Introduction
The economics of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, management is comprised of multiple facets. Deer herd health and population regulation are central to the economics of most deer management plans. The local white-tailed deer populations directly impact human welfare economics. The management of deer populations heavily affects agriculture, forestry, landscaping, and natural vegetation. Recreational services are another economic source realized from the management of white-tailed deer. Much of the economics of white-tailed deer management can also be applied to other game species.
Herd Health and Regulation
White-tailed deer population size will affect the herd’s health. Disease in a herd spreads readily when the population size is large; this is known as density-dependent spread of infection (Habib, Merrill, Pybus, & Coltman, 2011). Frequency-dependency is the spread of infection controlled by the number of individuals infected. Foot and Mouth Disease is spread through a large population of white tailed deer and can be transmitted from white-tailed deer to other hosts that come in contact with the infected population (Highfield, Ward, Laffan, Norby, & Wagner, 2010). A deer population of more than thirty individuals per square kilometer is considered to have a 100% transmission rate of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal infectious prion disease that afflicts cervid, hoofed and antlered mammal, populations in North America (Habib, Merrill, Pybus, & Coltman, 2011). Chronic Wasting Disease is transmitted through contact with infected animals; however, it is believed that carcasses from infected individuals, along with saliva, blood, feces, and urine left in the environment, ...
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...ricultural and forestry production can be protected from destruction by overbrowsing by white-tailed deer. Landowners can also benefit from leasing land to hunters, thus receiving funds for use and overbrowsing protection. Areas where populations are under control deer-vehicle collisions would be less likely than in the areas of overpopulation.
The costs for population control include sporting licensure fees, population monitoring, and other studies. With the willingness to pay from hunters, the licensure fees should cover a significant portion of the monetary budget needed to support wildlife management. Lastly the willingness to pay by visitors to the state and national parks for entry to observe the natural beauty and wildlife should help fund the management of the white-tailed deer herds where hunting for population control is not permitted by law.
There are too many deer in the Wesselman Woods. The deer have eaten all the flowers and other flora. There have also been 8 car crashes involving deer, this imposes a dangerous threat to the civilians of Evansville. The deer have been invading people’s yards and eating their gardens. The deer are causing many problems that can’t be solved until the deer population is reduced.
Another significant problem caused by the over-population of white-tailed deer is the prevalence of auto accidents involving deer. Each November, deer become more active, especially around sunset, for the mating season. This coincides with suburban commuter hour and with shorter daylight hours that come with fall. Collisions with deer cost the insurance industry in excess of one billion dollars annually and kill approximately 200 people. Over one...
When people talk about deer, they are commonly talking about the North American Whitetail. That is because they are so prevalent in this country. They can be found in every state in the US. The only place where you will not find any whitetails is in parts of Arizona and California. In most states the whitetail is very prevalent, especially in the northeast. They are one of the most hunted animals in this area, particularly in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Despite the amount they are hunted, both in and out of season, you can not drive more than a few miles out of the towns without seeing one that was hit by a car. The deer population in this area just keeps growing. It is unclear what should be done to stop the over population of this beautiful creature. Perhaps different hunting seasons or longer seasons are the answer. Possibly we should focus more on the development of birth control for the female deer, or maybe repopulating wolves into the areas where the deer population is too great. Something has to be done.
The author provides information describing the deer population in parts of New Jersey; yet, he does not include any data regarding the population in the rest of the United States, nor does he include any sources of where this information was obtained. A reader may be more
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a fatal neuro-degenerative, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of the family Cervidae (Hamir, et.al., 2006). The family Cervidae includes mule deer, Odocolileus hemionus, white-tailed deer, Odocolileus virginianus, Rocky Mountain elk, Cervus elaphus nelsoni, and moose, Alces alces shirasi, among others (Sigurdon & Aguzzi, 2007). CWD is a prion disease, meaning it is a protein caused infection, that occurs naturally in the deer family (Song & Lawson, 2009). This protein is suspected to be an abnormal isoform (PrPSc) of the naturally occurring host prion protein (PrPC) (Blanchong, et. Al., 2009). Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), mad cow disease, is a similar prion effecting cattle as CWD affects Cervidae. Although, scientists are not sure of transmission route it is suspected that CWD is transmissible and infectious through direct contact with infected individuals or through environmental contamination (Song & Lawson, 2009). Tests have been performed showing susceptibility of altered mice to oral transmission, mimicking the suspected route of entry, and the incubation appears slower but lasts longer with oral infection (Trifilo, et.al., 2007). The approximate time from the initial infection to death is three years.
