SIU Issues Warnings After Deer Attacks

Fark.com ^ | Thursday, June 16, 2005 | no byline

[Cowman]

Seven people have been threatened or attacked by deer on Southern Illinois University's main campus over the past two weeks, prompting the school to post warnings about the animal aggressiveness

A deer also attacked a person Monday, and two of three people injured by a doe June 7 required hospital care, Sigler said.

Campus officials have not seriously considered suggestions of killing the offending deer,

"I don't want to be a statistic, I guess," said [Bill] House, a 20-year-old zoology student from Park Ridge.

Molly Hacker, a 25-year-old plant biology student, said she would continue using the forest paths but be more vigilant, though "I don't feel too threatened." The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been notified about the attacks, Nielsen said.

[Cowman]

If i was in charge of this I'd get out the ol' 30:06 and prepare for a big Bambi Barbeque ... problem solved

[HarleyLady27]

you sure that this is deer and not "little dicky durbin?"

All joking aside, this is very serious.

[kenth]

How unenlightened and non-progressive of you.

[Trust but Verify]

Or maybe these people could just jog/walk somewhere else while the does raise their fawns. The university is invading their habitat, not the other way around.

[gundog]

Starving fawns...lovely.

[PAR35]

Here:

SIU Issues Warnings After Deer Attacks
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1425237/posts

and:

SIU issues warnings after deer attacks (Southern Illinois University)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424454/posts

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I had a couple of deer hit me in Kansas while driving my mean SUV>>>>

[mountainlyons]

The deer are probably protecting a fawn. Overpopulation of deer due to the bleeding heart liberal no gun, no hunt and no traditional culture are to blame.

[Chiapet]

"The university is invading their habitat, not the other way around."

Actually, Thompson Woods (where the deer attacks took place) is right in the middle of the campus. It's a tiny little area with paths going through it to get from one side of the campus to the other. Students use the paths, for the most part, to get to class.

[Cowman]

The deer are probably protecting a fawn. Overpopulation of deer due to the bleeding heart liberal no gun, no hunt and no traditional culture are to blame

I agree. The problem is too many deer for the available land. The herd needs to be thinned by hunting but, according to the great minds of the left, that is less humane than letting the deer starve to death.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

... that is less humane than letting the deer starve to death.

Leftists are really into starvation, aren't they?

[Chiapet]

"Overpopulation of deer due to the bleeding heart liberal no gun, no hunt and no traditional culture are to blame."

Not really. Southern Illinois is a mecca for deer hunters. The campus is either in or right next to the Shawnee National Forest, and they really don't have much problem with overpopulation. The problem (if you can really call it a problem) is that the campus is in a fairly pristine area of the state, and deer just kind of wander in and take up residence.

[Cowman]

Leftists are really into starvation, aren't they?

I hear it's a beautiful and peacefull way to go /s

[glock rocks]

When Bambi goes bad

Venison ping.

[Chiapet]

"I agree. The problem is too many deer for the available land. The herd needs to be thinned by hunting but, according to the great minds of the left, that is less humane than letting the deer starve to death."

The Southern Illinois area is about as far from leftist as you can get. Sure, the campus has it's share of hippies, but generally speaking, the culture in the area is pro-gun and pro-hunting. It just happens to be that the campus is very accessible to wild populations of deer, so naturally, they move in.

As a one-time resident of the area, I feel like I have to defend it's reputation :)

[Trust but Verify]

The article says the deer are losing habitat to construction projects. The deer are just doing what deer and all animal species do: protecting their young.

[Chiapet]

"The article says the deer are losing habitat to construction projects. The deer are just doing what deer and all animal species do: protecting their young."

I haven't been on the campus in ages, so I don't know if they're doing any new building there or not. I was just making the point that Thompson woods isn't exactly open, wild woodland.

[Rakkasan1]

some deer is going to get his arse kicked

[GreenHornet]

Round up the offending deer, and send them to GITMO.

(If for no other reason, it will drive Dick Durbin nuts!)

[Born to Conserve]

I've never been attacked by a doe protecting a fawn. I come by them often, and universally, they run a distance from me and the fawn, then stomp and snort.

The deer in my area are under constant hunting pressure, and have a natural respect for people as predators. Those attacking deer are probably never hunted and have lost all fear of predators.