Oh Deer 2007 POV & TQ Hunters

*Moderator Comment. Hunters become used to seeing lots of deer, and it is easy to hunt deer when they are everywhere. One of the challenges for developing management programs that reduce the deer herd to levels that are good for the forest ecosystem and agriculture is that hunters get upset when it starts to work and they see fewer deer and have a chance to shoot fewer deer - and begin to complain loudly to the agencies to change their policies. Part of your challenge here is to suggest ways to manage that issue. Remember, this is not just about the hunting.

POV

Hampshire Hunters - Hampshire H.S.

10/15/2009

As hunters we think that the prices of the ammo and the licenses should be lowered for the

people who do live in the state of West Virginia and the prices should be raised for the people

who aren’t residents of the state. We also think that the state should buy more land and use it as

public hunting land for the residents of the state. When we go out to hunt, we prefer to be in a

secluded area so that we don’t have to fight another person over the deer that are in that area.

Another thing is that the hunting seasons should be extended for those hunters who can’t get

off of work to hunt during the regular hunting season. We also think that the limit on the

amount of deer we can kill should be raised too, because the prices of stamps are way too

expensive. By raising the limit we can control the population of deer in a way that will benefit

the hunters and the other people who don’t like or want to control the deer population. We also

think that the deer population would be more controlled if we could stop hunters and other

people from killing the deer out of the regular hunting season, if they aren’t killing them for

food. An also as hunters we can help to control the population by not putting out feed near the

major roads or highways, by doing this it will prevent the deer from getting hit and it will likely

save the insurance companies a lot of money that they would have to pay to fix damages.

Ask a Thoughtful Question or Respond

Thoughtful Questions

From: W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists) - hunter - EHHS

Statement 11/17/2009 8:37:00 AM

If there were more "public" land don't you think there be more competition of the land

proposed to private land where you don't have to worry as much about getting your limit

of deer, and if you raise the cost for ammo for out of state residents that would more

than likely harm the hunting of west virginia,because you'd be surprised how many out

of state hunters from virginia, maryland and other states there are.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/11/2009 10:26:00 AM

Ok well i agree with the whole lower the license price. It gives more people a chance

to get out and hunt. Having out-of- staters pay more is definetly the right thing to

do, but why would you want to get more land so you aren’t fighting for deer. You

guys have the most deer. You have more deer than you need. Extending the season is

also a good thing because you have so much deer that the population of the deer will

decrease, but not too much. Why would people put feed out by roads, that’s dumb...

Insurance companies are there to pay for damages. Raising the amount of deer a

person can kill is also a good idea, because that way it will lower your problem with

the amount of deer you have.

From: Simply for Nature - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 11/6/2009 10:56:00 AM

Preventing deer feeds from being too close to roads and highways is a good suggestion,

although I haven’t really ever seen a deer feed close to the roads. If those feeders are

moved away, thus saving money for insurance companies, why not just stay with the land

we have now rather than create more land for deer? This wouldn’t cause us to spend any

unnecessary money on land in which is not needed. There seems to be no real struggle

for forest land, as West Virginia is the third most forested state in the country with

more than 11.9 million acres of forests. Also, how can there be controversy over hunters

in one area if there is so many deer located all over West Virginia.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/6/2009 10:50:00 AM

I am a hunter as well, but why would you make the seasons different for people out of

state. It’s not like people from out of state are taking more deer then you. With or

without hunters there are always going to be car accidents, but you have to think that the

hunters do move the deer which could be a contributing factor to why the deer are

running are causing accidents. When more people hunt over an area the deer get

spooked many times and move, so when that so called out of state season is over, you may

go out to hunt and not see a deer because the ground you cover is not as great as if

multiple people were hunting over an area to stir up the deer.

From: Simply for Nature - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/4/2009 10:56:00 AM

It’s a good point that you’re trying to save money all around to make a low cost solution,

but the way you plan on doing it is very contradictory. By lowering costs in West

Virginia alone, and then increasing the costs in all other states there are going to be

problems where people aren’t going to want to pay more than someone else. There are

deer problems in other states as well as West Virginia. Just because you feel the issue is

more important to West Virginia, that doesn’t make it any more superior to other states.

How does lifting the ban on how many deer a person can kill benefit everyone when some

people don’t agree with hunting as a solution? It is impossible to stop someone from

hunting for a reason other than to eat, because you don’t know what a person is going to

do with the deer. After saying you want to increase the length of the season, lower costs

to hunt, and heighten the limit on the number of deer a person is allowed to obtain, you

then say that it would be easier to control the population if you could stop hunters from

killing the deer. Is hunting with all these rules really going to change anything? People

generally don’t place feed near major roads and highways, so I can’t really understand

how that is going to change the number of deer related accidents.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/4/2009 10:43:00 AM

Why do you believe that West Virginia is the only state with a deer problem? I live in

Pennsylvania and we have a deer problem too. I’m also a vivid hunter I love to hunt. So

why do you believe that West Virginia ammo and license prices should go down and that

other states prices should go up. I can see that you could make money by allowing others

to hunt in your state, but if you really want the population to go down, then allow hunters

from other states without penalty. If you have so many deer why do you want public

hunting land? If you have so many deer then why do you need this land when they can be

found easily everywhere? Also why would you say that people fight over the deer and

the land? If there are so many deer I’m sure there is enough deer for the hunters?

