Strawberry farmers are losing their spring crop to deer that find the plants to be an irresistible treat when most plants are dominant this time of the year. I would suspect that a few deer could do some significant damage on a strawberry patch in a single night. Now combine that night after night and it is easy to see how an entire field could be destroyed long before the crop has a chance to bear fruit this spring.
WRAL
I would tend to agree with the wildlife officials that have said that extending the current season may not be the best answer to the problem. I would guess that access to the lands around the farming operation is the main culprit allowing the deer herd to grow basically unchecked. Hunting is the best method to control the deer population but hunters have to be able to gain permission or lease the land to hunt. Land owners, farmers, and hunters need to work together to help create the necessary balance. I’ve known a few situations where hunters have lost leases because an unwillingness to kill does and farmers fed up with the deer that damage their crops finding other hunters who would kill them.
While I hate to see depredation killing of deer in this situation the farmers certainly would be in their rights to kill the deer under North Carolina law. They could also get North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to issue depredation permits thus “extending “the deer season on their farm. With the permit a hunter could fill the tags on behalf of the farmer as well as make sure the meat gets used. Under current law without the permit a deer killed in the act of depredation needs to be disposed of on the farm it was killed and the meat cannot be used.
Deer are very adaptable and can adjust to a variety of changing habitats including the urbanization of an area. Deer and human conflicts will continue as more and more areas become urbanized and off limits to hunting. Any land owner / farmer that is having problems with deer, geese, coyotes, hogs, or whatever can contact me directly at moosesign@aol.com and if I can’t help you I’m sure I can find a responsible outdoorsman that can help you.
