Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
2008
Abstract
Deer are a precious natural resource. They spellbind us with their grace. Their freedom to roam wild without boundaries reaches into our soul. But deer can spring without warning into the paths of oncoming vehicles, causing accidents that result in >1 billion dollars in damages annually. They extend their grazing into suburban yards, garden nurseries, orchards, and farms. They harbor the ticks that transmit pathogens that cause illnesses such as Lyme disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,763 cases of Lyme disease during 2002. Deer will even overeat their own food supply, causing them to face starvation. Deer will browse woodlands to the point that they threaten the future of the forests, and, hence, all other wildlife that depend on that habitat for survival.
Comments
Published in Human-Wildlife Conflicts Volume 2, Number 1, Pages 9–14, Spring 2008. Published and copyright by the Jack H. Berryman Institute. http://www.berrymaninstitute.org/journal/index.html