Response Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

11/5/2009 9:59:00 AM

We never said that West Virinia was the only state with a deer problem. An we

never said that your ammo should go up while ares should go down. We never

said that at all. yes there are more than enough deer but the point we are tryin to

make is to many deer are being hit by cars and people are hunting out of season.

An killing more deer then they are aloud to. that is what are point is.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/3/2009 12:59:00 PM

It is a good idea to make the residents of West Virginia pay a lower price for deer tags

than out of state hunters because it encourages residents to hunt within the state. You

say that you want the limit of tags to increase, but if you were to increase by too much it

would be a bad idea. This would result in too many deer being killed. The statement about

moving the food away from roads and highways is an extremely good idea, but who

actually feed deer near the road? Also, isn’t it is illegal to hunt deer where you feed? In

your point of view you say that the hunting season should be extended, but later on you

say that you want to stop hunters. That’s completely contradictory!!!! What are you trying

to say?

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/2/2009 1:21:00 PM

I agree with your statement about keeping the hunting season in its

place and not crossing over into the non-hunting seasons so we can keep

the deer population balanced. Some of your thoughts I didn't agree with

because if you lower the prices on ammo and hunting licenses then there

will be too many hunters taking out all the deer in which we won't have

any more for the next season. One way I believe that you can save

insurance, besides trying to keep the deer off the road, is for the people

operating a motorized vehicle must be more cautioned while driving so we

can decrease the chances for car accidents to occur. Maybe the incentive

to not hit deer could be a discount on your insurance. The whole state

shouldn't just give money for hunting areas; the majority of the money

from the state should go to the public schools for learning about

controlling populations effectively.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 11/2/2009 10:55:00 AM

I agree with lowering ammo and the licenses,but why only in the state of West

Virginia? It should be lowered in all states. But there still be a limit for an area

where deer are over populated or under populated. you said that you wanted to

extend the hunting season but then you want to shorten it?

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 11/2/2009 10:27:00 AM

Being a hunter of Pennsylvania, I feel that licenses for deer and other game

shouldn’t be raised for people out of state. People actually coming into another state

to hunt should show a sign of respect for the good quality of wildlife in that state,

plus it would help regulate all the deer you say you have. It is a privilege to have

people from out of state come in and hunt in your own state so raising the prices for

people from out of state is just selfish. Securing land for public hunting is

something many states are doing, including Pennsylvania. People will always be

fighting over deer to hunt and if one really has that big of a problem with other

hunters out there hunting around you, then buy your own land, after all it is a free

country. I just don’t understand how you could be fighting over deer if you say

about how many deer you have in your state.

From: The Farmer Coalition in the Deer Issue - farmer - HHS

Ask 10/29/2009 1:19:00 PM

If you want the price of ammunition and licences lowered in WV and raised in other

states, probably only the out-of-state ammo companies would want to be involved; how

would the WV ammo companies gain revenue? How would raising the prices out of state

help?

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 10/29/2009 11:50:00 AM

I like the idea of lowering the prices of ammo and the licenses being lowered I also like

the idea of the bag limit should be raised, but why only West Virginia? I think the prices

of ammo and licenses should be lowered, and the bag limit should be raised in other high

deer population states like Pennsylvania.

From: Where my home is at ! - Other Stakeholder - HHS

Ask 10/28/2009 9:07:00 AM

How are we supposed to buy more land to hunt on when we barley have any natural land

left????? If we take more land for deer we are gonna make them get hit by cars and

come onto other olaces that they shouldnt be on in the first place...the land that the deer

have right now isnt even enough for them! so you can't take more from them.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 10/27/2009 11:59:00 AM

I respect you dearly for your thoughts on this issue. Although the irrelevance of this

passage is past my imagination, the vulnerability of it is at a high risk. How do you

expect to control the deer population by raising the price on the stamps? If one

would choose to hunt, they will pay the stamp price for whichever they shoot. It's

the love of the game and your solution may have no impact on the importance of

raising/lowering the deer population. I feel your position on this is somewhat out of

whack and your thoughts need to be reconsidered.

From: Donkey Farmers - farmer - NHHS

Ask 10/26/2009 9:26:00 AM

How much of a price differential are you asking for these certain situations? Why?

From: deers - Other Stakeholder - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 9:15:00 AM

how could you regulate the price of ammo between the people that live in the state

verses the people that dont? how could you lower the cost of stamps for hunting

land?

From: BGHS homeowners - homeowner - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 9:10:00 AM

why should ammo and licences be lowerd

Response Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

10/27/2009 11:33:00 AM

the companys would still make money. More people would buy the ammo and

license because the price is lowered.

From: JJCFARM - farmer - BGHS

Statement 10/26/2009 8:48:00 AM

hunting is a good way to manage deer. managing the deer is a good idea

From: bghsForesters - forester - BGHS

Statement 10/26/2009 8:47:00 AM

If the west virginia goverment bought more land then their would be less land to

farm on.

