Will The Real Pests Please Stand Up?

My Google Alert alerted me to an article which ran in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on November16th.
The topic of the whitetail deer population is a concern for me as it is for many people.
What is puzzling is how one is able to read this particular of point of view (or write about it) and not ask themselves certain questions......not consider who we are as human beings and what our role is in the natural scheme of things.
We have evolved to the point of a dangerous separateness, a delusional position that we as human beings are in control. Of Nature? Puleeeeese!
We are veritable bulls in a china shop guilty of helter-skelter development. Gouging and trampling, cutting and trouncing, trashing what is natural, pure and rich with the sustenance of life itself. We do this without remorse or concern except for our piece of the pie of life. As always there are consequences not only for us but for all aspects of nature or “The Land” as lamented by famed environmentalist Aldo Leopold. We spread outward from the crowded cities and suburbs into less populated, more natural areas.
We want to be closer to Nature…..well, except for those coyotes and bears and bugs. So we chase them away…..aw…..pure contentment…. in harmony with Nature. But now, if only we had sidewalks. And let’s get rid of those fields of weeds. Eyesores. A beautiful mowed landscape…that’s what we need. those trees. Cut ‘em! Less leaves to rake.

Now at first the deer population is happy and carefree….predators gone, they have the forest to themselves, well, almost to themselves but they are willing to share. We on the other hand are not! They’re eating my non-native, water sucking shrubs and flowers. They’re pooping on my lawn. Lawn? This is environmentally questionable even in the suburbs. How absurd is this? Are we listening to ourselves? Deer are doing what they do, browsing. We have removed infinite square miles of wildlife habitat in the name of the dollars that development demands. Did we really think there would be no consequences?
Deer/auto accidents are a serious concern. The automobile is here to stay. Billions of cars are being driven billions of miles at speeds over the limit. Cars are hitting each other and other things, small wildlife, people, kids and deer. DEER! Let’s get rid of those deer. Get them before they kill us…and damage our cars. We could slow down. We could keep a watchful eye. Or we could…..shoot them!
We’re living the good life…except for those pests.

DeerJane