18-06-2006, 03:15 AM
Pound Ridge sets sights on deer
When Horseshoe Hill Road resident Joyce Butterfield heard that Pound Ridge might make more land available for bow-hunting in an attempt to reduce the deer population, she had her reasons for opposing it.
For starters, she said, she found a deer with an arrow through its face trying to eat birdseed in her backyard last year. Also, she said, there was the time she witnessed a van drive 30 mph on her neighbor's lawn in pursuit of deer.
But when she learned the town was considering plans to open up parts of her street to hunters, Butterfield had to speak up at the June 8 Town Board meeting.
The deer population in the region is five times greater than it should be and is wreaking havoc on vegetation, animal life cycles and water quality, town Conservation Board Chairman Rob Powell said.
At last week's Town Board meeting, the Conservation Board formally recommended a plan to allow bow hunters on designated town properties. Among the parcels the town is considering are 19 acres of Sachs Park, 17 acres of Horseshoe Hill Road, 63 acres of Winterbottom Lane and 16 acres of Doeview Road.
While Butterfield acknowledges the problems that deer cause, she is disenchanted by the proposed solution.
"I'm torn with this," she said this week. "I don't want the deer to destroy the undergrowth of the area … but I'm not sure (hunting) is the way to go."
On Dec. 10 and Jan. 3, town Supervisor Gary Warshauer hosted two public hearings about deer management plans and environmental concerns. This week, he said the "very emotional issue" has been considered from all vantage points.
"Taking any life is precious, so we don't want to take this lightly," Warshauer said. "We do not see this as creating opportunities for hunting; we see this as an environmental issue to get the (animal population) balance back to where it should be."
Powell said there are 60 or more deer per square mile in the Pound Ridge area, compared to the normal level of 12. Such overpopulation not only tinkers with the food chain but also depletes vegetation in wooded areas, which leads to stormwater runoff and water degradation, he said.
The problem has escalated to the point that the Aquarion Co. will open its 1,800 acres in Pound Ridge to hunters this year regardless of what lawmakers decide for town-owned land.
"The Aquarion is opening their land for hunting because they can no longer generate forest growth," said Powell, a former member of the town's Open Space Committee. "Should the deer determine the fate of so many other species?"
Powell said that about 40 people attended Warshauer's forum in December, with about four audience members objecting to hunting as a solution.
"But most of the people understood the need for this," he said.
Deer-hunting season is in the fall; only bow hunting is permitted in Westchester County.
Setting rules for huntersHunters are allowed on property that meets minimum size requirements with the owner's permission. The town's legislation would broaden those regulations to allow them to hunt on the additional properties without additional permission, he said.
The town would set a maximum number of hunters for each parcel, Powell said. For example, no more than two hunters might be allowed at a time on one of the 16-acre plots, he suggested.
Powell said hunters would not be allowed to kill a buck until they had taken a doe, which breed two fawns apiece and factor more in the population boom. Bucks are more appealing to hunters because of their antlers, Powell said.
Hunting would coincide with the season set by the state, Oct. 14 to Dec. 31.
The supervisor said he was surprised to learn about the safety of bow hunting through a report issued by Bill Harding, a town resident and representative of the Department of Environmental Conservation.
According to Harding, no one in state history has reported a civilian injury directly related to a hunter's use of a bow and arrow, Warshauer said.
Added Powell: "It is safe, except for the deer."
Butterfield, a grandmother of five, remained concerned about human injuries.
"If something happens, the liability to the town is enormous," she said.
Although Warshauer wondered about how efficient bow-hunting would be to combat the overpopulation of deer, he said hiring sharpshooters for up to $500 per deer would be a more expensive alternative for taxpayers.
Butterfield said she supported the idea of sterilization over hunting, but town officials said that that process was illegal.
"The (Food and Drug Administration) will not allow birth control used in deer because the deer sometimes enters the food chain for people," Powell said.
The town also considered deer relocation, which Warshauer said kills about as many of the animals as hunting.
Warshauer said town residents would be notified through the mail about a July 13 public hearing to discuss the deer management plan. Although the location is subject to change, Warshauer expected that it would be held in the auditorium of Pound Ridge Elementary School to allow for a large attendance.
Butterfield said town officials should be careful with whatever choices they make.
"I do know that Pound Ridge, being the kind of area that it is, is going to set an example for what the rest of the county is going to do," she said.
.....nu OGSÅ ejer af en 243win :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
When Horseshoe Hill Road resident Joyce Butterfield heard that Pound Ridge might make more land available for bow-hunting in an attempt to reduce the deer population, she had her reasons for opposing it.