From: BGHS hunters - hunter - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 8:45:00 AM

But if they lowered the prices of licenses and ammo how would those types of

companies make their money?

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POV

bambi busters - North Harford H.S

10/20/2009

As hunters, and harvesters we have a strong duty in teaching our children the art of hunting

and conserving. But the taxes on ammunition and license are considerably high, also land we

need to buy more land and use the land for public hunting only, therefore there wouldn’t be as

many residence nearby where less incidences would occur when we go out to hunt. We prefer

to be in a secluded area so that we don’t fight another person over the deer in the area. This

way hunter’s can have their cake and eat it too. Also by opening a public area for hunters,

would prevent hunters from hunting on property that isn’t used for hunters and would only be

used in season. We also think the limit on the amount of deer we call harvest should be raise

too, the prices of stamps are too expensive and should be lowered as well as the license by

raising the limit of deer one hunter can harvest, the population of the deer in a way that

benefits everyone. Lastly, as hunters we can help conserve the deer population by providing

feed in public hunting areas away from roads and highways, this way they will stay in the land

that is used for them and less deer would be killed in accidents, this could also save the lives of

people. This will also save insurance companies a lot of money.

Ask a Thoughtful Question or Respond

Thoughtful Questions

From: Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

Ask 11/5/2009 12:27:00 PM

How would the public area for hunting be funded to make sure that money is saved?

From: Simply for Nature - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/5/2009 11:11:00 AM

I agree that we need to lower the taxes on ammunition and licenses, because they are

way to high. We do need to buy more land for public hunting. Alot of your ideas are

good, but how are you going to keep all the deer in that area unless you have a fence?

But if you do decide on a fence, make sure the area is large enough that it's not like

shooting fish out of a bucket.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/2/2009 12:49:00 PM

“Teaching children the art of hunting”…I know you are the hunters but I do not think

that having children walk around with a gun is the icing on the cake. I don’t agree on

the public hunting only because I think there is a better use than hunting. Hunters

know that you have to be so far away from the roads, houses, and etc. So why do

hunters need their own land? The only reason why the deer licenses are so high (this

is my opinion) because there are so many hunters now. As long as people are willing

to hunt they will make money off them. It is illegal to feed the deer where you hunt.

If people would actually pay attention to their driving I guess deer wouldn’t get hit.

It’s just my opinion but young people and adults on cell phones can be the problem.

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

11/3/2009 12:39:00 PM

what do meen iceing on the cake as long as the kid is tought well and knows what

to do it will be fine

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 10/29/2009 11:57:00 AM

First off, how would buying land and making it public reduce the people hunting in that

area, since it is public? To make less people hunt there you would have to make it privite.

Also if you lower prices for licences then there would be more hunters hunting in one

area and in the beggining of the paragraph you said areas were too crowded. Why would

you provide feed in hunting areas? That would cause more of a problem because during

hunting season everyone would hunt in that same area. Plus feeding would increase the

survival rate.

From: Simply for Nature - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 10/29/2009 11:34:00 AM

When you mention the price of stamps, do you mean deer stamps? Here in Pennsylvania,

we don't have deer stamps but we have deer tags; are they the same as your stamps?

Also, do you not have public gamelands? And one last thing, we have a game commission

to manage Pennsylvania animals. Does your DNR manage many aspects of your state or

just the deer herd in particular?

From: The Young, The Wise and the Forest - forest - HHS

Ask 10/29/2009 11:31:00 AM

Why do you all want to kill more deer? If you kill to many deer then what are you doing

to do? What if you killed to many deer and they can't repopulate?

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

11/3/2009 12:45:00 PM

deer will always be able to repopulate. there is no way we could eliminate the

hole species in our state

From: Trojan Farmers - farmer - HHS

Ask 10/29/2009 9:18:00 AM

The rapid reproduction in deer is starting to cause deer to decrease in size, do you have

any ideas about how to slow down the growing of the population?

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

11/3/2009 12:47:00 PM

we are going to kill more deer to slow down the rapide reproduction of the deer

From: Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

Ask 10/28/2009 9:16:00 AM

I like your idea about hunting. So how did you come up with it because it sounds like a

lot like ours?

From: we're deer - Other Stakeholder - NHHS

Ask 10/26/2009 9:39:00 AM

were did the name get inspired from. how much do u want to lower stamp prices

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

10/28/2009 11:18:00 AM

we r going to mail a repersenitive for the state gov. and see how much they

would let us lower it.

From: JJCFARM - farmer - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 8:51:00 AM

you could send a letter to a represenitive about taxes. what happeds if you over kill

the deer

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

10/28/2009 11:13:00 AM

if we wold over kill the deer we would stop hunting untill the deer population has

returned to normal

Response bambi busters - hunter - NHHS

11/3/2009 12:42:00 PM

if you over kill the deer we will bring in ither deer from neighboring states or

not hunt untill the next season when the deer are back to normal population

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POV

W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists)- East Hardy H.S.

10/22/2009

In the last few years, the deer population has increased dramatically; about thirty to forty percent and is progressing rapidly.

