An estimated 500,000 deer roamed throughout America in the early 1900’s. Due to fear of extinction, strict hunting laws and regulations were put into place so the population could naturally grow. This effort did increase the deer population, but now it’s too large. Today, there are more than 20 million deer in the US and this number is increasing each year.
While you might think that having a growing deer population isn’t cause for concern, you might be surprised at the negative impact. Human safety, economy and quality of life are all affected. Hunting deer serves as a counterweight to negative implications.
Each day our safety is at risk when we drive along highways. Some accidents cause minor damage to the car, but others can cause the death to the driver and passengers in the vehicle. Deer, buck in particular, can even show signs of aggressive toward humans if they feel threatened. And with an estimated 40 deer per every square mile of some states, confrontation is more frequent than most realize.
How is the increasing deer population affecting our quality of life? More car/deer motor vehicles accidents and damaging property both cause financial and emotional stress. Deer can also carry diseases that can be transferred to pets and have been associated with the spread of Lyme disease. Hunting effectively compensates for the diminished wolf population, especially in the northeast.
Hunting keeps the deer population in check as well as decreasing the amount of reproductions each season. Without hunting deer, the population will only continue to increase and cause more problems for residents and their homes.