LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To the Editor: Deer cull benefits herd, parks

11/9/2017

I view the deer management program that Metroparks Toledo has in place as a successful solution, and it should continue to be funded. 

Opponents to the deer cull say the program is cruel to the deer. They may be ignorant to the fact that deer overpopulation is detrimental to the well-being of the species itself. It causes disease, overcrowding, and decline of the general health of the herd itself due to limited resources. The habitat itself can only support so many deer, and once that threshold is reached, the additional population degrades the quality of life for the rest of the herd. 

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The overpopulation is also detrimental to the other wildlife in the park because the giant herd consume the limited amount of resources available. Because deer are vegetarians, they eat many of the same things as squirrels, birds, and other important species that make up the parks’ ecosystems.

I am in a family with rich deer hunting traditions, and we have been hunting the same piece of land for many decades. Even though several deer are harvested from the land each year, the population always returns strong.

The deer cull is also helpful in feeding the hungry in Toledo. Nearly 10,000 pounds of venison harvested from deer culls has been donated to the Cherry Street Mission and another food distribution program.

CADEN CRUICKSHANK

Martin, Ohio