Why are they killing deer?

[Yammer]

I wasted my lunch hour yesterday driving to Lebs to find that I could risk being shot if I rode during lunch! Why do they have to kill deer THERE?! I like the deer. Geez :confused:

Pat

[FSSS]

The generic answer is that animals need to be culled so the herds don't outgrow their habitat.

[manual63]

You see, deer are a big problem for the community. When there are too many they might get hit by a car, or wander through someones nice lawn, or maybe even just be seen too much. So the human logic is to kill them off. Hmmm, what would the deer do if they had guns??

I don't get it either.....but I don't get why we do a lot of the things we do.....:confused:

[Yammer]

The generic answer is that animals need to be culled so the herds don't outgrow their habitat.

Right... it seems to me that humans are also animals that are outgroing their habitat.

Arm the deer.

[manual63]

Right... it seems to me that humans are also animals that are outgroing their habitat.

Arm the deer.

Stop thinking like me, that could be dangerous......:):p

[FSSS]

humans are also animals that are outgroing their habitat.

Exactly.

We destroy their habitat, which requires us to manage their numbers more closely.

I didn't say it makes sense (or if it's right or wrong), just stated why it's happening. ;)

[Magic]

The reason is so they don't starve during a hard winter or get killed on the roads. Too many deer per square mile will over eat it's habitat and that is not good. It's called a controled hunt and does work in the cities. They won't wipe them all out, just enough so the herd is manageable. I would rather see them hunted then splatted across the road and possibly killing a person of family in a car. Ask your car insurance agent what they think of the cute corn eating creatures. They hate them just as much as I like hunting them. Not trying to start a major disscusion, just giving another point of view.

[manual63]

I would rather see them hunted then splatted across the road and possibly killing a person of family in a car.

just giving another point of view.

We already know this point of view.....:p:):scream:

[Yammer]

I hit one while on a bike trip in Chequamegon 6 years ago, and it was a big PITA and ruined the trip, but I still like them and like when they run down the trail in front of my bike. Reminds me sometimes to look around while I'm on the trails and admire things instead of focusing so much on beating my last time.

I guess they gotta do what they gotta do, but I don't think the deer population on the Lebanon hills trail is really that high!

Pat

The reason is so they don't starve during a hard winter or get killed on the roads. Too many deer per square mile will over eat it's habitat and that is not good. It's called a controled hunt and does work in the cities. They won't wipe them all out, just enough so the herd is manageable. I would rather see them hunted then splatted across the road and possibly killing a person of family in a car. Ask your car insurance agent what they think of the cute corn eating creatures. They hate them just as much as I like hunting them. Not trying to start a major disscusion, just giving another point of view.

[Kosk]

And because last saturday I saw a freaking nice 10-pointer at Leb, he was a nice healthy deer, and looked mighty tasty!!!!

[berrywise]

Is deer meet cheaper than cow? I was thinking about getting a quarter of a cow for next summer (cheaper than buying meat at Cub). I wouldn't be opposed to eating venison instead. Anyone know?


Thread Hijack! Hiiiiiiiiiiyah!

[Magic]

Good luck finding a place that will sell venison. But it is better for you than beef. As for the cost, I don't know what the difference would be.

[Paul Swenson]

Is deer meet cheaper than cow? I was thinking about getting a quarter of a cow for next summer (cheaper than buying meat at Cub). I wouldn't be opposed to eating venison instead. Anyone know?

Venison is cheaper if you shoot it and process it yourself.

[Kosk]

If you hunt yourself, it is cheaper, especially in the long run, but you have to factor in equipment costs, licenses, time, etc..... It sure is sweet to skip the hamburger and steak isle at the supermarket though, I couldn't even tell you the price of ground beef.....

[berrywise]

Good luck finding a place that will sell venison. But it is better for you than beef. As for the cost, I don't know what the difference would be.

Hmm well that might squash my idea then. Buying a gun, getting a permit, driving out in the wilderness, killing a deer, cleaning said deer.......just doesn't seem to be cost effective to me.

