Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Frankly, My Deer, I Don't Give a Bam!

In a bizarre entry in the "birth control makes everything better" files of our modern society, environmentalists have apparently latched onto the idea of providing rapidly growing deer populations with birth control rather than simply allowing more hunting:
Some environmentalists, especially in urban areas, oppose hunting to cull the herds and argue instead for deer "birth control." Yet contrary to persistent urban legend, there's no handy oral deer contraceptive we can slip into a pile of acorns. Nor is there a permanent contraceptive that can be delivered with a single shot from a dart gun. Currently available immunocontraceptive agents have no effect on 10%-15% of the treated does. Even when they're effective the first year, booster shots are needed in subsequent years.
Then, too, it's difficult to inject enough does in a large, free-roaming population—and more difficult still to inject each one repeatedly, right on schedule. Even if we could, all those deer would still be present for years—still eating, still wandering out into traffic, and every day welcoming their fertile new friends arriving from nearby. The most optimistic cost estimates for each injection are around $500 per deer. Even surgical sterilization has been tried in a few locales. Although it costs over $1,000 per deer, it is 100% reliable and permanent.
Perhaps I'm callous to the charms of our four footed friends (I like deer well enough, whether on the hoof or in sausage, but my commute is down a veritable deer suicide alley with up to five deer to be seen lying by the side of the road any given day depending on the time of year) but this seems like the sign of a society which has lost all touch with basic realities. There are rational reasons for having pets "fixed". They live with us in our houses, so we have to live with their uncontrolled sex drives if they aren't, and since they're domesticated it's easy to take them into the vet for the old snip, snip. However, deer are wild animals. Sterilizing them or putting them on birth control is wildly impractical. And let's be honest: a deer is also a walking piece of meat. Far better to harvest more of them when the population gets too large than to resort to such quixotic measures.

7 comments:

Karie, the Regular Guy's Extraordinary Wife said...

Wow. Sometimes humans can be so... stupid. People who think it would be better to fill animals with drugs, rather than killing and eating them (or even feeding the meat to other carnivorous animals) have just about lost all sense of logic in their lives. These must be the same people who prescribe condoms and pills to teens because "they can't help themselves either". So sad.

Jenny said...

I will admit I am squirmish about shooting animals. I know I eat them and I know someone has to kill them, but to actually be the one to shoot, yeach.

However.

We have a whole family of deer living around our neighborhood. Last year we planted 30 tomato plants outside the garden deer fence. THIRTY! How many tomatoes did we get from those thirty tomato plants? ZERO.

We can't wait on birth control!?! Someone come rid us of these deer!

Lauren said...

We live right next to a large park. It is long and skinny, running along a creek for many miles. There are a lot of deer and other animals in the park. Just this past winter when I could get a clear look into the trees, I saw a one herd of approximately 30 deer. That's as many as I've ever seen at one time. They ate all of my lily blossoms last year, and we have a large patch. If we lived in a saner part of the country, instead of Montgomery County Maryland, we'd have a large deer hunt followed by the best neighborhood bbq ever. The county has discussed sending in sharp shooters to cull the population. You really couldn't allow hunters to roam free because there are houses that line the park, and stray bullets would be very dangerous. We have some "save the deer" types in the area, and they are very vocal. However, I think most people will admit the deer are a nuisance.

Catholic Bibliophagist said...

My mom and I just rewatched The Straight Story. I had forgotten the scene where the lady comuter hits a deer. Her melt down is priceless.

Darwin said...

The county has discussed sending in sharp shooters to cull the population. You really couldn't allow hunters to roam free because there are houses that line the park, and stray bullets would be very dangerous.

I think one of the things they've done in semi-suburban areas like that is allow a few bowhunters to cull the herd. They have to take their shots from pretty close up, and an arrow can't go a mile or more if sent in the wrong direction, nor do they ricochet much.

My mom and I just rewatched The Straight Story.

I keep meaning to see that but haven't got around to it.

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

This is so funny that I just can't!!!

HGL said...

I totally agree with Karie above on ...

These must be the same people who prescribe condoms and pills to teens because "they can't help themselves either". So sad.

One previous comment here was directed at Mr Darwin for agreeing in my view a bit too closely with that kind of excuse.