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Another thread (I think the Rocky Point thread) sparked my curiousity about deer on LI.
Have you seen deer on LI and if so where?
I have seen deer in Montauk at the lighthouse and of course the state park on the way to the lighthouse. I also think we saw deer in Hechsher State park in Islip (not 100% sure on this).
How do you feel about a rising deer population on LI and the huge risk of deer ticks carrying lyme disease (as well as many more diseases)?
Lloyd Harbor, Smithtown/Nissoquoge, St James, Stony Brook, Setauket, Rocky Point, Oakdale, Great River, Middle Island, Ridge, Calverton. Fire Island, Hecksher Park.
There was a deer feeding program at Hecksher about 18-19 years ago. People would head over, park at the lot and watch the feed truck dump a long line of feed. The deer would gradually mosy out of the wooded areas and onto the field; does and fawns first, wiley bucks last.
My ex husband 'won' the lottery to hunt on Fire Island back in 1988 or 89. It was a 2 week season, very strict rules. All harvested deer had to be brought to a conservationists station for evaluation and study. The ex shot a deer within an hour and complied with the DEC laws. His deer was LOADED with ticks and had mange. The DEC scientists field dressed the deer and examined the internal organs. This particular deer (and others as my ex was told) had stomachs full of pine needles. Pine needles are a starvation diet for deer. Fills the belly but offers no nutritional value. Some people might argue that the deer should be allowed to starve to a natural death; others feel it is more humane to put an end to the suffering quickly.
The increased deer population is finding itself competing for less food as man continues to encroach upon the land. Man in turn grows frustrated as the deer eat the newly planted shrubs and greenery. The hand outs that summer people offer the deer on Fire Island only makes a wild species more dependent upon the very man who has taken its natural food source. Once the summer person has left, the deer turns to pine needles.
What is more cruel? A hunter harvesting a deer so that another deer might have a better chance of surviving, or allowing a herd to swell so much that there is greater competition for less food bringing about mass starvation within the herd?
Nature is cyclical. Currently we are experiencing an upswing in distemper in the raccoon population, which is currently swelling. Start taking notice of the number of dead raccoons you will see on the side of the road. Raccoons suffering from distemper appear disoriented and often walk right out in front of moving vehicles. Raccoons are susceptable to both the canine and feline forms of distemper. If your pets aren't already vaccinated for distemper, please consider doing so.
The increased deer population is finding itself competing for less food as man continues to encroach upon the land. Man in turn grows frustrated as the deer eat the newly planted shrubs and greenery. The hand outs that summer people offer the deer on Fire Island only makes a wild species more dependent upon the very man who has taken its natural food source. Once the summer person has left, the deer turns to pine needles.
What is more cruel? A hunter harvesting a deer so that another deer might have a better chance of surviving, or allowing a herd to swell so much that there is greater competition for less food bringing about mass starvation within the herd?
.
Thanks for all your info. Starving to death sure sounds like a cruel fate.
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I didn't even know there were deer in populated areas on LI, lol. I just thought that they would be at the beaches on the south shore. Where in Smithtown??? I grew up there and never saw a deer in my life.
I went to Robert Moses about a year ago. A deer was casually walking around on the beach by everyone on the blankets. It was cute. It was sweet how it wasn't afraid of people.
Lloyd Harbor, Smithtown/Nissoquoge, St James, Stony Brook, Setauket, Rocky Point, Oakdale, Great River, Middle Island, Ridge, Calverton. Fire Island, Hecksher Park.
There was a deer feeding program at Hecksher about 18-19 years ago. People would head over, park at the lot and watch the feed truck dump a long line of feed. The deer would gradually mosy out of the wooded areas and onto the field; does and fawns first, wiley bucks last.
My ex husband 'won' the lottery to hunt on Fire Island back in 1988 or 89. It was a 2 week season, very strict rules. All harvested deer had to be brought to a conservationists station for evaluation and study. The ex shot a deer within an hour and complied with the DEC laws. His deer was LOADED with ticks and had mange. The DEC scientists field dressed the deer and examined the internal organs. This particular deer (and others as my ex was told) had stomachs full of pine needles. Pine needles are a starvation diet for deer. Fills the belly but offers no nutritional value. Some people might argue that the deer should be allowed to starve to a natural death; others feel it is more humane to put an end to the suffering quickly.
The increased deer population is finding itself competing for less food as man continues to encroach upon the land. Man in turn grows frustrated as the deer eat the newly planted shrubs and greenery. The hand outs that summer people offer the deer on Fire Island only makes a wild species more dependent upon the very man who has taken its natural food source. Once the summer person has left, the deer turns to pine needles.
What is more cruel? A hunter harvesting a deer so that another deer might have a better chance of surviving, or allowing a herd to swell so much that there is greater competition for less food bringing about mass starvation within the herd?
Nature is cyclical. Currently we are experiencing an upswing in distemper in the raccoon population, which is currently swelling. Start taking notice of the number of dead raccoons you will see on the side of the road. Raccoons suffering from distemper appear disoriented and often walk right out in front of moving vehicles. Raccoons are susceptable to both the canine and feline forms of distemper. If your pets aren't already vaccinated for distemper, please consider doing so.
I agree about it being a cycle, the cycle for the flocks of wild turkeys has come around too. 15 years ago there were less than 30 turkeys left on LI, now I see flocks of 15 or more near my house everyday. There is a racoon in my neighborhood that I've seen moving around in the daytime twice, if I see him again near my property I'm calling the health dept.
My husband's business associate hunts daily in watermill, bridgehampton & yesterday he called around 5pm to tell my DH he just got an 8 pointer. The DEC issues permits for bow hunting all around my area, I think its great. The DEC & forestry officers are out there checking permits & watching the hunters so I don't think there is much abuse of the system. I'd rather see a family eat venison for a couple of months than see vehicles mangled on the shoulder & a healthy deer dead in front of it as a do a few times a month this time of year.
There are too many deer in some areas-particularly the east islip/great river area & they are sickly. You can drive through hecksher park anytime & see scrawny fawns often with malities like deformed rear legs. Its an island, they can't get away from our urban sprawl so we need to help them control their population so they don't starve.
I didn't even know there were deer in populated areas on LI, lol. I just thought that they would be at the beaches on the south shore. Where in Smithtown??? I grew up there and never saw a deer in my life.
I went to Robert Moses about a year ago. A deer was casually walking around on the beach by everyone on the blankets. It was cute. It was sweet how it wasn't afraid of people.
Up in the vicinity of Moriches Rd (toward the beach, not 25A), St Johnsland Rd near the golf course.
Tame deer are not sweet -- they are doomed. Once a deer becomes tamed and depends upon humans for food, it is guaranteed a ticket to starvation.
Tame deer are not sweet -- they are doomed. Once a deer becomes tamed and depends upon humans for food, it is guaranteed a ticket to starvation.
I was thinking the same thing. Not sweet, very sad actually.
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