Reply #45: Then let people hunt them, as we have been doing for 20,000 years [View All]

[NickB79]

Human predation is part of nature, so let it take its course.

And here's an example of what happens to forests if we take your hands-off advice: http://www.bhwp.org/native/impact_of_deer.htm

"White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) over-browsing is putting pressure on our already stressed native plants. More than 20 species of threatened and endangered wildflowers are being further decimated by deer. Many woodlands now have what is called a "browse line", caused by deer eating everything from the ground to about 4 feet up. Deer are destroying the shrub layer of our woodlands, where many birds nest. In places where there are more than 20 deer per square mile, songbird populations have declined. The deer eat seedling trees, leaving no possibility for forest regeneration once today's mature trees are gone. Forests that are over-browsed by deer are more susceptible to invasion from non-native invasive plant species, which deer do not readily eat."