The Great Suburban Whitetail Deer Incident
- Thread starter BlueTrain
- Start date
trg42wraglefragle
New member
Are the deer protected?
Are they not allowed to be hunted?
Are they not allowed to be hunted?
Itc444 – I currently live in Ramsey County MN and I think I know the area you are talking about. Several years ago there was an article in the paper that the DNR had told the residents in the area NOT to feed the deer and IIRC the quote in the paper was “-they not only fed the deer, they named them.” The local residents were upset with the DNR plan to thin the herd because it was getting out of hand.
To trg42wraglefragle, about hunting and protected deer, here in Fairfax County, Virginia, which is about 20 miles from the back door of the White House to where I live, the deer are not protected and hunting is allowed. Bowhunting only, however. This is a heavily populated area. Outside of the county (in Virginia), rifles are not permitted for hunting in most areas east of the Blue Ridge as a general rule but there's probably lots of places where they are, since east of the Blue Ridge is easily 3/4 of the state. Don't know about black powder.
The deer are in no sense protected but there are also plenty of places where there is no hunting, in National Parks, for instance. I don't think there's hunting allowed in Fort Belvoir just south of town either. My wife, when she worked there, used to claim that unusual numbers of deer appeared on post during hunting season. Likewise, deer in Shenandoah National Park are not so skittish either, and will allow you to approach at least as close as ten feet. And of course one sees live deer along side the road in a lot of places, too, same places you see the dead ones. I suspect that most road kills happen between midnight and first light. On the other hand, I could name a few places where deer are as scarce on the ground as bison.
The deer are in no sense protected but there are also plenty of places where there is no hunting, in National Parks, for instance. I don't think there's hunting allowed in Fort Belvoir just south of town either. My wife, when she worked there, used to claim that unusual numbers of deer appeared on post during hunting season. Likewise, deer in Shenandoah National Park are not so skittish either, and will allow you to approach at least as close as ten feet. And of course one sees live deer along side the road in a lot of places, too, same places you see the dead ones. I suspect that most road kills happen between midnight and first light. On the other hand, I could name a few places where deer are as scarce on the ground as bison.
BlueTrain said:
Well, no, that's not true. Firearms hunting is allowed almost everywhere in Virginia, including in Fairfax County, but you have to get a special permit there for private-land owners.
Firearms hunting seasons can be found here:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/deer.asp
(Scroll down about midway on the page.)
Just a note on hunting in Maryland. When I was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds we were for some reason scheduled to qualify on a Saturday morning. It also happened to be opening day of deer season.
This really upset one of the other LTs. He had his permit and had to cancel his hunt on an Estate.
While we were in the pits a 10 point walked out on the range. The range Officer gave position 10 permission to open fire. The LT popped the deer which ran off onto another range.
We immediately went to rattle battle, expended all of our rounds, qualifed with the M-16 pencil. and went over to the next range and recovered his deer. It was very tasty when he cooked for the rest of the class.
Times were simplier then.
This really upset one of the other LTs. He had his permit and had to cancel his hunt on an Estate.
While we were in the pits a 10 point walked out on the range. The range Officer gave position 10 permission to open fire. The LT popped the deer which ran off onto another range.
We immediately went to rattle battle, expended all of our rounds, qualifed with the M-16 pencil. and went over to the next range and recovered his deer. It was very tasty when he cooked for the rest of the class.
Times were simplier then.
We had a lady here in Texas that called the Texas Parks and Wildlife asking them to come out and remove the deer crossing sign that was posted on the road close to her house.
She was asked why the sign should be removed and she stated that too many deer were being killed by cars in that area.
She was asked why the sign should be removed and she stated that too many deer were being killed by cars in that area.
2damnold4this
New member
I used to visit my daughter in Ithaca when my ex was attending Cornell. It was definitely like your description.
The issue is there are at least two camps even at Cornell. You have the department of natural resources under the agricultural and life science schools which teach about the dangers of an out of control dear population which no longer has any natural predators and needs periodic culling vs all the overly emotional one sided liberals in the various clubs at Cornell. They have a tendency to not actually study the topic and just take a stance based on there superficial perception of right and wrong... not science. Or at least thats how things were about a decade ago around the time I got my BS in natural resources. One group is driven by a love of nature and the hope that people will always be able to enjoy it (Naturalism), the other is driven by there own guilt over consumption misdirected toward others so they wont have to carry it them self (Radical Environmentalism). The naturalists often go on to forestry/EPA/ fish and game positions. The Environmentalists focus on journalism...
Niantician
New member
My back yard borders non huntable state land and across the busy street is a sports field complex. So in three yrs ive had three deer get hit trying to cross the road to get to those feilds. The first incident was truely unnerving. I work nights and was woken up to the sound of gunshots literally 50ft from my bed. I looked out the window and could see the rear bumper of a cruiser parked on the main road. Everything past that was shrouded by vegetation. I immediately assumed there was trouble and cautiously went outside to see what was going on. I found two local cops reloading their h&k 40 cals, having each already unloaded a mag into a wounded deer and surrounding trees. They saw me, and my look of shock. They know me from my job in armed security and casually asked me if they had woken me up. I said yes. They then each shot 2-3 more rounds and had the nerve to ask me if I wanted the bullet ridden doe. I said no thanks, and went back inside. That doe sat there for 3 days in summer heat until I called the police dept and complained. I should have had them come dig all the .40 cals out of the tree....
And to think the young officer that dispatched the deer a week ago yesterday only needed two rounds from a .22 rifle. I said before that if you want to kill something and get away with it, use a .22. Then the only problem is disposing of the body. In this case, that's pretty much been taken care of. Foxes, I assume, and I think we heard them yelping the other night.
