East Lansing Reducing Deer Population
If you live near or in East Lansing, here is something you need to be aware of. They will be closing city parks at different times in the days to come through March 1st. It will also be illegal to be in those parks those times, not to mention dangerous. Fox47news.com reports that the reason they will be doing this is to cull the local deer population. This is the city's first population reduction attempt. Under an agreement with USDA wildlife services:
Biologists trained in the use of firearms will kill up to 50 deer total in Abbot Road Park, the East Lansing Family Aquatic Center/Softball Complex, Harrison Meadows Park, Henry Fine Park, White Park, Burcham Park and Patriarche Park.
In some places, the U.S. deer populations are now so high that they cause long term negative ecological effects including overeating forests, wildflowers, shrubs, and tree seedlings. You can read more about this at fs.fed.us. It can also be bad for cars. Hitting a deer is a terrible feeling and can be pretty traumatic and dangerous.
I absolutely love to fish, but hunting is a sport I have never done and I'm not sure I will. I have a lot of friends who enjoy it, and it does allow them to stock up on venison they enjoy eating which is cool. In my opinion, if it's just for the thrill of the kill, it's not so cool.
Have you ever hit a deer while driving? Have you or will you ever eat venison?