Deer Overpopulation Essay

Ever since the Pilgrims were introduced to the Indians, the deer was a big meat source for survival. They used the meat, bones for various needs, including sewing and the fur for clothing. The deer became an everyday hunted game. The decline of the deer population began.

Before Mayflower Landed, Indians had a Saying "you only killed what you can eat, so that you can eat tomorrow', the forest itself did not provide the optimum habitat necessary to maintain the deer population. The Deer’s were abundant, in areas were forest fires, lightening fires and other catastrophes had started to destroy parts of the forest canopy. Natural enemies of the predators of the deer like the cougars, wolves, coyotes also played a big part in regulating the population

Just after WWII, a restocking program was initiated. Deer’s were then relocated to designated areas and protected so that they can reproduce and then be relocated throughout the state. Then, out of nowhere, the screwworm epidemic placed a large declining factor on the growth on the deer population across the southeast. However that problem was eliminated and the public, and the elimination of the screwworm enable the comeback of the white tail

The deer population has increased in the last 30 years. The deer population in America, when the settlers arrived has once been estimated to be around 50 million. Unregulated hunting by the 1900, had drastically slaughtered he deer to less than ½ million. Since being protected and restocked in designated areas, the deer have become overpopulated in which the land cannot continue to feed nor protect these animals. The deer population now is said to be higher than ever before. Deer populations are no longer held in check by their natural predators, and humans are creating a perfect deer habitat in our yards, parks, and golf courses and along the highways. The most important cause of the large deer population is that they are protected by the governmental game management