Anyone just like to kill stuff and want to give me the meat?

[berrywise]

When my dad was working for Washington County when I was growing up they would pick up freshly killed deer off the road, cut aways the bruised meat and process them. At the end of the year we'd have a big picnick and grill it up. That was pretty cool.

Now days red tape has taken over and the government pays a seperate company a flat fee for each animal picked up off the road and brought to a huge processing plant for disposal.

[Magic]

Well since you don't want to hunt the deer, I know where there is a fresh (as of last night) rabbit that met his maker. Or should I say tire manufacturer.:)

[gopherhockey]

We should educate deer earlier on in the process regarding the benefits of population control so that we're not forced to take a reactive approach. ;)

[berrywise]

Well since you don't want to hunt the deer, I know where there is a fresh (as of last night) rabbit that met his maker. Or should I say tire manufacturer.:)

I've never had rabbit but I hear it is pretty good. My girlfriend's work is having their Christmas dinner at some fancy resteraunt downtown Minneapolis and I hear they have it so I might try it then.

[Brick]

I've never had rabbit but I hear it is pretty good..

It tastes like chicken.....seriously. We used to raise/process our own rabbits when I lived in Michigan. The taste of the farm raised stuff is pretty bland and it takes on more of the flavor from the other ingredients, kinda like chicken.

[Ogre]

I definitely lean towards the environmental wacho side, but lets get some facts.

In the metro area there is only bow hunting. You cannot get "shot".
You will never get accidently shot with a bow. It would be on purpose.
Bow hunting is very close range.

There are far more deer in MN than there was before "the man" took over.
Wolves and native Americans kept the populations down. Our current hunting
rules spawned from around the turn of the century when we almost wiped the deer out. The DNR has been massaging the rules to maintain a healthy population ever since, (a fantastic job BTW).

Too many deer in a small area has a much larger impact than you might first guess. It reduces the overall health of the heard, not enough food, they over graze the land and spend more time out of the park looking for food. Becoming more likely cause problems elsewhere. The deer culling is very carefully managed for the benefit of the deer (the ones that get away anyway).

[Danimal]

It's not the deer it's the people. Urban sprawn man, sucks for everything.
By the way...

Have you hugged your tree today? :banana:

[Magic]

I got your tree right here Dan.:D More like have you had your venison today.

[Paul Swenson]

When I lived in Missoula there was a story about a guy who communited by bike evey day and during elk hunting season he would put a gun rack on his bike and hunt on his way into work. One day he was successful and bagged himself an Elk. He gutted it and wheeled the animal to work draped over his seat and handlebars.

I always wondered what he used for a rear hub since the thing had to be silent and single speeds were not to popular in the mountains.

[Burke]

Anyone just like to kill stuff and want to give me the meat?

I can't stop laughing!!!

[Kosk]

I always wondered what he used for a rear hub since the thing had to be silent and single speeds were not to popular in the mountains.

Probably a Shimano Silent Clutch. I still have one, it came on my '98 Moab 1. Now it's on the wifes bike, and it still works!

[mtnbykr]

Good luck finding a place that will sell venison.

http://www.underhillfarms.com/venison/

http://www.elkusa.com/


kl

[mtnbykr]

Now days red tape has taken over and the government pays a seperate company a flat fee for each animal picked up off the road and brought to a huge processing plant for disposal.

huh??

we still pickup dead deer off the streets of dulluth. [i work for the city of dulluth]. fresh ones always seems to end up in freezer for bbq days. the stinky and ripe ones we haulem to the wlssd for diposal in the landfill.

the county and the state around here all pickup the dead deer and dispose of them.

maybe it's different down there. in wisc, they're left on the roadside to rot.

kl

[Adam Hjelle]

When I lived in Missoula there was a story about a guy who communited by bike evey day and during elk hunting season he would put a gun rack on his bike and hunt on his way into work. One day he was successful and bagged himself an Elk. He gutted it and wheeled the animal to work draped over his seat and handlebars.

I always wondered what he used for a rear hub since the thing had to be silent and single speeds were not to popular in the mountains.

