Posted on 05/18/2016 4:55:43 PM PDT by SJackson
Last week, the de Blasio administration unveiled their plans to manage Staten Island's exploding deer population by giving every single male deer a vasectomy. However, some experts are questioning their solution—a Cornell University ecologist told the Staten Island Advance, "It's difficult for me to come up with all the reasons why this is a really stupid plan. It's ridiculous from the onset."
The city hopes to perform vasectomies over the next three years in order to bring down the deer population by 10-30%. But biologists say this really won't do anything. The Post painted this vivid picture:
In reality, female white-tailed deer go into heat in the autumn rutting season. They emit a powerful scent that attracts males, who chase them and battle each other until every last doe is pregnant. Normally, the rut lasts a month or two. But with bucks shooting blanks, the does will go into heat repeatedly throughout the fall and winter. The hot-to-trot does could attract bucks from near and far for many more months — including still-potent potential mates swimming over from New Jersey.
Al Cambronne, who has written about deer, said that their mating habits are "more random and promiscuous and chaotic" than the city assumes, adding, "One buck can breed many doe."
Cornell ecologist Dr. Paul Curtis said that when he and colleagues conducted a study (PDF) about managing deer numbers in suburban areas, performing vasectomies on bucks was very difficult, explaining that the biggest ones that have the widest ranges don't respond to sedatives, "We could only do three vasectomies— it wasn't safe for the deer and wasn't safe for us," and described the process as "stressful" for the bucks.
Other possible courses of action would be sterilizing does (which is expensive); contraceptive for does (which don't last very long); and euthanizing part of the herd. The current deer vasectomies plan has been endorsed by NYCLASS, a prominent donor to Mayor de Blasio that is now being probed by the FBI.
A City Hall spokesperson told the Post, "We are very confident in our proposal. It’s a smart approach that can be implemented quickly, before the problem increases.”
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Plan to give deer vasectomies will result in ‘sex-crazed beasts’
New York Post By Mary Kay Linge May 14, 2016
Mayor de Blasio thinks there will be no bang for Staten Island’s bucks once he launches a $2 million vasectomy plan to sterilize the borough’s male deer this fall.
Maybe City Hall should have “The Talk” with a wildlife biologist first.
“This proposal has no chance of success whatsoever,” said Dr. Paul Curtis, a Cornell University deer expert.
You see, Mr. Mayor, when a boy deer loves a girl deer very, very much . . .
In reality, female white-tailed deer go into heat in the autumn rutting season. They emit a powerful scent that attracts males, who chase them and battle each other until every last doe is pregnant. Normally, the rut lasts a month or two.
But with bucks shooting blanks, the does will go into heat repeatedly throughout the fall and winter. They would become “buck magnets,” according to a Cornell study.
“Every 30 days or so for up to six months, right into March,” said Dr. Bob Warren of The Deer Laboratory at the University of Georgia.
The hot-to-trot does could attract bucks from near and far for many more months — including still-potent potential mates swimming over from New Jersey.
de blasio should lead by example. With a rusty kitchen knife.
The current deer vasectomies plan has been endorsed by NYCLASS, a prominent donor to Mayor de Blasio that is now being probed by the FBI.
What donors want, donors get.
Sounds like they blew a lot of bucks with this project.
One non-sterile buck can happily service a hundred does, and they aren’t going to be able to vasectomize them all.
This is a renewable food source and should be treated as such.
What did the doe say when she staggered out of the woods?
That’s the last time I do that for 5 bucks!
What’s with lefties and their non-real world solutions?
Venison stew to feed the homeless!
Encourage the gangbangers to hunt feral deer instead of each other & innocent bystanders.
Teach them to Tan Hides so that they can sell “Native” artifacts to the tourists in Times Square!
The possibilities are endless!
/sarc
“This is a renewable food source and should be treated as such.”
Exactly. He could feed the poor and be their hero.
Instead, he chose to be a moron.
Beer nuts: $2.50
Deer nuts: under a buck
(But not for long)
Di Blasio is such a moron!
Vasectomies make guys sex-crazy?
New York values strike again, I guess.
It’s good old communism.
Solutions first, narrative later.
Seriously, why doesn’t this a$$hole allow a few responsible hunters (including Uncle Ted) go out and cull the population? The meat could go to the soup kitchens. I know, de Blasio and his people are so virulently anti gun and anti hunting that this would never, ever occur to them.
Good idea. Open season until the population is under control and 50 bucks for each deer delivered to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Much cheaper than their plan.
“more random and promiscuous and chaotic” than the city assumes”
The city leaders just need to go to Washington D.C. and examine Congress to get a better understanding.
In NY it’s soon to be illegal to de-claw your cat, but neutering a deer is just fine?
Couldn’t they just send the doe to a planned parenthood?
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