Approximately twenty years ago the deer population was low and the forests floor was healthy. Many different species of plants lived there, but from increasing population the deer have destroyed the ecosystem by overgrazing. Meaning the deer have endangered the forests. The steps leading up to this put the species of plants and animals on the endangered list to soon become extinct.

The hunters rely on the number of animals they hunt and kill. If the forest floor is unhealthy, then there are less species of animals to hunt. People need to start taking this problem seriously before its to late. Hunters can do this in two ways: preserving trophy bucks and/or reducing the number of females. Preservation of older bucks can be done by allowing the young deer to mature by only harvesting does.

Hunters typically argue against reductions in deer population, saying that the problem is overstated, and they don’t like the game laws that require them to kill a certain number of does for every buck shot. Marksmen lure deer in by using bait, and then shoot the deer from a camouflaged platform. Hunter’s state that this is cruel and unsporting, but the sharp shooting services say that weekend hunters use bait and deer stands also but are not skilled to kill deer in a way that doesn’t make them suffer as much. Three hundred forty three thousand hunters harvest one hundred seventy five thousand deer each year and this number is beginning to grow.

Humans have become too interactive with deer and began to trust them to much. In rutting season male stags have attacked and even killed people in some cases. These examples are rare attacks but have become more evident.

Countries experiencing damage done by deer have liberal deer seasons allowing the removal of does and cannot be accomplished only through the harvest of bucks. Game reduction will not reduce deer herds on private property unless hunter access is available to remove the required number of does.

Ask a Thoughtful Question or Respond

Thoughtful Questions

From: The Frightened Forest - forest - PHS

Statement 11/3/2009 7:17:00 AM

Our forest floor is damaged! Thank you for your support!

From: Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

Ask 10/28/2009 9:13:00 AM

I agree with your statment about letting the younger deer stay alive longer. What about

the people who hunt out of season? What would you do to keep that problem at a low

number?

Response W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists) - hunter - EHHS

11/4/2009 8:31:00 AM

As you probably know many people also road-hunt and spotlight, and truthfully

we, personally, haven't seen many game wardens at night, so if we could get the

state to increase law enforcment patrol we believe the numbers of deer

harvested out of season would drop. (2nd response)

From: The Deer Slayers - hunter - PHS

Statement 10/28/2009 6:27:00 AM

we think that if one person is allowed to bait deer then all should be allowed to bait deer.

From: bghsForesters - forester - BGHS

Statement 10/26/2009 9:19:00 AM

i think that only hunters that cannot kill the deer without baiting them closer should

use bait , if every body were to use bait even the experienced hunters then there

would be less deer in the wild and there numbers would once again begin to drop.

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POV

BGHS hunters- Buffalo Gap HS

10/23/2009

Iam a hunter and hunting is second nature in my family, and we all believe that deer can be kept in hand by hunting. In VA we have a very high population of deer and its a bit over populated. a wise man once said that i have a passion for whitetail, not a passion for killing them. the fact that i deer hunt does not make me thier enemy, but their guardian.

as a hunter i think the meat from the deers body helps out a lot of poor and in poverty people. along with the meat from the deer the horns and hide are prized possessions. along with all the killing and gutting deer, people use hunting as a way to get away from everythingand to realize stress. all these people that are against hunting need to realize that its a good thing, and its needed in va!!! a way to manage the population, is farmers get a damage permit and deer hunters to kill more does than bucks.

Ask a Thoughtful Question or Respond

Thoughtful Questions

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/11/2009 10:51:00 AM

I agree with everything your saying. Deer are there to hunt and for food purposes.

People can donate some of the meat they have had made to the people in poverty.

The ‘horns and hides’ are a nice piece to add to your house and look good hanging on

the wall. Also, in VA, you really need to start getting some deer during the season.

Write a request to the game commission saying to raise the amount of deer you can

kill for at least one season, especially doe. Let the farmers get the tags to kill the

deer that are destroying their crops.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 10/30/2009 11:31:00 AM

Hunting is also second nature in my family. We also have a processing shop. Hunting more doe than buck will not go over very well because people get very competitive over trying to get the biggest buck. How can you force people to shoot doe if they only want to shoot a buck. So each years hunting tag availability should reflect the population amounts in each region.

From: The Young, The Wise and the Forest - forest - HHS

Statement 10/29/2009 11:38:00 AM

We represented the forest and I as an individual don't believe in hunting but then I read

yours and it made a lot of sense. The part about the deer meat helps poor people that is

something that I never thought about. So kudos to you.

From: Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

Ask 10/29/2009 9:00:00 AM

I like what you said about hunting. My family has been hunting for a very long time too.

My only problem is that what about the hunters that only hunt the deer for their hide?

What could you do about that?

From: W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists) - hunter - EHHS

Ask 10/28/2009 7:37:00 AM

If humans hunt deer for the antlers and hides, is that weaking the population? Most

hunters hunt the deer with the biggest antlers, killing off the strongest of the herd.

From: The Deer Slayers - hunter - PHS

Ask 10/28/2009 6:24:00 AM

How many deer do you think hunters should be allowed to kill every year? how many of

each should thay be allowed to kill?

