WMA

Pennsylvanians should be proud of the excellent job that our wildlife managers have done in restoring whitetail deer, turkey, bear, and waterfowl populations to all time high levels. Many of these species were at critically low levels at the turn of the century due to market hunting and unregulated hunting practices.

Whitetail deer, in particular, have proven to be extremely adaptable animals. In spite of continued loss of habitat due to modern development, the whitetail continues to flourish. This adaptability has proven to be a double-edged sword, for as civilization removes natural predators from the equation, nature becomes less able to control whitetail deer populations. Like any species of wildlife, they require adequate food, water, cover, and living space in a suitable arrangement to ensure their healthy survival. For a single mature whitetail, "adequate food" is defined as 12 to 14 pounds of vegetation each day!

The result in many urban areas is an increased incidence of auto-deer collisions, increased damage to gardens and ornamental shrubbery, and an increased risk of Lyme disease.

Such a marked imbalance in deer populations also has a snowball effect on the ecosystem as well. Some of the negative affects of this imbalance of nature include an overall decline in the health of the herd as they compete for dwindling food sources, a sharp increase in the spread of disease among the herd as they spend more time in close proximity to one another, and the eventual decline in other wildlife species as deer consume not only available food sources, but critical browse and cover that other animals depend on for food, nesting, and cover against predators.

Predation, through some form, is a vital part of the equation. With man’s ever increasing urban sprawl comes the realization that nature is no longer able to “take its course.” Natural predators that once kept deer numbers in check have been eradicated by all of us to make way for modern society, with the exception of just one—man.

Ask yourself one question - Since mankind ultimately upset the "balance of nature", does it not follow that we are also charged with ensuring the survival of the wildlife we share the planet with?