Dear Long Beach Town Council: I am a resident of Long Beach and I oppose the proposed bow and arrow deer hunt scheduled from October 2021 through January 2022. Killing deer doesn't control their populations. Their high reproductive rate will quickly compensate for any deer removed. Each year, Long Beach must then kill enough deer to reduce the herd, and then continue to kill deer to keep the population from bouncing back. Our community does not want to fund this killing program now or ever. A more effective alternative is a non-lethal deer management plan focused on controlling deer populations. But first we need a deer count as many communities have done. Further, those of us who oppose the hunt need time to address and inform the community about the bow and arrow deer hunt planned for private yards, wooded lots in town, our forest and the beach. Elected town officials have already had a workshop with proponents, signed the CHAPS DNR grant request in late March and allowed for a 20 minute pro-hunt presentation at the April Town Council ZOOM meeting. There was no polling of our fellow citizens. We advocate for a sustainable humane process, namely contraception with PZP. I ask that you cancel the proposed 2021 - 2022 bow and arrow deer hunt in Long Beach. We do not want to see wounded/dying deer in our yards, streets and parks.
We suggest the following:
1. A deer count
2, An exploration of birth control methods including PZP vaccine which reduces fawning rates by 85 to 90 percent—the EPA's approval of the vaccine affirms those conclusions;
3. Community educational program on non-lethal deer population control, against feeding deer, and on planting deer resistant plants
4. Cancel the deer hunt
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Thank you
