Murder in Mt. Lebanon
As a resident of Mt. Lebanon, I find it unbelievable that the Commissioners and the Game Commission are allowing this to happen.
Every hunter I know thinks that the corral is the worst possible option. If they have to kill deer to thin the herd (which has been scientifically proven that the herd will rebound with more births following a cull) there should be a different, more humane method. The suggestion (which fell upon deaf ears of the Commissioners) was to shoot the deer from tree stands without the corral. The corral, and the inability to get away, is the issue. These innocent creatures who have done nothing wrong will be banging themselves against the sides of the structure, probably stampeding each other. How can our Commissioners, with good conscience, let this happen?
It also seems to be a conflict of interest when both the Wildlife Consultants for Mt. Lebanon are also the executioners of these deer.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is way out of bounds to allow this, and is no help to the wildlife. They allowed geese at North Park lake to be murdered in much the same fashion. When it’s man vs. nature, nature always loses, unfortunately. Other states and countries do a better job of utilizing compassion. Wildlife bridges and sterilization are the norm in other areas.
When I was a child growing up in Beaver County, my mother instilled in me compassion toward all creatures. She took the time to point out deer in the yard, and even a fawn that had been born. We were both filled with the wonder of seeing such beautiful animals. We watched monarch butterflies hatch from caterpillars. We embraced and celebrated the creatures that shared the land with us. How unfortunate that some people think that a part of our natural environment, the deer (or geese) have to be “rid of.” And, to think that getting rid of the deer will get rid of Lyme disease is absurd. A friend of the family has had Lyme three times. He didn’t get it in the suburbs, he got it way up in the remote wilderness of New England. It is time we reconnected to the earth, before we destroy it.
A lot of deer/auto collisions occur because people do not know how to drive when they see deer. Everyone is in a hurry anymore, and they blow horns at pedestrians to get out of the way. Blowing the horn can startle deer to run into traffic. Drivers do not realize that if they see one deer, there are more coming, and they do not wait till the rest of the herd crosses.
So while you are having that nice family dinner out at The Galleria, or tucking your kids into bed, realize that there is murder going on in your neighborhood parks. It may be animals, but make no mistake about it – it’s not euthanasia as Mt. Lebanon is calling it. It’s murder.
Jan Seybold
Mt. Lebanon