Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 14, 1993 TAG: 9301140458
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: W. MATT KNOX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DON'T DISPARAGE HUNTERS' CONTRIBUTIONS
REGARDING the letter to the editor published in the Roanoke Times & World-News Dec. 6 by Mary Clifford, "Hunters aren't killing to help the needy":She has attacked Virginia's deer hunters, its hunting heritage, and the Hunters for the Hungry program, and I, for one, am tired of hearing the worn-out diatribe describing deer hunters. Her use of the words "ugly," "guilty," and "cowardice" does not describe deer hunters as I know them.
Annually, across the nation, deer hunters are donating tons of venison to hunger-assistance programs like Virginia's Hunters for the Hungry. Last year, according to the organization Putting People First, deer hunters in 10 states donated 275,000 pounds of venison to the needy.
This year, it is estimated that deer hunters in 18 states will donate approximately 1 million pounds to hunger-relief programs. It is newsworthy and it is commendable.
Regrettably, Ms. Clifford embraces and espouses biological fantasy, but refuses to acknowledge biological fact. Contrary to her assertion, white-tailed deer do not "regulate their own numbers." They never have and they never will.
"If left to their own devices," deer populations will inevitably expand to the point where food resources are limited and, in some cases, exhausted. The food supply, or the lack of it, controls deer numbers. Overpopulated deer herds do not stop breeding and reproducing. The annual yield of fawns simply dies.
Overpopulated deer herds overbrowse and damage the habitat, sometimes irreparably. In severely overpopulated deer range, a conspicuous browse line reveals the habitat impact caused by deer. Not only does this habitat degradation impact deer-herd health, but it also displaces whole communities of birds and animals that inhabit natural understory and midstory vegetation.
When deer populations are allowed to grow to the carrying capacity of their habitat, our society also suffers. Negative human impacts, such as crop damage and deer-vehicle collisions, become a significant problem with high-deer densities.
According to the Virginia Farm Bureau, our state's farmers annually sustain more than $20 million in damage due to deer. Based on the Virginia Department of Transportation data in 1990, Virginia motorists reported 3,220 collisions with deer, resulting in more than $5.5 million damage, 242 injuries and three fatalities.
Again, in contrast to her statement, high deer-hunter harvests are not intended to "artificially inflate" next year's population, but are needed to control deer-herd densities by lowering next year's population.
Ms. Clifford suggested that if hunters were truly interested in helping feed the hungry, they should donate the time and money they spend on hunting to the agencies that "really" care about helping people.
Hunting is an American tradition representing a cross section of Americans - doctors, electricians, factory workers, lawyers, plumbers and teachers. There are approximately 13.9 million hunters in the United States, including more than 350,000 in Virginia. Like any cross section of our society, hunters donate time and money to agencies that help the needy.
In addition to their private donations and professional dedication, they also contribute through their sport. In 1991, Virginia deer hunters contributed in excess of $81 million to our state's economy. Nationwide, in 1991, if you include those sportsmen who fish, there were 49 million hunters and fishermen who contributed $41 billion to our nation's economy. Hunter's expenditures help create jobs and pay taxes that are used for education, job training and housing - which, according to Ms. Clifford, are the solution to hunger.
It is incomprehensible that a person, claiming to be concerned about the needy, would attack Virginia deer hunters for helping the hungry.
W. Matt Knox is deer-project leader with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in Lynchburg.