Strangely something similar happened to a friend of mine when I lived in Fairfax County 25 years ago. A deer came out of the woods (they had woods back then they were tearing down to build mini-mansions for senior government workers) and ran straight into his house damaging the siding. The buck had stunned himself and was staggering around dazed. Friend goes inside and gets rifle. BANG. Deer is dead. End of story except for the gutting and eating parts. It was a really nice 12 pointer too.
Oh, they still have lots of woods around here. I shouldn't need to remind you that builders of mini-mansions do not discriminate against anyone with money. Government employment is not required. They also build real mansions and those are out of reach of any government employee. The owner of the company I work for and the computer I am doing this on "earns" more than the president of the United States.
Now, speaking of deer, do towns, cities and suburbs that are not in wooded parts of the country, assuming there are such places, also have deer and other more-or-less wild animals? I'm from West Virginia and I assure you I see more wild animals around here where I live (in West Springfield) and work (Chantilly) than anywhere I've lived in West Virginia. I don't see antelope and bison, but I figure it's only a matter of time before I see a bear or maybe a lion. I think I've seen everything else.
Now, speaking of deer, do towns, cities and suburbs that are not in wooded parts of the country, assuming there are such places, also have deer and other more-or-less wild animals? I'm from West Virginia and I assure you I see more wild animals around here where I live (in West Springfield) and work (Chantilly) than anywhere I've lived in West Virginia. I don't see antelope and bison, but I figure it's only a matter of time before I see a bear or maybe a lion. I think I've seen everything else.
You wont see a lion in NOVA although you might see a bear if one gets lost. They travel quite far on a daily basis.
Parts of the country without much trees are lousy with deer, from the deserts of West Texas to the plains of Colorado and Kansas I have hunted them there. Big old mulies mostly.
You don't see many animals in WV because your fellow citizens have killed a lot of them. In an ironic twist the less populated areas suffer from people coming from the more populated areas to come and kill the deer; even though there are more deer in the more populated areas. In Virginia for example the bag limit when I last hunted there (about three years ago) was three West of the Blue Ridge and SIX East of the Blue Ridge. Yet where do people go to hunt?
Parts of the country without much trees are lousy with deer, from the deserts of West Texas to the plains of Colorado and Kansas I have hunted them there. Big old mulies mostly.
You don't see many animals in WV because your fellow citizens have killed a lot of them. In an ironic twist the less populated areas suffer from people coming from the more populated areas to come and kill the deer; even though there are more deer in the more populated areas. In Virginia for example the bag limit when I last hunted there (about three years ago) was three West of the Blue Ridge and SIX East of the Blue Ridge. Yet where do people go to hunt?
I realize that a district can be "hunted out" and that was probably the case in some parts of the state (West Virginia), yet other parts of the state still had a sizeable deer population. Places where there is no hunting (parks) allow the deer to maintain their numbers in places where hunting is allowed, which is good if you like to hunt deer. The county I lived in (Wyoming County) also has wild boar hunting. I don't know the story behind that. But those of my family still living there go elsewhere in the state to hunt deer, generally Pendleton County. My step-brother was embarassed to admit his deer rifle was a .300 Magnum. My father, on the other hand, who grew up in Carroll County, Virginia, was an enthusiastic hunter before he left home, yet never hunted deer. There were none there and at that time, a farmer would not have traveled half way across the state to go hunting.
Even this morning, at about 5:30, on my way to work, I saw two antlerless deer just behind the Chantilly post office, a half-mile from where I sit, plus a rabbit in the parking lot at work. I don't see many rabbits.
The comment about lions (mountain lions) was a joke but bears are seen now and then in the county. Sightings always make the news, so it isn't at all common. Maybe the bag limit is so high east of the Blue Ridge (would never have thought it was that high--for the whole season, I assume) is because of the relative difficulty of finding a place to hunt, so hunters go elsewhere. The closest wildlife management area that I know of, where anyone can hunt, is near Manassas Gap, just this side of Front Royal. I do know that hunters generally don't want more hunters out there.
Even this morning, at about 5:30, on my way to work, I saw two antlerless deer just behind the Chantilly post office, a half-mile from where I sit, plus a rabbit in the parking lot at work. I don't see many rabbits.
The comment about lions (mountain lions) was a joke but bears are seen now and then in the county. Sightings always make the news, so it isn't at all common. Maybe the bag limit is so high east of the Blue Ridge (would never have thought it was that high--for the whole season, I assume) is because of the relative difficulty of finding a place to hunt, so hunters go elsewhere. The closest wildlife management area that I know of, where anyone can hunt, is near Manassas Gap, just this side of Front Royal. I do know that hunters generally don't want more hunters out there.
berettaprofessor
New member
See that, right there, is where we lost the battle....at the point where some darned gov. official decided they had the authority to say what we could do with a deer we hit with our car in the road. The first time this happened somebody should have said ...."whoa there"...and they thus could have prevented "ecosafe" gas cans and lawn mowers that shut off when you move a hose, and the TARP.
That dead deer won't last long in the woods, either the vultures or the coyotes will get it. The state is overrun with coyotes.
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/braddock/newsletter/august2010/coyotes.htm
"County Wildlife Biologist, Victoria Monroe, has confirmed that, yes, we have had a County-wide population of coyotes since 2000."
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/braddock/newsletter/august2010/coyotes.htm
"County Wildlife Biologist, Victoria Monroe, has confirmed that, yes, we have had a County-wide population of coyotes since 2000."
I hadn't realized there were any significant numbers of coyotes in Fairfax County, only I haven't seen one yet. I do see foxes but just a few. But from reading the linked page on Fairfax County's website, it looks like coyotes are the solution to a problem (over-abundance of natural prey, it said) rather than the problem. In any event, that may account for my seeing more deer than rabbits.