PSU Vet- PGC Needs to Issue Bans

[pcair66]

My deer friends. How are you going to stop the deer from congregating in a lush alfalfa feed at night. Better yet, how are you going to stop them from close contact during the rutting season. While grazing in the clover they defecate and urinate in the field in which they are feeding. During the rut there is a lot of very close contact going on, in the act of breeding and buck sparring.

All this talk of stopping the feeding and mineral blocks is more of a" Law Enforcement" issue than a CWD issue. CWD will not be stopped this way. It will run its course and the hardy will survive much the same way nature has handled the EHD problem of the southern states. Actually EHD has killed a shocking number of deer in PA during the last few years. The reason is that the midge that carries it is migrating from the south during the warm months. What is our state Vet's answer to that problem? Stop the feeding?

[galthatfishes]

You don't stop them from being in the same field; but a 1/4 acre or more (in most cases) area isn't a bait pile where deer will come for a long way to be concentrated in a small circle.

Overall; tho- I agree. A feeding ban will do little to stop this now that pandora's box has been opened. We just hope for the best; and pray Ag starts doing a better job with the captive breeding facilities.

[melody]

Another thing you're all failing to realize is the general population would never buy into a full fledged feeding ban, and should the PGC try to implement such, you will have a ground swell of outcry to the legislature, who will once again punish the agency for creating the controversey, even if there are very legitimate reasons or not. Remember the feral cat issue that was just mentioned on another post? They don't enforce that regulation because of the political backlash from an attempt to enforce the law.

There are a lot of things that in a perfect world "should or shouldn't" be done, but there are many things that "can't" be done because of the ramifications...specifically the political backlash. We see it all the time. Bats....muscles....deer management....hatchery closures....the list goes on.

[Dutch]

Yeah, they don't enforce everything, but they will take a finch away from a deranged woman, meanwhile, feral cats in this country kill millions upon millions of small birds each year.

Was the finch worth it? No. They should know better.

[tedo]

Bats....muscles....deer management....hatchery closures....the list goes on.

Muscles, heh?

[ridgecommander]

Mar 5, 2013 16:34:27 GMT -5 melody said:

Another thing you're all failing to realize is the general population would never buy into a full fledged feeding ban, and should the PGC try to implement such, you will have a ground swell of outcry to the legislature, who will once again punish the agency for creating the controversey, even if there are very legitimate reasons or not. Remember the feral cat issue that was just mentioned on another post? They don't enforce that regulation because of the political backlash from an attempt to enforce the law.

Yep. Been saying it for some time. The only fair way to implement a feeding ban is a total ban on the feeding of all wildlife. That would not occur for various reasons such as the one pointed out above.

Any ban on "feeding deer" is unforceable and discriminatory against hunters and the huntng industry unless the ban was comprehensive. Audoban has too much pull, even within the PGC for a comprehensive ban to occur.