OPINION

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By Will Slater

Deer season is coming to a close this winter in Virginia. With mating season at its prime time of the year for bucks, the male deer can be found all over the area, chasing after does (females). This causes them to be more susceptible to being hit by a driver. This is especially the case at the darker times of the night, where visibility is limited, and it becomes easier for deer to unintentionally sneak up on you. Collegiate student Silas Gwathmey (’23), who has hit two deer over the last 18 months, recounted one of those instances. “On my way back from a baseball tournament in Glen Allen, I was driving on a very narrow road, with a cornfield practically touching the road. The deer ran straight out in front of me. I attempted to slam on the breaks and swerve around it, but I ended up hitting it anyways.” This was a very dangerous and potentially deadly experience, because when your car is traveling at high speeds and you have to brake and or swerve very quickly, the car has the potential to flip.

A major problem that specifically affects the East Coast, along with much of the Midwest, is deer overpopulation. During the Great Depression in the 20th century, Virginia’s deer population ranged between 25,000 and 50,000, which is around one deer per square mile. Since then, the deer population has skyrocketed and is now almost one million, which is close to 25 deer per square mile. Along with the rapid increase in deer population in Virginia, we have also seen a large increase in humans as well, especially as Virginia has become more urbanized. During the Great Depression, Virginia’s human population was about 2.4 million people. In 2019, Virginia’s human population was about 8.5 million people.

Hunting provides a solution to the issue of deer overpopulation. Since human development has curtailed the populations of many predators, such as coyotes and bears, hunting allows for population control, especially for animals such as deer, that are abundant in Virginia, along with many other states along the East Coast and in the Midwest.

The overpopulation of deer has become a safety hazard for drivers. The amount of deer collisions increases every year in Virginia, especially in Henrico County, which had the fifth-most deer related crashes in 2020 of all Virginia counties. In Virginia in 2019 alone, there were 6,523 crashes involving deer collisions. Locally, River Road especially is seen as a hotspot for deer. Like Gwathmey, I experienced a close call this month while driving with fellow Collegiate student Ted Morano (’23). While driving down River Road, not too far from Collegiate, two deer ran out in front of my truck, nearly causing an accident.

This map shows the areas in Virginia where the deer population either needs to be stabilized or reduced. Image credit: Virginia Places.

Hunting and responsible land management help the survival of wildlife. Otherwise, wild land would be quickly turned over for new uses, especially urban settlements and agriculture. This would lead to no space for deer to roam, and populations would decline at rapid numbers. Deer have a minimum population size, and if their population falls below that threshold, then they can no longer reproduce, live, and carry out their population. 

The majority of hunters hunt legally and follow all the required procedures before and after harvesting an animal. The food off the animal is for their own use, and some hunters donate the meat from their kill to food banks. Several game meat donation programs, such as Hunters Helping the Hungry, Hunters Feeding the Hungry, and Hunters Sharing the Harvest are organizations designated to facilitate the processing of meat and the donations to food banks.

Hunters often have great respect for the land and for the wilderness. Since hunters care enough about their land that they hunt, they will treat the land and nature with respect so they can hunt and enjoy nature for many years to come. An avid hunter, and the co-head of the Ducks Unlimited club at Collegiate, Slate Lambert (’23) says, “Hunters are the best conservationists. While it might seem weird, as they want to protect the animals they hunt. They do this so they can enjoy hunting them for many generations to come.”

Both Lambert and I were introduced to hunting by our fathers, and so we both want to have the opportunity to eventually teach our kids about the pastime. Organizations such as Ducks Unlimited are heavy advocates for the health and conservation of the land. Ducks Unlimited restores grass lands, replants forests, restores watersheds, and they also acquire land to improve its value to wildlife.

Hunting also generates a total of around 12 billion dollars annually in federal, state and local tax revenues. Although some may see hunting in a negative light, it has many benefits for the environment and the world. 

Featured image: Mishler, N and MJ, USFWS via Pixnio.