Connecticut Activists Still Pushing For Deer Population Reductions To Ease Lyme Disease

Author’s note (June 2, 2008): I spoke recently with Dr. Scholl about information contained in this article and other articles on Lyme disease in Connecticut. She asked that I point out the she is not the head of this movement, only a participant who has been quoted by media. She was very emphatic to say that everything they do is relying on the science and efforts by the state’s biologists to bring awareness to Lyme disease and eradicate the state from the disease.

Dr. Georgina Scholl appears to be spearheading the movement by two very well organized and vocal groups that have had it with the threats of Lyme disease and want something done about it. The Connecticut Coalition to Eradicate Lyme Disease and the Fairfield County Municipal Deer Management Alliance believe the way to achieve this goal is to reduce whitetail populations from around 60 or more per square mile down to around 8 or 10 per square mile.

Scholl was to have met with Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s chief of staff on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

“First, we are asking the governor for a proclamation to help raise public awareness of the health risks,” said Dr. Scholl. “If every town wants the DEP to help, customized plans can be made [for reducing herd numbers]. Right now, people think hunting deer is a sport and many think it’s inappropriate. But if the information is put out in a way the public can understand, the DEP would be asked to help in getting the population down.”

Hunters would be asked to play an active role in this task.

The reduction could be effected by a number of methods. “They could be rounded up and euthanized,” Dr. Scholl said. “But,” (s)he (sic) added, “there are already as many hunters as there are deer. If each hunter could be encouraged to take just one more deer each year, the problem would be solved. Some towns use sharpshooters-it doesn’t have to be sports hunters.”

It’s not spelled out in this article or previous bits of information I have read in the past, but I can only assume at this point that efforts would have to be made to work very closely with the fish and game experts, including their biologists, to focus the efforts on herd reduction to areas in most need. A random event of simply asking hunters to take more deer may not achieve the goals sought in the worst effected areas.

Howard Kilpatrick, a Connecticut wildlife biologist, says efforts are already underway to reduce herds.

He said the DEP has already instituted initiatives to reduce the deer population in Fairfield County and the shoreline towns, including giving free replacement tags for “antlerless”-does and juveniles. “There is basically no limit on antlerless deer in those areas,” he said. “If you remove one doe each year that means she doesn’t have twins the next year and you have three less deer.”
The DEP is also allowing bait stations where “hunter success is much, much higher” and an “earn a buck program,” where hunters get an extra buck tag for every three antlerless deer taken.

This proposal by Dr. Scholl and others who have signed on to the idea, isn’t being readily agreed upon by everyone. Of course animal rights groups are saying there is no need to kill any animals and others opposed to hunting are lead to speak out against it.

But some, not so radical anti-hunting groups, are jumping on the bandwagon as they too see the threat of Lyme disease as a very serious public health issue.

Connecticut has been notorious over the last few years as a breeding ground of ticks that carry Lyme disease. Many people have been bitten by the ticks and have suffered greatly as a result. Anytime you achieve an imbalance in wildlife populations, as is the case here with the deer, there is always the threat of disease and starvation. The over browsing of deer can destroy the vegetation ultimately ruining the ecosystem rendering it non functional to many of the other species of wildlife.

Hunters are recognized nationwide as being the first conservationists in America working hard to protect all wildlife and the ecosystems that support them. Sometimes hunters are perceived or spoken of in a way that incorrectly depicts their intentions when it comes to game harvest. Hunters understand the importance of a healthy deer herd along with everything else.

The best way to preserve and promote the future of hunting as a way of managing wildlife, is to work to insure a healthy forest complete with healthy animals.

Tom Remington

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