Protesters Fight Shawnee Mission Park Plan to Kill Deer - WDAF

Starting this fall, sharpshooters will start killing deer at Shawnee Mission Park to help the overpopulation problem.

[Amy]

This is disgusting. The deer that live within Shawnee Mission Park are so used to being around humans that they don't even flinch when a jogger passes by within a foot of them. That is part of the beauty of the park; people go to the park just to see the deer. Now we're going to take advantage of their comfortableness around humans and kill them when they are least expecting it? Disgusting. The City of Lenexa and the Parks Department need to stop playing God.

[taylor]

i have know idea what they should do but surely killing the deer is not hte anwser.

[Jerry]

No, we should let the deer get hit by cars and hurt some one. Apparently the animal is worth more than the human. Good for the parks department. Stand your ground. That's the only effective way to control the problem, and that many deer are a problem.

[RowanM]

Killing deer is not the solution. It's not good science and it's not good use of money. The deer population will rebound - as the article stated - and then what? More killing? An endless cycle of killing? Why not look into true solutions - long-term SOLUTIONS - rather than doing what looks expedient on the surface but in fact will just lead to more problems.

[Fred Moret]

While I feel you protester are well meaning you are also badly misinformed

The population of deer is about 80% higher than it should be for the size of the area The result will be Nature will thin them out on her own and likely kill them all Mother nature wont be kind these animal left unchecked will starve themselves to death and will also spread illness to themselves that will elimanate the whole herd

Yes deer are magnificent animals and we all enjoy seeing them and there abundant beauty but again thining the herd by humane hunting methods is far better than any other methods suggested

As far as birth control Im all for it , Not for the deer but us humans Hell we have overpopulated to the point we have taken over the animals habitat and have driven them into our own

Mating season is just around the corner so do be careful I would much rather see the animals taken and used as food buy the hunter or the meat donated to some family that could use it than see them killed by over population or being hit by cars

Kudo to the City of Lenexa and the Johnson County Parks Department for standing up to thes well meaning but misinformed protestors

[From KCK]

I have to say that I agree with Mr. Fred Moret, the deer will not stop, whether we thin the herd or not. They will keep multiplying and continue to be a problem all around. Thinning the herd is a responsible thing to do on our part, and making sure the meat gets to appropriate food banks to help people who are hit hard by these economic times; really sounds like a win-win to me. Because, the other side of that coin, is money. The tree hugging types can cry all they want, but none of them are offering a reasonable economic solution. If the Parks and Recreation Departments had unlimited budgets, then I think that they could evaluate some different options to try and appease everyone.

[RGC]

they tried trapping in a suburb of st.louis and the deer died from the stress of being trapped. to give a deer birth control is not as easy as pouring it out in feed. you have to administer the drug to each doe and it wears off over time allowing the same deer to reproduce once again. and while i dont like the idea of non resident sharp shooters, i understand the theory. its cheaper to pay sharp shooters than to set up a managed hunt.

little did walt disney realize what would happen when he gave animals voices. that and most people who have been born and raised in an urban area really dont understand the ways of mother nature. she's neither good nor bad. she just is.

[D Jacobs]

Deer dont die of old age - their teeth fall out and the STARVE TO DEATH, or spread diseases amongst themselves (chronic wasting disease, etc.) So just leaving them alone is not the answer - how much property damage to they have to inflict before the animal rights activists realize that human life is more valuable. These animals spread out - and with I-435 right around the corner, with vehicles traveling 60, 70, and 80 mph, cars, trucks and motorcycle riders are at extreme risk. PEOPLE - THATS LIFE - minimize HUMAN risk, and perhaps the hunters should donate a portion of the meat to the local food pantry. 99% of the people in this county are meat eaters, and the 1% should just keep their mouths shut (pun intended). (and I checked wikipedia for that stat)

[D Jacobs]

That 'tame' deer during the spring and summer months, would just as soon attack you in the fall - the mating season sends a bucks hormones into overdrive, and you dont want to be anywhere near where they are - the males vie for dominance and those racks are used as weapons against each other - numerous hunters have been attacked. Have fun jogging!

[Scott Plowman]

I have to agree with the choice of the parks department here.
The balance of urban deer is dangerously skewed.
When speaking about the balance of nature we have to realize we are a part of it..We see signs throughout history that when we have removed ourselves from the equation from the natural order ( not commercial hunting) that the end result has been overpopulation,sickness and near extinction..
The history of recovering a species successfully is clearly defined in the History of the Missouri Conservation Department.

