be absolutely perfect for the deer population to grow and grow and grow. Does it not seem unfair to blame the poor little deer for doin what they were meant to do? What solutions can be taken to control the deer population while still acting humanely towards the deer? This is where it gets iffy.

Deer Hunting

There are those who believe that hunting is the way to go. To kill the deer as an extracurricular activity doesn't seem just in my eyes, and this method's effective has not been shown. I suppose if they were hunting the deer for food, the situation would change slightly (but there are other options for us carnivores in the grocery store). In addition to hunting, sharpshooters in certain states are commissioned to hunt the deer (which seems a little more humane to me, as the sharpshooters are just completing their jobs rather than hunting deer for fun). This strategy has worked on a small scale to control populations of deer that are close to areas of land populated by humans. Another method involves trapping the deer in a net and administering a chemical that euthanizes the deer. This approach can cause extreme stress and anxiety for the deer as it is waiting in the trap to be euthanized. 

Contraceptive injections, sterilizations, repellants, and translocations are the non-lethal methods to control the deer population. None of these methods have shown to be truly effective. Opponents of contraceptive injections argue that humans cannot maintain control over the fertility of deer, as the populations in open field systems are too mobile. People also worry about the lack of research surrounding these contraceptives and whether it will hurt humans who eat venison of injected deer. Lastly, translocation is extremely costly and deer are under extreme stress and often die in the process. 

The takeaway? Humans are constantly changing the ecological balance on this planet in ways that we don't realize. This just one of the many examples of the incredibly complex ecological issues we  struggle to solve.