From: deers - Other Stakeholder - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 8:39:00 AM

What is considered overpopulated for Virginia?

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POV

Hungry Hunters- Petersburg H.S

10/26/2009

We think that the deer population in our area is over populated. Therefore, there should

be two hunting seasons. There are around 35 deer per square mile in our area. (1) Over the

past several years the number of deer has went down but is now rising back up.

We think the reason that the deer population has boomed is because the ratio of does to

buck. There are eight does to one buck in the wild. Laws restrict the number of does that

hunters can kill. Bucks are said to have more than one mating relationship, making the

population explode. (2)

It has been shown that deer are one of the most dangerous mammals in America due to all

the car wrecks they have caused. There are over 1.5 billion wrecks due to deer annually.

Deer also carry ticks on their body, which carry lyme disease which infects 13,000 people

a year. (3)

We think that the laws restricting how many doe you kill should be removed. Removing this

law would make population go down and prevent a lot of problems.

Works Cited

1. http://www.cacaponinstitute.org/hs_chat.htm

2. http://www.idausa.org/facts/deercontrol.html

3. http://reason.com/archives/2001/11/21/north-americas-most-dangerous

Ask a Thoughtful Question or Respond

Thoughtful Questions

From: W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists) - hunter - EHHS

Statement 11/17/2009 8:29:00 AM

I also think that if you don't have deer regulations than the deer might become an

endagered species.

From: Simply for Nature - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 11/5/2009 08:33 PM

Increasing the number of doe that are allowed to be killed would then cause greedy hunters to shoot numerous amounts of deer, some hunters killing several. To me, this would ruin the sport of hunting. Seeing someone walk out of the woods with several deer would be a disgrace to wildlife. Also, if someone is killing deer because of the threat of getting lyme disease that wouldn’t be right. It’s almost the same as a human being, where as many as 60 million people contract the flu each year between November and April. We don’t kill humans because of their threat to spread the flu.

Response Hungry Hunters - hunter - PHS

11/17/2009 7:25:00 AM

We did not mean that you should kill deer because they have lyme disease. But if

people are complaining about the over population of deer, then something needs

to be done. More hunting seasons or longer seasons would help control this

population. Lyme disease is just a factor that deer bring.

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Statement 10/29/2009 11:55:00 AM

I agree with your statements and everything they have to offer. Although, towards the

end, you stated the regulations should be taken off which would allow hunters to hunt as

much as they please. This can be a major problem because it can make deer an

endangered species and perhaps we would lose the animals we love to hunt forever. My

idea is that every year, we calculate the deer population in the wild, and set the

regulation limit accordingly.

Response Hungry Hunters - hunter - PHS

11/3/2009 7:20:00 AM

I agree with you on setting the regulation limits.

From: bghsForesters - forester - BGHS

Statement 10/26/2009 9:09:00 AM

If the limit was taken away wouldnt they be over hunted.

From: JJCFARM - farmer - BGHS

Statement 10/26/2009 8:54:00 AM

more does should be allowed to be killed. deer do cause alot of car wrecks

From: BGHS hunters - hunter - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 8:48:00 AM

how would that make deer one of the most dangorous animals?

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POV

The Deer Slayers- Petersburg H.S

10/26/2009

We think the deer are over populated and the deer seasons are perfectly fine. We just

need to kill more deer. Animal populations are undergoing constant changes. A century ago,

the United States hosted about 500,000 deer; today, that number has jumped to at least

25 million. (1)

Deer reproduce quickly. A doe matures at 2 or 3 years, and then typically gives birth to

twins each year for ten or more years. In the last decades deer numbers have literally

exploded, and now exceed 30 million nations wide. (2)

Currently, there are approximately eight does for every buck in the wild. Laws restrict the

number of does that hunters may kill. Deer do not have monogamous mating relationships,

and bucks will often mate with more than one female. As a result, the ratio of does to

bucks sets the stage for a population explosion. Left alone by humans, the ratio of does to

bucks would be approximately equal. (3)

Deer damage presents a significant cost to property owners in urban areas in WV. On a

statewide basis, the deer caused damage in the urban areas totaled on estimate 3,135,945.

This would amount to $61.95 per urban household if every household shared equally in the

cost. The estimates include plant damage, control costs, and vehicle damage reported in a

survey conducted by WVU extension agents. (4)

The deer were so populated last year that the DNR decided to add two new hunting

seasons this year. The seasons were one week each in September. The first week was bow

season and the second week, muzzleloader.

Works Cited

(1) http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/outdoors-

activities/hunting/regulations/count-deer-population.htm

(2) http://txtwriter.com/onscience/articles/deerpops.html

(3) http://www.idausa.org/facts/deercontrol.html

(4) www.wvu.edu/~agexten/wildlife/deerdamage.pdf

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Thoughtful Questions

From: Donkey Farmers - farmer - NHHS

Ask 11/3/2009 12:28:00 PM

Are there more humane ways of dealing with deer then you listed?

