Letter to the editor: Deer culling inhumane, ineffective

I was sorry to see that Pittsburgh is planning to once again waste taxpayer dollars on ineffective deer culls in city parks (“Pittsburgh expands deer-culling program to 5 parks,” June 4, TribLive). Although the deer population is an issue that needs to be addressed, culls of this type only lead to an increase in deer population.

Though it sounds counterintuitive, studies have shown that when deer herds are culled, populations not only rebound, but increase. That’s because when there is less competition for resources, there are higher birth and survival rates within the remaining population. In addition, when a resource-rich area becomes sparsely populated due to a cull, deer from adjacent lands often migrate there to take advantage of those resources.

To make matters worse, when threatened by predator sharpshooters in open spaces such as parks, the surviving deer travel into residential areas to seek refuge, as well as food. This migration from parks to neighborhoods inevitably require that the deer cross roadways which leads to an increase in traffic accidents.

Though local leaders may believe these culls to be the best option, other, more humane and effective alternatives exist. My hope is that city leadership will educate themselves about these alternatives to culls and implement successful deer conflict management with the help of experts and wildlife advocates.

Mark Hopkinson Jr.

Beechview The writer is a Humane Action Pittsburgh volunteer.