Poll: Are You For Dover's Deer Management Program?
Dover's second annual Deer Management Program began last week and will run until Dec. 31.
Dover's second annual deer culling program began earlier this month in an effort to try and reduce the rate of Lyme disease in the region.
According to the Dover Board of Health Lyme Disease Committee's final report from last year's program: "It should be noted that based on substantial research over the last several years, two surveys of town residents, and a Lyme disease Forum, the Board of Health declared Lyme disease a health threat to the town’s residents. Black-legged ticks, often infected with Lyme disease as a result of first feeding on mouse blood, prefer the white-tailed deer when seeking a larger host. The more deer there are, the higher the chances of Lyme disease spreading to humans."
Last year, 31 hunters culled 19 deer in Dover- 16 does and 3 bucks during the program.
This year the program has expanded their hunting lands adding several new tracts including the Noanet Woodlands and Wylde Woods.
The BOH Lyme Disease Committee believes that there is a correlation between the high population of deer in the area and the high rate of Lyme disease in the region.
However, an article in the Boston Globe in May argues that deer culling programs are not proven to reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
We want to know what you think. Is the Deer Management Program warranted? Do you think it will help reduce the risk of Lyme disease?
Tell us in the comments why you are for or against the program.
Ellen Parker
10:28 am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Suburban deer culling will not reduce the risk of Lyme disease. Everyone should read the Boston Globe piece, as cited in the article. Even PhD wildlife biologists like Anthony DeNicola have explained in public that professional sharpshooting of even large numbers of deer, is not guaranteed to reduce the rate of tick-borne illness. Killing deer in suburbia is just a way to keep the hunters happy and a failing attempt to boost the sagging revenues nationwide from sale of hunting licenses.
Deb Shaw
6:03 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I have been participating in this program for a number of years by allowing my property, which borders Conservation Land, to be hunted upon. Even if the Lyme risk is reduced by a little bit, I think it is a worthwhile program. The deer hunted are not wasted, but used for food. The deer population will likely be healthier with less of them foraging for food.
Dan Wolff
12:35 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Thank You Deb!
Also, there is finally an at-home tick testing kit that allows you to test with great accuracy the presence of the Lyme Disease bacteria in ticks. It is a great early warning tool! Please contact me at 1 855 TICK TEST or lymeticktest.com for more information.
Dan Wolff