Deer Culls Are Useless, Dangerous and Expensive

[Terry Lee Grams]

THE QUESTION TO CULL OR NOT TO CULL IS COMPLEX AND THERE ARE REASONABLE ARGUMENTS FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE. BUT ONE THING IS CLEAR, IRRESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT BY GOVERNMENTS AT ALL LEVELS CREATED THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. NOW WORLDWIDE GOVERNMENTS ARE USING THE SAME BOGUS ARGUMENTS TO JUSTIFY CULLS IN A VAIN ATTEMPT TO PLACATE AN UNHAPPY CITIZENRY ALBEIT A SMALL BUT VOCAL MINORITY.

IN MICHIGAN THE DNR IS HANDING OFF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANAGING DEER HERDS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES BY PROMOTING CULLS AND MAKING A PROFIT BY DOING SO. AND GULLIBLE LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE BUYING IT. CULLS COME AT A HIGH PRICE WITH NO GUARANTEED RESULTS. SO, THE COST CAN BE $500.00, $1000.00, $2000.00, OR MORE FOR EACH DEER HARVESTED. IF HUMANS STAYED OUT OF IT NATURE WOULD EVENTUALLY RESTORE THE BALANCE BUT THAT TAKES TIME AND ONE THING, WE DO NOT HAVE IS PATIENCE.

THIS IS AN ISSUE ALL OVER THE WORLD, NOT JUST IN LUDINGTON OR MICHIGAN OR THE UNITED STATES. READ THIS ARTICLE ABOUT DEER CULLS IN SCOTLAND. 

 HTTPS://WWW.FRONTIERSIN.ORG/ARTICLES/10.3389/FCOSC.2021.781546/FULL 

IT CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES WHY IT IS FUTILE FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE LUDINGTON TO WASTE PRECIOUS RESOURCES TRYING TO DO WHAT AN ENTIRE NATION CANNOT.

AT THE LOCAL LEVEL THERE IS NO CHANCE THAT ANY EFFORT WILL HAVE ANY MEANINGFUL EFFECT ON DEER POPULATION. THE DNR KNOWS THAT THEY CREATED A PROBLEM THAT THEY CANNOT SOLVE SO THEY ARE PASSING IT DOWN TO US AND OTHERS AND MAKING MONEY DOING SO.

[XLFD]

Unfortunately, you have the perfect storm of stupidity among our public officials.  If it would help their cause, our elected leaders and city administrators would go to the MI DNR in order to justify the Ludington deer cull, but here's the stats you need to know: No reported car/deer crash in Ludington city limits since September (probably the whole year) and no other confirmed problem/incident in the city limits with deer which amounts to anything.  

A conscientious local government would define a problem before spending $60K on it, ours didn't.  They would establish a baseline in order to measure the success of taking an extraordinary measure like culling, ours didn't.  They would disclose all potential conflicts of interest involved with all advocates of the deer cull, ours didn't.  They would define what outcome from the culls would justify the high costs, ours didn't.  They would explain to us why this cull is in any way safe, ours didn't.  They would have a valid contract with the agency coming in, ours didn't. 

The list goes on and on, and every single Ludington official we alternately plea with and chastise just don't give a flying pfeffernusse about any of the issues. 

[Willy]

Good information and explanation about what is really going on. Thanks Terry and X.