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
White tailed deer are the largest game animal in North America. This is due to their over abundance and annoyance to farmers. An average of 300000 deer are hunted down each year. A tragedy has been another 3000 are hit by cars every year. Many human efforts have been made to prevent these accidents, such as fencing and deer repellents near freeways, but many seem to think that hunting and controlling the population is the best way.
The deer population has increased so much that in many areas, they suffer from chronic starvation. “Bucks only” laws passed years ago to help in re-establishing the dwindling deer herds now work against the deer by resulting in an overabundance of does. Even with the overabundance of does many hunters refuse to shoot a doe. They believe in the old saying, “It takes a doe to yield a buck.” This is entirely true but it ignores the basic law of nature that any piece of land, and the food and cover in it, can support only so much game. If the excess game is not harvested by hunters or killed by predators, nature will take over and exterminate enough animals as needed or more through disease and starvation. That’s why hunting is a much more humane means for a deer ...
Environmentalists call this problem the Urban Deer Dilemma. This exists when the number of deer exceeds the ability of the environment to support the deer (2). During the 1600s, when Jamestown’s first settlers arrived, there were between 24 and 31 million white-tailed deer in North America (4). As settlers pioneered farther west, the deer population steadily decreased until a dramatic drop in the 19th century. By the end of the century, less than half-a-million deer were left. In some parts of the United States, there were none. In 1886, the US Supreme Court forced hunters to get licenses and follow certain restrictions. Conservationists urged hunters kill bucks instead of does. Because of these precautions, by the 1940s, 30 states in the United States had deer herds large enough to starve themselves (4).
The most popular form of deer control is hunting. Hunting is a helpful management tool for keeping deer from becoming overpopulated. When European settlers arrived, the deer were hunted for meat and hide without thinking of management. After 100 years, deer were threatened with extinction in N.C. Today deer populations are 1.25 million in NC. Hunting can help regulate this population if done correctly. (Hartiganand Osbourne). Hunting helps the deer population by decreasing the likelihood of overpopulation. Without hunting, deer would overpopulate an area and they would be forced to go elsewhere for food. This could lead to them wondering into cities and highways causing car accidents. Without some type of deer control, they multiply. Since deer have lost some land areas due to cities growing, they do not have enough food and start to slowly starve. Thus hunting is a good choice for deer management.
Conservationists and the ranchers that are having financial issues caring for their animals, without utilizing hunting, can take advantage of other resources to gain revenue. The ranch operators need to find alternatives to gain a source of income such as acquiring sponsors, donations, conducting guided tours or perhaps, providing educational programs. There are more humane methods of earning money than the killing of animals. Making use of the public's curiosity and interests is a resourceful tactic that can be very successful and beneficial to the economy.
Hunting over bait is a debated issue across the country. Baiting deer has a negative effect on deer populations as well as other non-target species and habitats. The potential for disease transmission between species is far more prevalent in areas where baiting practices are administered than those that are not. These diseases are not only harmful to deer and other species, they can be fatal. Not only is there potential to spread disease, there are certain behavioral, social, and ecological impacts as well.
Hunters are the biggest supporters of conservation financially. According to “Facts and Statistics on wildlife Conservation”(SDGFP) the hunters contribute more than three million dollars each day. This amounts to more than one and a half billion dollars a year. This money comes from license revenues, excise taxes (sporting good equipment, guns, license, ect.), and other taxed hunting revenues. All of this money goes to the protection and conservation of the wildlife habitat. Hunters and fishermen provide for more than seventy-five percent of the annual income of the fifty state conservation agencies. (2)
In Annie Dillard’s narrative, “The Deer at Providencia,” she reveals her awareness of and confusion regarding suffering by paralleling human and animal anguish and dignity. On a trip to Ecuador with a North American group in the village of Providencia, Dillard witnesses the suffering of a small deer. Her lack of reaction to the suffering deer stuns the travelers; however, Dillard intentionally conditions her awareness of suffering by encountering an article about a burn victim daily in America (M.S. 4) Posting the article on her mirror, Dillard strengthens her realistic perception regarding suffering and divulges her confusion regarding the ambiguity, inevitability, and vulnerability of agony for all beings. Recounting[SM2]
Lebel, François, et al. "Influence Of Habitat Features And Hunter Behavior On White-Tailed Deer Harvest." Journal Of Wildlife Management 76.7 (2012): 1431-1440. Environment Complete. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.