The HSUS receives calls from people all around the country who are outraged by the prospect of deer kills in their communities. Deer kills may involve inhumane methods, result in orphaned fawns and usually do not achieve the intended management goals. Often, a more comprehensive approach using non...
Wildlife habitat is increasingly engulfed by suburban sprawl, and the white-tailed deer has not only adapted but thrives in our altered landscapes. Short-cropped lawns and tasty flowers in suburban backyards provide exactly the kind of food that deer prefer. People often assume there are "too many...
The concept of overpopulation, or how many deer are too many for a given area, is a subjective one. While it may be true that deer densities are at historic highs, this statement by itself has little meaning. To begin with, the forests of today in no way represent historical conditions in this...
Deer conflicts in the garden can be easily avoided or minimized thanks to a variety of readily available solutions. There may not be a perfect answer, but we do have a good toolbox for you to work with. Tolerance is a good thing Tolerance is needed when figuring out the best solution for your...
Killing programs aimed at reducing deer populations are often controversial, difficult to execute safely in urban and suburban areas, and don't result in long-term population reduction. Wildlife fertility control offers a humane way to manage deer populations where necessary and appropriate. PZP...
For seven years, Kali Pereira of the Humane Society of the United States crept up on deer in the steep, tight, wooded neighborhoods of Hastings-on-Hudson, north of New York City. In and around the small yards of the densely populated village. Watching for dogs—some leashed, others running loose in...
Last summer, deer snipped the tops off goldenrods and helped themselves to swamp milkweed buds. They had wild lettuces for breakfast and black raspberries for dessert. Despite the diverse tasting menus on offer, most plants in my garden didn’t tempt these gentle herbivores, who sampled purpletop...
Each year, there are roughly 1.5 million deer/vehicle collisions on U.S. roadways. Fortunately, there are many humane and effective ways to reduce the number of collisions involving deer, ranging from increasing individual awareness and caution to implementing new technology and structures. Public...
People in New York City expect to contend with millions of other humans. They don’t always realize that in some boroughs they also live side by side with thousands of bucks, does and fawns. So recently the city plastered its transit system with ads that carried pictures of these wild city residents...
In a number of states, we hear a rallying cry for deer hunts to be implemented to reduce the devastating effects of Lyme disease. However, what is lesser known is that hunting deer will not protect people from Lyme disease –and what was once considered the “deer tick” is now known to be the “black...
It all began with a deer on the cover of All Animals magazine. Terry Kline, administrator of the Botstiber Foundation outside Philadelphia, saw the photo in the spring of 2014 and turned to a feature about managing deer populations with fertility control (“Out of season,” May/June 2014). For years...
WARNING: This page contains graphic content. On a Sunday evening in June, camo-clad men chat and laugh by pickups next to a restaurant near Billings, Montana. There is a faint but unmistakable odor of decay coming from a large trash bin across the parking lot—the just-weighed bodies of 29 coyotes...
It seemed like a good idea at the time: Buy a house with a two-acre property, let our energetic herding dog have the run of the place and spend blissful summer days digging side by side in the dirt with her. And it was blissful, watching Mattie carve out her napping spots behind the ferns and tall...
What are captive hunts? Captive hunting operations—also referred to as "shooting preserves," "canned hunts," or "game ranches"—are private trophy hunting facilities that offer their customers the opportunity to kill exotic and native animals trapped within enclosures. Some facilities have even...
A long time ago, when Stephen Slack was just five or six, he went hunting with his father for pheasants and ducks in the Iowa countryside around their home. Back then it was not about trophies; it was not a single-minded pursuit of awards for killing animals. Instead, Slack remembers early mornings...
As monarch butterflies and hummingbirds headed south this fall, I dreamt of following my favorite snowbirds to Mexico and Central America. But I stayed home instead, where I have a window onto the spectacular world of winter wildlife: northern flickers tossing maple leaves with their beaks in search...
Walk into a roadside restaurant after a long day on the highway, and you can practically taste your meal before sitting down. The familiar smells of fresh-baked pie and salty fries need little introduction en route to your belly. That sensory experience is similar for wildlife coming upon lush...