Contraceptives for deer, not enough hunters? Or trying to reduce avenues for RKBA?

[auschip]

This is intended for use in subdivisions were deer populations are booming. Heck, we have one subdivision out near me (Lakeway) that all the deer are the size of labs - because of over population. Hitting a deer is a very real problem in these areas. Several people wanted to hire sharpshooters (not warden's buddies - a professional group) to come in and shoot them with silencers and night vision, but I think the city decided that wasn't a good idea (imagine waking up cause you hear thrashing in the front or side yard and seeing some dude with a rifle and night vision waling through your property - the mall ninjas would freak).

 

[bluestarlizzard]

bet you half those animal rights activist are the same ones who say that grooming a poodle is crule and unusual...... of course they've never seen a poodle that had its legs matted together so bad it couldn't move and died of kindey failure due to dehydration.
i love animals but i have little respect for those so called activist... although if they want to vegitarians thats fine by me. more meat for me!

 

[Ultrachimp]

Yet another way government wastes money on fancy new-age technology that doesn't work as well as the old stuff...

 

[Art Eatman]

Most of us can hit a dime at fifty yards. And they're worried about shooting a rifle at a deer in an urban area? 'Scuse me? I'd be out there to shoot the (bleep) deer, not a house. And a deer is a really big target--particularly compared to a 300-yard prairie dog.

A sterilization program some years back in Pennsylvania was said to cost some $1,500 per deer.

Fluoridation: My mother was raised at Hereford, Texas. Naturally "fluoridated" groundwater. About double or triple what's used in city water systems. Yeah, mottled teeth, but no cavities and she kept all her teeth until she was around 90--when she had to have one pulled. Heck, until outsiders started moving to Hereford, a dentist would have starved to death.

Art

 

[Saturnine]

Most of us can hit a dime at fifty yards. And they're worried about shooting a rifle at a deer in an urban area?

But how many of us can do it every time, and can honestly say we've never missed a shot? Even if that's most of us, we all know guys who we don't want to be in the presence of when they're holding a gun. Hunting accidents happen, it's unfortunate when they do, but at least the victims knew and accepted the risk involved. Hunting in densely populated areas would put others at that same risk without their consent.

If it was allowed, there would eventually be an accident and when it happens we'll have to deal with a huge increase in anti hunting/gun sentiment that would have the potential to harm the RKBA as well as possibly incite more restrictive hunting laws.

 

[Javelin]

Wait until the government starts shooting citizens with that darn dart!

 

[MCgunner]

We have economics on our side, especially in Texas. Big ranchers are a big lobby in Austin and they're not going to let some bunch of PETA pansy asses put them out of a HUGE lease income. I don't know how much money is exchanged directly on permission to take an animal either by day lease, guided hunt, or year round leasing, but it's got to be in the billions. I do know what leasing and day hunting on the better ranches go for and it's not for the working class most times. I'm glad I have a little land to hunt or I'd not hunt.

Some knock the lease system here, but it's a HUGE economic incentive for the maintenance of sport hunting.

 

[Mauserguy]

Hunters pay money. Contraceptive darts cost money. In the long run, contraceptives will find only a limited use, mostly in urban habitats, simply because states like revenue sources.

Having said the above, if they ever outlaw hunting but only allow contraceptives, I will look into handloading some contraceptive 30-06 loads. A 180 grain contraceptive moving at 2500 feet per second ought to limit deer populations.
Mauserguy

 

[308win]

Metro Parks (and some Columbus suburbs) have tried deer contraceptives delivered via both darts and feed. The experience has been the same - doesn't work for controlling free-ranging deer populations and it is expensive. They also tried trapping and relocating - cumbersome and expensive, doesn't control free-ranging deer populations, and Ohio has a state-wide deer population problem so no one wants the trapped deer released in their area. In every instance they have resorted to paying persons to shoot down the population and some suburbs have allowed limited bow hunting.

 

[Art Eatman]

Saturnine, about forty years back I did a culling program when I moved back to the old family place. We had too many deer. I took some thirty-ish does off the place, and never, ever, missed a shot.

But I wasn't hunting trophies; no adrenaline, particularly. Sit in the jeep in the pasture, of an evening; see doe, kill doe. Gut & butcher. Boring work after a while. Just something that needed to be done.

 

[627PCFan]

I work at NASA Goddard in MD. They have combination corn feeders set up that administer deer tick medicine and include a hormone that is supposed to make the does infertile. I doubt this works because they still have to have secret service target practice a few times a year-

 

[MCgunner]

In an urban area, if I were allowed to hunt, I'd buy a crossbow.