Ummm, can you say urban legend. There is absolutely no way a person could trasport an Elk draped over handlebars and a seat. An average size bull is 700ibs, about 5 feet tall at the shoulders, and about 8 feet head to tail. To get them out when hunting you usually have to quarter them as they are so large.

[Danimal]

When I lived in Missoula there was a story about a guy who communited by bike evey day and during elk hunting season he would put a gun rack on his bike and hunt on his way into work. One day he was successful and bagged himself an Elk. He gutted it and wheeled the animal to work draped over his seat and handlebars.

I always wondered what he used for a rear hub since the thing had to be silent and single speeds were not to popular in the mountains.

Impossible! Even quartered, the meat of a full sized Elk could reach up to 600 lbs. No way he rode or even pushed it into work. I know... I've been Elk hunting. Had to use 4 mules to haul 2 quartered Elk out of the hills of Wyoming. And it was a PITA.

[Paul Swenson]

Probably a Shimano Silent Clutch. I still have one, it came on my '98 Moab 1. Now it's on the wifes bike, and it still works!

This was the early 90's. Did Shimano make a Silent clutch at that time? I know someone else did but I can't remeber who it was. If memory serves it was kinda expensive.

[Don Youngdahl]

Another reason we're killing deer is their detrimental effect on the entire forest ecology. I don't have a handy reference link to cite, but there are many effects of deer overbrowsing, all the way down to declining songbird populations due to destruction of nesting shrubs. I'm not a birdwatcher or bird lover, but that's just an example of how things get screwed up when nature's balance gets out of whack.

Don Youngdahl

[manual63]

Deer used to have a lot of preditors that kept their population in balance. Humans killed off the preditors. So now it's become our job to control the poplution??? Silly humans........:crazy:

[manual63]

Anyway...I am contributing to a thread with opinions that do not belong here....:)

I like expressing my opinion, but these types of opinions need to be in the Non-Biking Discussion area. I am going to stop contributing to this thread in a bad way.....:p

As far as why Leb is killing dear, I think it's pretty clear that it is some sort of population control. Not all of us agree to this practice, but it is why they are doing the dear Hunting there until noon. So, plan your Leb rides accordingly, or pick the lead out later.

[Magic]

There is no lead in an arrow or broadhead. Again, with miss information!:D

[Adam Hjelle]

Deer used to have a lot of preditors that kept their population in balance. Humans killed off the preditors. So now it's become our job to control the poplution??? Silly humans........:crazy:

Yes, we have, but measure the lesser of two evils. Populations are cyclical, when predators become to many in numbers, the prey dwindles, thus leaving less food for the predators. With reduce predators, the prey numbers grow, eventually causing a surplus in food for the predators, so the predators numbers grow again and the whole cycle starts over. This is a healthy life cycle in the wilderness, however, as we (humans) have spread to more remote locations (namely in the form of farmers) we have impacted the habitate, but more importantly we have brought with us an easy and vulnerable food source for the predators (chickens, cows, horses, pigs, etc). This is essentially what has thrown the population cycles out of whack, not so much the sprawl in itself. Because of this, predator (i.e. wolves) numbers were staying high, and prey (i.e. deer) numbers were continually reduced. This led to farmers shooting predators (i.e. wolves) to reduce the threat and limit their financial losses.

So, really long story short, would you rather be chasing a deer down the mtb trail, or be followed by a wolf? ;)

[manual63]

There is no lead in an arrow or broadhead. Again, with miss information!:D

Sorry.....

If you ride before noon at Leb, be prepared to pull an arrow out of your a$$.....:)

[Magic]

Thanks Shad:D

[Adam Hjelle]

Sorry.....

If you ride before noon at Leb, be prepared to pull an arrow out of your a$$.....:)

LOL, I would love to see someone come out from the trail on a skewer...

[manual63]

It's really not too far off-topic, it just isn't very bike related when non-Leb issues are being discussed. I will just close it. If someone really wants to discuss this, they can start a new thread in the Non-Biking Discussion area.

Thanks for the info.