For starters, she said, she found a deer with an arrow through its face trying to eat birdseed in her backyard last year. Also, she said, there was the time she witnessed a van drive 30 mph on her neighbor's lawn in pursuit of deer.
But when she learned the town was considering plans to open up parts of her street to hunters, Butterfield had to speak up at the June 8 Town Board meeting.
The deer population in the region is five times greater than it should be and is wreaking havoc on vegetation, animal life cycles and water quality, town Conservation Board Chairman Rob Powell said.
At last week's Town Board meeting, the Conservation Board formally recommended a plan to allow bow hunters on designated town properties. Among the parcels the town is considering are 19 acres of Sachs Park, 17 acres of Horseshoe Hill Road, 63 acres of Winterbottom Lane and 16 acres of Doeview Road.
While Butterfield acknowledges the problems that deer cause, she is disenchanted by the proposed solution.
"I'm torn with this," she said this week. "I don't want the deer to destroy the undergrowth of the area … but I'm not sure (hunting) is the way to go."
On Dec. 10 and Jan. 3, town Supervisor Gary Warshauer hosted two public hearings about deer management plans and environmental concerns. This week, he said the "very emotional issue" has been considered from all vantage points.
"Taking any life is precious, so we don't want to take this lightly," Warshauer said. "We do not see this as creating opportunities for hunting; we see this as an environmental issue to get the (animal population) balance back to where it should be."
Powell said there are 60 or more deer per square mile in the Pound Ridge area, compared to the normal level of 12. Such overpopulation not only tinkers with the food chain but also depletes vegetation in wooded areas, which leads to stormwater runoff and water degradation, he said.
The problem has escalated to the point that the Aquarion Co. will open its 1,800 acres in Pound Ridge to hunters this year regardless of what lawmakers decide for town-owned land.
"The Aquarion is opening their land for hunting because they can no longer generate forest growth," said Powell, a former member of the town's Open Space Committee. "Should the deer determine the fate of so many other species?"
Powell said that about 40 people attended Warshauer's forum in December, with about four audience members objecting to hunting as a solution.
"But most of the people understood the need for this," he said.
Deer-hunting season is in the fall; only bow hunting is permitted in Westchester County.
Setting rules for huntersHunters are allowed on property that meets minimum size requirements with the owner's permission. The town's legislation would broaden those regulations to allow them to hunt on the additional properties without additional permission, he said.
The town would set a maximum number of hunters for each parcel, Powell said. For example, no more than two hunters might be allowed at a time on one of the 16-acre plots, he suggested.
Powell said hunters would not be allowed to kill a buck until they had taken a doe, which breed two fawns apiece and factor more in the population boom. Bucks are more appealing to hunters because of their antlers, Powell said.
Hunting would coincide with the season set by the state, Oct. 14 to Dec. 31.
The supervisor said he was surprised to learn about the safety of bow hunting through a report issued by Bill Harding, a town resident and representative of the Department of Environmental Conservation.
According to Harding, no one in state history has reported a civilian injury directly related to a hunter's use of a bow and arrow, Warshauer said.
Added Powell: "It is safe, except for the deer."
Butterfield, a grandmother of five, remained concerned about human injuries.
"If something happens, the liability to the town is enormous," she said.
Although Warshauer wondered about how efficient bow-hunting would be to combat the overpopulation of deer, he said hiring sharpshooters for up to $500 per deer would be a more expensive alternative for taxpayers.
Butterfield said she supported the idea of sterilization over hunting, but town officials said that that process was illegal.
"The (Food and Drug Administration) will not allow birth control used in deer because the deer sometimes enters the food chain for people," Powell said.
The town also considered deer relocation, which Warshauer said kills about as many of the animals as hunting.
Warshauer said town residents would be notified through the mail about a July 13 public hearing to discuss the deer management plan. Although the location is subject to change, Warshauer expected that it would be held in the auditorium of Pound Ridge Elementary School to allow for a large attendance.
Butterfield said town officials should be careful with whatever choices they make.
"I do know that Pound Ridge, being the kind of area that it is, is going to set an example for what the rest of the county is going to do," she said.
.....nu OGSÅ ejer af en 243win :-)
Favourite Quote: Vi løser ikke vore problemer ved at tænke på samme måde, som da vi skabte dem.....(Albert Einstein)
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Favourite Quote: En humlebi ved ikke, at den ikke kan flyve......Gå ud på terrassen og vift med armene...hvis du letter må du være uvidende ;-)