No

by Candace Williams

Created on: March 19, 2010   Last Updated: September 02, 2010

There are those who  believe hunting is a bad idea.But hunting produces meat, hides, horns, bones to feed, clothe and decorate homes. It's also a sport which gets people in the outdoors enjoying the natural world. It creates a reason to get some good exercise. Taking out some of the members of the deer herd through hunting makes a stronger healthier herd in the long run and a healthier state too. Where too many deer are allowed to roam they move into towns and farmers' fields after over browsing the woods.

Why should we hunt thee let me count the ways

Disease control is a good reason. Chief among the diseases is Lyme's Disease which is spreading rapidly in many states is carried to humans by deer coming into yards to munch on bushes, plants, trees. Tuberculosis is another disease which is spreading among deer where there are too many of them and it is transmitted to  and from cattle   which creates a danger to our meat and milk producing farmers.

Too many deer destroy the forest by over browsing on low growth sometimes even to the point of eating every plant, bush and small tree. This is becoming a serious problem in places where the deer population has risen too high because there is not enough hunting.With no plants other animals have nothing to eat. No small trees means that when the older trees die there are no replacements. In some forests this is becoming a serious problem which can lead to no forest lands. Over grazing by wild animals or domestic animals creates desert  conditions. Serious erosion begins to occur and land is no longer beautiful and useful for us or for the animals which once lived there.

Farmers and home gardeners sustain enormous amounts of damage when the deer population rises too high and they begin to come into areas which are not wilderness to look for forage. Car deer accidents damage vehicles and people when the deer population rises too high and these animals begin to be on the roads too often.

On the positive side of hunting deer though, venison is good healthy food which feeds a lot of people in the United States and letting people hunt deer is much better than handing out food stamps and welfare checks!

Diseases flourish where population of deer is high

In the East where Lyme's disease started there is very little hunting. But there is lots of Lyme's disease! So the lesson here is to let and encourage hunting of the deer. It is a simple way to keep the dangerous diseases at bay which can be spread to people through a host such as deer ticks on deer carried to people's bushes, flowers, vegetable plantings and picked up by people out enjoying the outdoors on a summer day. This is especially dangerous with children who are the most likely to get bitten by ticks.Pets are also at risk for contacting the disease so for their sake also it is good to keep hunting deer so the too large herd doesn't  spread it to urban areas.

The problems of Tuberculosis being transmitted to cattle by deer are very real and taking a considerable amounts of work to combat in states  such as Michigan where this is a growing concern. Keeping the population down is the key to this issue. Hunting the deer and making use of the animals to keep the population at a reasonable level is a sensible strategy. When the deer herd is too large the deer move into farmer's fields and mix with their cattle. This is when the Tuberculosis is passed back and forth between cattle and deer putting both the domestic and wild animals at risk.

Venison is a great meat

Venison is a nutritious meat and is a fantastic resource for those on low incomes too. Hunters who don't want or need their venison can and do donate it to help low income folks have a good meal. This is done in many states and is a much better way to help than only handing the poor money and hoping they buy good sources of protein.

Venison is a great source of nutrition and many who hunt do it to get food for their own families. It is a wonderful way to allow the population of the herd to stay at a reasonable level and let those who wish to hunt deer get a low cost source of meat to fill their larder. We allow people to get food at food banks, get food stamps and get welfare checks. It is much better to encourage them to go get some meat for themselves and their families by hunting. It encourages them to get some exercise and helps them to accomplish something worthwhile themselves instead of sitting on their haunches and being given hand outs.

The by products make a difference too

The hides, horns and even bones are used  by hunters or sometimes sold. Clothing, shoes, decorative items, knife handles are made from these parts of the deer.  Taxidermy is another profession which benefits from hunting. These ways of making use of the rest of the deer is another boost to our United States economy.

Since there are so many good reasons to encourage hunting of deer this should be allowed and even encouraged all over our United States as it has been from the start of our nation. The reasons are numerous and so are the deer. Discouraging hunting is generally  done on an emotional not a logical basis. Venison is good meat and is readily available. Keeping the herd down to a reasonable number and keeping it in wilderness areas is a sensible goal which benefits many.

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