Reply #14: Deer are a huge problem here in Maryland

[LiberalEsto]

There are far more deer here now than there were when Europeans first arrived.

They are starving because there is not enough edible plant material to support all of them. The deer population is unprecedented in our area's recorded history. It's not just suburban encroachment; it's because we have more deer per acre than ever before.

The deer are destroying farmers' crops in western Montgomery County to the point that some farmers are quitting because they can't make enough money to pay their bills.

Many people have given up gardening because the deer devour everything.

Driving is hazardous, especially in fall and winter, because the deer just run into roadways. When I used to drive my kids to high school swim practices at 5 a.m. on winter mornings, I was constantly dodging deer on slippery roads.

The population is high because there are no natural predators, and because of restrictions on hunting. I used to be anti-hunting, but now I believe the deer population needs to be reduced, if only to make sure the remaining animals can exist without starving one another in the competition for food.