The Parks department is doing the correct thing here.And it will need to be done again..Deer are just that way!

[Promod]

I guess all the bleeding heart deer lovers forget God created man to rule the earth not the animals.

I wish all of you deer activist would concentrate on much more important things like homeless starving children. You people need to get your priorties straight.

[Stacy H]

So since there are homeless starving children in the world, it's wrong to care about any other issue?
Yes, God created man to rule over the animals. However, I do not believe that He intended for us to abuse our power. There are plenty of passages in the Bible demonstrating that he cares about his creatures and wants them treated fairly.
Killing off 75% of the population!! These deer are not hurting anybody. They are just trying to survive in this one small area of land that we allow them to live in. Shawnee Mission Park is their home. Plenty of people, like myself, enjoy coming to the park largely to be able to see some deer. You don't get to see too much wildlife in Johnson County.
I hope and pray these park officials will change their minds, because they do not have one good, sound reason for doing this that remains standing after examination of the facts.

[Promod]

Stacy H wrote:

So since there are homeless starving children in the world, it's wrong to care about any other issue?
Yes, God created man to rule over the animals. However, I do not believe that He intended for us to abuse our power. There are plenty of passages in the Bible demonstrating that he cares about his creatures and wants them treated fairly.
Killing off 75% of the population!! These deer are not hurting anybody. They are just trying to survive in this one small area of land that we allow them to live in. Shawnee Mission Park is their home. Plenty of people, like myself, enjoy coming to the park largely to be able to see some deer. You don't get to see too much wildlife in Johnson County.
I hope and pray these park officials will change their minds, because they do not have one good, sound reason for doing this that remains standing after examination of the facts.

So you would rather see the deer suffer when they run out if food because they are over populated? And that's not cruel?

I'm not saying that homeless starving children are the only the only issue to care about but there are a lot more issues to worry about than killing the deer at Shawnee Mission Park.

I'm not saying I don't like deer. Thay are beautiful animals but when they get out of hand something needs to be done.

[John]

Im a College student who likes to hunt. Where can I get some of the deer meat?

[Bea Elliott]

It's amazing with all the money that gets filtered into animal testing & deer breeding facilities... That there is STILL no economical NONLETHAL way to control deer populations...

Sounds like everyone's dragging their feet with a compassionate solution because of hunters and profit! Shame on you Shawnee Mission!

[Bea Elliott]

Guns, blood and meat - What an ignorant solution to a problem created by man... Disgusting the way my species has de-evolved. We might as well be living in caves for all the needless killing we still do. There are NONLETHAL methods!

[RGC]

come on now. man was a hunter in the beginning. its still in the blood of many to hunt. animals dont talk. they dont go to quiktrip for a drink. they do not have the power to reason. people have become so removed from the way the natural world actually works that they have began giving animals human abilities. i hunt. ive let more deer walk on by than most hunters. because the shot was not there. i have the power to reason that if i dont shoot it, i wont starve. not right now anyway. let me go hungry for 6 days. and watch the number of marginal shots go up. forget it. i dont think a non hunter would understand what im trying to get across. im wasting my breath

[Kelly Carson]

It's obvious from the comments here that the whole project of culling deer in a park came from frustrated hunters/gun owners that just want to kill something. Shame on Kansas. I can see that the human population in your state is out of control.

[RGC]

Kelly Carson wrote:

It's obvious from the comments here that the whole project of culling deer in a park came from frustrated hunters/gun owners that just want to kill something. Shame on Kansas. I can see that the human population in your state is out of control.

you should be worried about mother nature being mean and freezing your dear up in the great white north. maybe you can protest the cold with signs. mean while this is a state side issue. i will "euthanize" two or three this coming season. i dont hunt to get rid of frustration sweetpea. i read ignorant post like yours for amusment. and my frustrations go away.

[Chris]

D Jacobs wrote:

That 'tame' deer during the spring and summer months, would just as soon attack you in the fall - the mating season sends a bucks hormones into overdrive, and you dont want to be anywhere near where they are - the males vie for dominance and those racks are used as weapons against each other - numerous hunters have been attacked. Have fun jogging!

I hope one of them attacks you.