Response The Deer Slayers - hunter - PHS

11/17/2009 7:24:00 AM

There are no other humane ways to deal with the deer. Killing them are perfectly

fine out of necessity. There are tons of deer in this area, and we really only

have a short time period for hunting.

From: bghsForesters - forester - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 9:01:00 AM

does a doe give birth to twins every year? Did WV have a bow and muzuleloader

season before?

Response The Deer Slayers - hunter - PHS

10/28/2009 6:17:00 AM

Yes we have a bow and muzzeloader season every year.

From: BGHS hunters - hunter - BGHS

Ask 10/26/2009 8:53:00 AM

how many deer do you think humans should be able to kill in one season?if so more

does or bucks

Response The Deer Slayers - hunter - PHS

10/28/2009 6:21:00 AM

We haven't came to a conclusion about how many deer that we think you should

be able to kill in a seaon. But we do think that you should kill more does then

bucks.

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POV

high country hunters- Hampshire H.S.

10/29/2009

We are representing the point of view from the hunters perspective. A few things we would change would be lower ammo prices, longer in-state hunting season, and to lower chance of accidents. If we had cheaper ammo we could harvest more deer. In west virginia we have too many out of state deer hunters from the city. As local hunters we believe that there should be cheaper in state lisences, and longer instate seasons. The out of state hunters should have a shorter season. If there was no hunters there would be many more car accidents. There is a deer disease called cwd, chronic wasting disease. CWD is a fatal disease to deer (thats why in some places we cant bait deer) because it can group diseased deer and infect healthy deer. If there was a shorter out of state season there would be a major rush for supplies from out of state hunters. Supplies like ammo, fuel, and food. Even with the shorter out of state season wv would still have roughly the same amount of revenue. Revenue is the reason for the high priced out of state hunting licenses. As far as in state hunting, we still need ammo. With the longer season there would be more need for ammo. And when the out of state season is over it will be better hunting for in state hunters. Better hunting due to lower deer hunting pressure. When deer are in the rut the bucks rub their antlers on trees to remove velvet and this can kill the tree.

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Thoughtful Questions

From: Students with Solutions - Other Stakeholder - SCHS

Ask 11/5/2009 12:56:00 PM

I’m from Pensylvania and we have very few out of state hunters around us we hunt on

our own land. In PA it is illegal to bait deer so I wouldent see your position on that. Also,

I get your point of changing the prices of tags. They’re a little high in price and if its

lower prices down there I ‘m sure more people would come down to hunt but how would

you back your statement to get that done?

From: Donkey Farmers - farmer - NHHS

Ask 11/3/2009 12:29:00 PM

Do you think it would be possible to track and kill the diseased deer then start baiting

deer?

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POV

Deer Busters- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

10/30/2009

Class-Mammalia, Order-Artiodactyls, Family-cervidea, Sub family-Capriolinea, Genus- Odocoilus, Species- Virginianus. The white tailed deer is a vital yet destructive part of our ecosystem. The population density of this species can decide the appearance of our local forests. Every year new dear are born and every year hunters go out to try and bag a catch. If the season is successful population stays at a level that is good for everyone, including the forest, but if the deer get away… then the deer population can go wild, some people believe that we should get rid of hunters, but we say, who would keep the deer population at a reasonable level? If we allow too many deer into our forests then they could eat all the food which would kill of multiple other species such as squirrels, bunnies, and woodchucks. Our stakeholder believes that we should be left to hunt but with a specific number of deer that we are allowed to bag in a season. This way it’s good for everyone the hunters, the forest, and the future generation.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/june/papr/wtdeer.htmlUSA.

The most sought-after game animal in North America, the white-tailed deer has intrigued hunters and non-hunters alike for generations. The deer hunting seasons include, in the state of Virginia, for the bow: from September 12th to November 19th, and from November 30th to January 3rd; with the gun from November 21st through November 29th ; with a muzzle loader from November 30th through December 9th. Hunters are important to deer management because deer can be extremely harmful to their habitat which is essential to the species’ survival. Although deer are relatively low in the ecosystems food web, being prey animals, they are a keystone species. When we hunt deer, we are both helping ourselves and the other species of animals who call the forest home. We allow plants that deer eat to grow. Deer.com N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2009 <http://www.deer.com>.

The population of deer is increasing tremendously. Deer eat forest plants which lead to environmental issues. This threatens life in the forests, such as berries and trees. The main species of deer in Virginia is the white-tailed deer. The white-tailed deer eats berries and other plants in the forest. White-tailed deer live in the Appalachian Mts. With hunters, the population of deer can be limited. With longer hunting seasons, it will be harder for deer to reproduce. Farmers, environmentalists, and homeowners will be better off too. For the good of other animals, because plants are vital for them too, there will be more forest for them to live in as well. This is why it is imperative to lower the population of white-tailed deer. There is a purpose of hunting, not simply for the enjoyment and recreation of the people who hunt the deer. This is why the “longer hunting seasons” will work from the population aspect.

