Sad indeed, in Northeast California, Modoc County plenty of deer and hunting…without this lunacy, time to stop all the feel good mismanagement; estimated numbers should be managed not by a governmental agency or political NGO, and turned over to a for profit group to be managed appropriately; as with Ducks Unlimited conservation is about making sure there is enough for ecology and hunting.
I live in an area where they monitor and cull the deer population. The deer are field dressed and given to the homeless kitchens.
It takes all my strength to teach my employees to NOT encourage people to feed the “starving” deer.
The feel good feed the deer types are some of the most headstrong I’ve ever attempted to deal with. They just don’t want to accept the deer are overpopulating whether they have woodland habitat or suburban habitat. It has been reported there are more deer in our area than there was in colonial times! It is not about us moving in and taking their habitat away. The suburban environment has actually facilitated the population growth and the lack of large predators ....well...boom.
People get shocked when they learn they can’t trap, remove, and release raccoons. All raccooons must be released back on your property or euthanized. They are up some 800%.
Unintended consequences of feel good politics. Eh...keep it.