Too many years ago when I began deer hunting, the choice was simple. One license purchased for the firearms season allowed you to take one buck. A license during bow season allowed a deer of either sex.
I don't recall any "extra" permits being around. There may have been some farmers got for crop damage. And I don't recall anyone complaining that deer were pests, eating their way through ornamental landscapes, backyard gardens and the like.
These days the number of deer you can legally take seems to be an awful lot, to put it mildly. And much is done in the name of overpopulation, car-deer accidents, and damage to property.
Lately there has been comment about controlled hunting in Independence County Park. One side says the deer population has gotten too large for the amount of available food. Another segment says there arn't many deer there, and since the hunt, there seem to be even lexx.
A similar situation occurred at Kensington Metropark some years ago. Visitors to the park used to see a lot of deer. These days, since the controlled hunt, they seem to be few and far betweed.
Personally, I enjoy seeing them. I also enjoy bringing kids to the parks as well as other people who may not get the chance to see deer.
It's a specail moment when human and deer meet on the same ground, eye to eye. I've seen it in my own family and with elderly friends.
It's too bad we can;t strike a balance and come up with a happy medium.
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