Bibliography

http://deerandforests.org/home/habitat?habitat=g

http://www.imaps.com/Qdma/frame/default800_ie.asp?C=48449&LinkID=0&NID=0&cmd=m

ap&TL=100000&GL=010100&MF=11000

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830103124.htm

http://pa.audubon.org/deer_report.html

Hunting deer isn’t as ruthless as you think. Deer hunters have actually put together organizations to help benefit other people. The VDHA (Virginia Deer Hunters Association) is as they say, “the voice” of deer hunters. In March of 1985 the VDHA was formed in order to help the threats of deer hunting decline. They have worked with the Virginia Game Department when there was any conflict with the hunting. Deer hunting is often mistaken for killing deer for sport and fun. In some cases, this is true. But, for the most part, deer hunting is a way to help other people and meet their needs.

Take the Hunters for the Hungry for example. These hunters are willing to share these deer with the homeless and donate the rest of the organism. To raise money to professionally process the meat funds are made. This organization has food going through all of Old Dominion such as charities, food banks, food kitchens, and churches. The HFTH has grown so much it donates about 150,000 pounds of meat a year. And this is only one of the organizations to help cut down the population and help people.

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is a national organization that helps keep deer population at a high-quality and sustainable whitetail deer population size. The human impact on these deer helps to keep the population down. This organization unites hunters and landowners to help keep a balanced deer population. The goal of the QDMA is keep a sustainable deer population and to help people enjoy hunting.

Our goal is to keep the deer population down while providing a fun sport and activity. Instead of killing the strongest deer in health, we could aim to shoot the sick/older deer that are already dying.

"Quality Deer Management Association." Quality Deer Management Association. 30 Oct.

2009 <http://www.qdma.com/>.

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Thoughtful Questions

From: CI Moderator

Ask 11/14/2009 2:15:00 PM

Well said! You say “White-tailed deer live in the Appalachian Mts.” That is true but the

problems is more widespread. Have a look at the deer population interactive map in

Section 4 again and you will see there are more than 30 deer per square mile in much of

Virginia. Will more hunting in the mountains help homeowners in the suburbs with their

deer population? What are your thoughts about the deer outside of the mountains?

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POV

T.H.O.A. - The Hunters Of America- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

11/2/2009

Slogan: ‘’Don’t hunt, we’ll hunt for you.’’Hunters are important because they help reduce

the deer population, preventing deforestation. The human impact on deer is really important

on the food web. If there is too much deer in an ecosystem, there won’t be enough plants,

which will cause the deer population to collapse. Deer populations have been declining

throughout much of their range if there is too little deer (Fenson n.p.). Then hunters won’t

be able hunt anymore because it may be illegal. That is why we should fix this problem by

placing most of the deer in a reservation. We would be able to hunt the remaining deer out

of the reservation. This will benefit other groups of the community and organizations such

as environmentalists and game agencies. This project will have us to give us the freedom to

hunt as much organisms in the forest. This reservation will have to cost us a few million

dollars. We would have to involve other groups that are concerned about the deer to

donate some money. This solution will benefit us because we will be able to hunt without

having to threaten the species or other wildlife. Some ways to have some hunters

participate in this project is to have the government to allow hunters to hunt more deer.

Hunting deer helps control the number of deer in an environment (Etling n.p.). The state

wants to keep the herd stable at current levels, says Matt Knox, deer project leader (Almy

n.p.).This will both help the community and the ecosystem. The reservation would work a

little like this: The government and other environmentalists will build a reservation and have

some deer outside of the reservation too. We will have the right to hunt the deer outside

of the reservation. When there is too much deer inside of the reservation, then people will

let the deer out of the reserve and we will hunt them. If we reduce the deer population to

a level that will help forests, then we may not be able to hunt as much deer. If the

population size of the deer is not reduced, we will be able to hunt many more deer than we

will usually be able to.

Bibliography

Kathy Etling By Kathy Etling Special to the Post-Dispatch. "Deer season is approaching quickly Choices abound for hunters in strategy and picking a spot to set up shop in Missouri, Illinois. OUYDOORS." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 13 Sep 2009. D18. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. VIRGINIA BEACH CITY SCH DIST. 01 Nov 2009. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.

Almy, Gerald. "Deer forecast." Sports Afield. 9 2001. 38. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. VIRGINIA BEACH CITY SCH DIST. 02 Nov 2009. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.

Fenson, Brad. "PEACE COUNTRY BUCKS." Sports Afield. 7 2004. 49. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. VIRGINIA BEACH CITY SCH DIST. 02 Nov 2009. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.

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Thoughtful Questions

From: CI Moderator

Ask 11/14/2009 1:51:00 PM

You are thinking hard about balancing things out. Are you suggesting that outside the

reservation the deer could be hunted anytime and without limit? How big are these

reservations and what would the deer population be inside? Would the reservations be

permanent or would all the deer be let out in the end?

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POV

The Reducers- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

11/2/2009

The numbers are outrageous! Forests are being destroyed! What is going on, you ask?

