Remembering a recent discussion about deer vs Mini's, I saw this on the CNN site:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/11/14/...ash/index.html

In looking at the list of states with the highest number of deer strikes, they are the states that have eliminated the deer's natural predators (not counting man). No western states on the list (cougars, coyote's, wolves), though deer strikes do indeed happen out here.

 

This is what happens when do-gooders screech loud enough to get their way. No natural predators, and no hunting (to thin out the herds) either.
Oh, well; at least Bambi won't lose his mom to a hunter!

 

PA is #1! Woo Hoo! Oh wait, that's bad! I'm not surprised, given all the deer littering the highways.

In the past the game commission has raised the limit for hunters when the population has grown like this.

 

I hate these over grown rats with horns......

 

Suprised IL isn't higher on the list last 4 nights, 5 times I've shared a lane with a deer. So far no hits

 

I suppose that depends on your definition of a "do-gooder". Most of the eastern states moved out the natural predators as a response to population and farming. I have yet to meet anyone, "do-gooder" or otherwise, who thinks that the deer population should remain un-checked and without predation. All of the people, that I've ever spoken with, who oppose hunting *support* reintroduction of natural predators.

 

I know Wisconsin has many collisions and has a very large deer herd; kept abnormally large by our DNR because licenses and fees constitute a very large percentage of their budget monies. It is also politically dangerous to reduce the herd by having a doe only hunting season for a year or two. Anytime that idea is brought up the hunter screeching begins in earnest.

The lack of natural predators is true in many cases, however Minnesota has a large wolf population and Wisconsin's is growing and there is no shortage of coyotes in either state. In Wisconsins case, 1,600,000 estimated deer would require an awful lot of wolves and coyotes. 600,000 human hunters are losing ground yearly.

 

Sheesh, you'd think a major news service like CNN might have some new pictures in their files

CLICKY

Sorry folks, but the deer population is only going to get worse.... much worse CLICKY

I've hit 5 already, 3 on a motorcyle .

 

This is interesting, the following is a list I found of top ten states ranked by number of deer per 1000 human population:

Miss 657
W Va 500
Mont 436
Wisc 346
S Car 285
Vt 283
Maine 268
La 236
Texas 234
Minn 219

And here are the top ten (State Farm Claims) collision states:

[

1. Pennsylvania
2. Michigan
3. Illinois
4. Ohio
5. Georgia
6. Virginia
7. Minnesota
8. Texas
9. Indiana
10. South Carolina

Minnesota and S. Carolina are the only states making both top tens.

 

Mmmmmm....venison! YUM-O!

Whenever I travel and find myself in rural areas, I am SUPER-careful to avoid night-driving as much as possible, so I don't have to deal with deer-strikes. Are there any stats on how many deer-strikes occur in broad daylight? Is it mostly a night-time occurence? :impatient

 

I missed one last night at about 7:30pm about half a mile from my house. He (it) streaked across my bow and I just instinctively jammed the brakes, I don't think I missed it by 2 ft. My daughter says 4 inches, and she wants to go back and look for her stomach. In another car, I honestly think I'd have hit it.

 

Mostly dusk I think Clo, but around Wisconsin, with so many darn deer they are liable to be found at any time of day. All it takes is a dog, coyote, or whatever to scare them and get them running.

Preponderance of deer is one of the reasons I switched from motorcycles to MINIs. I had three jump out in front of my bike once, grazed one which ditched me, but I managed to stay up. A little too close though.

 

i keep telling my wife that the highest risk of me dying in a car accident
would involve an encounter with a deer.

and it would be when im on the side of the road taking a pee when a
deer hits me from the back in a 45 degree angle at full speed.

 

Good reflexes, Bullfrog! YIKES! :impatient

 

I think the cougars in CA make a pretty good dent in the herds, they're more efficient hunters than coyote's or wolves. Of course we have an abnormal number of poachers here too doing their share.

 

Woooooooooo go SC.

Time to go shoot some more bambi's

No, i'm not a redneck.

 

Anyone ever think of deer as natural SUV population control?





....wait a second that doesn't look phrased right

 

 

Oh...snap.

 

this is nice news for me, I live in SC and travel on one of the least traveled roads almost weekly to go to school in NC, it is also one of the most dangerous roads in SC. I have already seen several deer and almost hit 1, on my couple of trips, I am gonna be very lucky not to hit one during the next 4 years of school

 

Where do you go to school - what road are you talking about?

 

4 years, I consdier myself lucky each night I go without hitting one.

But I also happen to love in an area where 7 years ago I pass through farms, fields and forestry to get to my house, and now those same roads are populated with subdivisions and retail stores so the deer are being constantly driven out to where they shouldn't be as there is simply overpoputlation and nowhere for them to go.

Hunting also wouldn't provide reasonable population control as many of these areas are ethier population or directly adjacent to such land; natural pedators, while slowly returning recently (few reports of cyotes and wolves), are also driven out as residents fear for their domestic animals safety.

 

Dang near nailed myself one in Bailey, Colorado 2 weeks ago. This was not on the outskirts of town but right in the middle of main street at about 10 PM. Thank the Great Buckhorn I was only going 30 MPH. My MINI with full brakes and hard steering performed flawlessly. Dang deer didn't even thank me.
Then there was the stupid squirrel that wouldn't even move out of the middle of the street this morning not to mention the Bird Bomb I got on the highway with nary a tree in sight. I think there is an anti-MINI movement going on in Mother Natures circle of friends. If this keeps up we are going to need MINI Crossing signs put up facing the sides of the road to alert the critters to our presence.

 

I usually have 3 or 4 deer in my front yard when I leave for work in the morning. For landscaping, we have to use "deer resistant" plants in the front or else they get gobbled up by the deer. Backyard is safe due to a 6 foot fence. In town I stop for deer every day. They are so used to living among people they look both ways before crossing. If one gets hit, it's usually a young one that hasn't learned yet. They are nice to look at but a real pain to live with.

 

Here in Ohio (#4 on the list), natural predators are killed on site. Last year, there were reports of a "killer cat" on the loose, made ALL the news programs, like a cougar or something, and it was shot and killed on site. :(

Wherever you drive, the shoulders and medians are littered with dead deer this time of year. The natural predators have all been killed, and new housing developments are being started everyday. Which I also find ironic seeing how NE Ohio has one of the fastest evacuation rates in the country...

But we kill the natural predators, and take away their habitats...there's nowhere for them to go...oh, and did I mention that the deer starve to death???