The deer population across North America has been continuing to explode since the 19th century. This exponential growth is posing serious risk to the safety of motorists and is the source of millions of dollars in property damage annually. Deer hunting now serves as the last line of defense from an animal with no natural predator in many regions.
How did this ever happen? How did we find ourselves in a sea of menacing animals that leave a mess everywhere they wander? We did it to ourselves.
The Grey Wolf once roamed the entire continent and sat atop the food chain. But with the onset of increasing agriculture, they were seen as an extreme nuisance to farmers and were hunted and killed in droves. There were rewards and competitions to promote wolf kill-offs. By the end of the 1800’s, wolf hunters eradicated nearly every single Grey Wolf on the North American continent by the turn of the 20th century.
The massive wolf kill-off left the wild canine population consisting of only coyotes and foxes, scavenger populations which can have no impact on deer population. Though the wolf has seen extreme population recovery from having been nearly extinct, the result is a residual disproportionate deer population.
The deer population is not expected to naturally correct anytime soon, especially in the eastern half of North America where the Grey Wolf population is virtually invisible. Leaving the deer with no natural predator, allowing them to breed and repopulate unchecked throughout the entirety of the 20th century, the species is now competing with mankind for space.
Having decimated the population of their only natural predator, humans have found themselves competing with deer for land, food and even money. Deer hunters are the last line of defense protecting humans from automobile deaths, all kinds of property damage and even buck attacks. Deer hunting means so much more than tradition, heritage and sport; it’s become a necessity to maintain our way of life.
If you’re looking for a memorable hunting experience to embark on, please contact Kaby’s Watson’s Lodge today.