The debate rages on in towns and communities all across Connecticut on what to do about Lyme disease. So far, nothing has really been done while the disease runs rampant in many places. One group, the Connecticut Coalition to Eradicate Lyme Disease, is calling for a reduction in deer population saying that overinflated numbers of deer, which carry the tick, is the major cause. Some individuals and groups who oppose the killing of animals say this would be inhumane and would have little or no effect on the disease.
Most states have good wildlife biologist and fish and game departments that make every attempt to manage wildlife based on science. We know that all too often science is shoved in the back seat and replaced with politics and special interests. For these reasons Connecticut is one state that has a Lyme disease problem.
There are areas where deer populations have exceeded carrying capacity of the land. When animals like the whitetail deer are allowed to go basically unmanaged, oftentimes population densities become so large that they destroy the ecosystem and in this case promote disease.
Why is this considered humane? Those fighting efforts to reduce deer populations because they consider it inhumane are quite hypocritical to put on blinders to the inhumane treatment of animals that are left to starve or suffer and die from disease.
Whether you want to believe or not that reducing deer numbers will have an affect on Lyme disease will remain part of the debate. The sensible thing to do, which is continuously being blocked by animal rights activists and anti hunting groups, is to allow the state of Connecticut to institute its deer management plan in all parts of the state.
This would involve finding ways to reduce and better manage those populations that cause problems and exceed the capacity that the lands can sustain a healthy herd. Contrary to what is often being spread through the media, there are success stories everywhere where communities have worked together with fish and game and hunting groups to work toward deer population reductions with little or no negative impact on the citizens and landowners.
It seems that no matter what is presented as steps to take to address disease, there is always irrational and radical groups that fight against and stop what the majority of us know is the right thing to be doing. There seems to always be some foolish excuse and therefore nothing gets done.
As a hunter, of course I want hunting opportunity. There is nothing more frustrating to a deer hunter than to spend a lot of time in the woods and not see the game we went out to get. But more important than simply having a lot of deer to hunt, we must have a healthy herd. Without such all other species will suffer. Again I ask, how is this humane?
The solution to Connecticut’s Lyme disease seems quite simple to me. Allow the fish and game department to take control over the state’s deer herd. Let them manage them in all locations. Good sound science, which is what the state’s deer management plan should be based on, will provide for deer numbers that are healthy. This, of course, will take into consideration the existence of Lyme disease. It may be necessary to reduce the population in those trouble areas below carrying capacity in order to reduce or eliminate the disease and then bring the numbers back up.
If the state is allowed to properly manage deer and all other species based on science, deer numbers will be reduced. Isn’t it a reasonable conclusion that once this is done, we can then better tell if the overall impact of Lyme disease has been reduced? This can’t be done in pockets. It has to be a statewide effort to be able to realize and understand the total impact. Why is this wrong? Isn’t this the only humane way to manage our wildlife?
The time for continued excuses needs to end. From state to state we witness each and everyday what happens when our fish and game biologists are not allowed to properly manage the wildlife. Animals suffer and die needlessly.
It baffles my mind that foolish thinking continues to allow for needless suffering of humans and our wildlife.
Tom Remington
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