One recommendation of a Chadds Ford Civic Association task
force has raised some questions and concerns. The task force was set up at the
request of the township Board of Supervisors to find out what can be done to
reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
Lyme is a debilitating tick-borne illness. The ticks
involved are deer ticks. It’s been documented over the years that there is a
high correlation between the size of a deer population and the number of
incidents of the disease.
Ticks fall off the deer and bite people who are out in the
woods or even in their own yards. Wherever the deer are, so are the ticks and
the potential for the disease.
Areas such as Chadds Ford, where there is grazing area next
to human homes, pose a greater threat of infection. Indeed, Peter Jesson, who
headed up the task force called the situation “epidemic.”
As reported last week, Jesson said the task force surveyed
the township getting 437 respondents. Of those who responded, 43 percent have
had he disease, 44 people have had multiple occurrences and 34 were undergoing
treatment at the time of the survey.
While the task force wants to do another study that would
get a broader response, the solution recommended –along with an insecticide
program– is a controlled deer hunt.
Some people have a “kill ‘em all” mind set while others are
bothered by the idea of a hunt, especially the style recommended.
The United States Department of Agriculture has a program
that calls for large open spaces to be baited to attract the deer at night.
Sharpshooters use rifles equipped with night vision capabilities and sound
suppression to shoot the deer.
The thought is bothersome to at least one person who
commented on the story. As the person wrote: “Sound[s] like you've already
made up your mine to start shooting. The deer have lived here longer than we
[sic,] maybe we're in their backyard. What happened to contraception as a
proven approach to population control?”
There is, however, some disagreement on the effectiveness
of the contraceptive PZP, porcine zona pellucida. Proponents say the
drug is effective on free-ranging deer while detractors–including the
Pennsylvania Game Commission– say otherwise.
The task force study quotes Game Commission press secretary
Jerry Feaser as saying, ”Right now, there is no effective contraceptive device.
Hunting remains the most effective means of managing deer.”
Mr. Feaser’s comments came during a time when East Goshen
Township was looking to use PZP as part of a research project, the task force
study said.
A dead deer doesn’t support ticks. A living one does. There
are no longer any natural predators in the area and we doubt anyone would
seriously suggest reintroducing a pack of wolves to the area.
Hunting, at this point at least, seems to be the most
practical solution. It would cull the deer population to a point where fewer
would be hit by cars, there would be less deer-caused property damage and less
human suffering due to Lyme.
Nothing will happen, however, unless the township
supervisors decide to have the USDA survey the township to see what the deer
population is per square mile and whether the township warrants the hunting
program. The survey and the hunt would both cost a lot of money, so nothing
will happen any time soon.
But if it’s a choice between humans and the deer, choose to
help the people.
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Bravo. Well written. Culling is far from inhumane.