The number of deer in the United States is rising every second. Our hunting group feels

that we should do something about this problem, because it also affects us. The rising deer

populations cause deforestation, which affects other wildlife populations, as well. This can

cause the food web to be unbalanced. Because there are too many deer, the environment

needs us, hunters, to manage the excess deer. In the beginning of the 1900’s, the

estimation of white-tailed deer in the United States was around 500,000. Today, there

are over 20 million deer in the United States, and the numbers are still rising. Hunters

(human impact) is probably the simplest way to reduce amounts of deer, because hunting

quickly kills deer. It is also the most effective, because the deer normally die right away,

rather than suffering. The major problem is that once deer deplete their habitat’s food

source, they move on to another habitat, deplete the undergrowth, etc. Some organizations

are trying to restore forest, by fencing in areas, so that the deer cannot get to the plants.

We personally think that it would just be easier to hunt them, because it takes less time.

With the high density levels of deer populations, it will now be even easier to hunt the deer.

Reducing the deer population too much that it would cause deer to be endangered is not a

risk at this point, so it is safe to hunt a lot of deer. Hunters can cause danger, by scaring

deer out of the forests, onto the roads, where they can cause damage to vehicles. This

would be the only reason why hunting deer could cost us, besides buying the equipment to

do so.In order to efficiently and effectively reduce the amount of deer, we need more

hunters! Not only do we need more hunters, but we are encouraging hunters to hunt more

deer, and try not to kill deer’s predators. If hunters hunt too many deer than they need,

they can donate the meat to the hungry, so no meat is wasted. And, if hunters try to avoid

killing deer’s predators, like coyotes and bobcats, then there will be more natural predators

to manage deer populations.

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Thoughtful Questions

From: The Farmer Coalition in the Deer Issue - farmer - HHS

Ask 11/5/2009 2:07:00 PM

What if the hunters prefer to hunt other (perhaps larger) animals, more than deer? How

would you persuade the hunters to hunt almost exclusively deer in areas where deer

overpopulation is an issue? How would you regulate and control the number of deer

hunters harvest, so as not to drastically tamper with the natural fluctuations of deer

population, thus drastically affecting the ecosystem in which the deer live? How would

you record the demographics of the deer harvested, so as to maintain an equilibrium in

the deer population?

From: Hampshire Hunters - hunter - HHS

Ask 11/5/2009 10:10:00 AM

How can you say not to shoot the coyotes. Their a noosence as it is. I don't know about

you but when I'm hunting I dont like to see a deer come running with a coyote or wild

dog chasing it. I usually end up shooting the coyote or wild dog.

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POV

hunter r us- Kemps Landing Magnet S. 6th grade

11/10/2009

Hunters are keystone pieces of an ecosystem. We keep the deer population size and other

populations in check. The problem is though; environmental agencies are stopping us from

hunting enough deer. So the deer population is getting out of control, and other organisms

are suffering. There aren’t enough predators to hunt all these deer, so we have to make a

human impact on them, but we need to make an even greater one. But we have a solution to

fix the mass reproduction of the species. Our solution is for YOU TO GIVE US A WHOLE

YEAR HUNTING SEASON, and we will lower the deer population density to a reasonable*

size. The best part of this solution is that it is free for you because we like to hunt deer

and we will pay to hunt deer. This would help other animals too! Currently the deer

population eats away most of the forest, leaving other animals with no food. This is good

for everyone, the farmers don’t get their plants eaten, the homeowners won’t get their

gardens invaded, you won’t have to cut down trees to make space for things to grow, this

will lighten the load off Environmentalist’s backs, and allow many species to become

healthy, improve the quality of the state in the forest, and all around help the environment.

We don’t hunt to kill. We hunt to get food and help the environment. We don’t buy food

from the store because we don’t know how they prepared it. We know how it was prepared,

because we prepared it ourselves. We are the ultimate predators, let them be our prey!

* No Hunting Limits

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Thoughtful Questions

From: The Farmer Coalition in the Deer Issue - farmer - HHS

Ask 11/12/2009 2:22:00 PM

I don't think that you can just allow unlimited deer hunting. Because this is a human-

controlled solution, and not an animal predator-controlled solution, I think that we should

also have to record and control the demographics of the deer hunted. Any thoughts on this?

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POV

Hunting Control- Jefferson H.S

11/16/2009

First off as being a hunter, there comes many high expenses. Whether it’s a hunting license, weapons, or ammo, none of these are cheap. This could be the reason that some people hunt illegally. They may not have the money to afford any of the needs for hunting so they just go out and break the law. I believe if the prices were lowered a little bit then we would have more legal hunters, and less people breaking the law. Property is another huge problem. Hunters are trespassing onto other farmers land because they do not have the luxury of buying or owning land. When people hunt illegally, no matter if they get caught or not it gives the good sportsman that do things the right way a bad name. As a hunter I am very concerned with the extreme doe population. Myself and my other classmates think that you must shoot a doe and have everything checked in before you can master a buck to control the outrageous doe population.

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Thoughtful Questions

From: W.P.C.S. (Wildlife Population Control Specialists) - hunter - EHHS

Statement 11/17/2009 8:35:00 AM

I agree with what you had to say about the over priced ammo, weapons, and licenses. But

some people are also just too lazy to go and get a license and/or go and check the deer

in. most people hunt in season but they don't check the deer in, so therefore it is still

illegal.

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