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Mary Mills
From: Barbara Stagno [bstagno@optonline.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2010 3:31 PM
To: Kate Supron; Mary Mills
Subject: Comment on DEIS for Cayuga Heights' Deer Management Plan village of Received Heights
Attachments: Enterprise 8.6.10.pdf; Millburn AD Lyme collisions chart.doc DEC, .I ` 2010
December 16,2010
Ms. Kate Supron, Mayor
Village Offices
836 Hanshaw Road
Ithaca,New York 14850
Dear Mayor Supron and Cayuga Heights Village Trustees:
I am writing on behalf of In Defense of Animals, an international animal protection organization
with more than 8,000 members in New York State. We are aware that the town of Cayuga
Heights is considering exterminating deer locally using the net and bolt method. We strongly
advise against using this method to kill deer as it has been shown to be a very inhumane method
of inducing death.
Using the captive bolt gun on animals such as deer in a field setting is highly controversial and
condemned by many humane societies and veterinary professionals, including Temple Grandin,
a noted expert in humane animal agricultural practices. The main problem with netting and
bolting deer in a field setting is the inability to properly restrain the deer to ensure proper
placement of the bolt gun. It is not unusual for the animals to be struck multiple times in the skull
before a fatal shot is established, thus compounding their suffering and stress greatly.
A study conducted in 1997 *demonstrated that deer who were immobilized and killed using a
captive bolt gun exhibited blood cortisol levels that were ten times higher than deer killed by
rifle shot. Blood cortisol, excreted by the adrenal glands under conditions of duress, is
considered by scientists to be an accurate measure of an animal's physiological and
psychological stress.
Humaneness of deer control is an important criterion for the public. Recently, the town of
Hastings-on-Hudson,NY rejected a plan to kill deer using the net and bolt method after
widespread opposition from town residents. After careful consideration, Hastings Mayor Peter
Swiderski accurately observed that netting and bolting of deer would not be a one-time event and
that he could not reasonably expect the community to tolerate such an extreme measure year
after year. (See attached article.).
Please also note that many communities facing a perceived overabundance of deer have learned
that lethal programs have not been the answer to their problems. Typical issues, such as deer-
vehicle collisions, spread of Lyme disease and browsing on vegetation are best dealt with by
methods that specifically address these problems. For example, road reflector lights and proper
signage are more effective at reducing deer collisions than simply killing deer. When deer are
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crossing at particular sites, there is often a reason, such as the need to get to a water source. Deer,even
in smaller numbers,will continue to cross those sites if the need remains, which is why simply killing
them is not the solution. Similarly, browsing on residential vegetation will continue even with lowered
populations of deer. To address that problem requires the direct application of deer deterrents, of which
there are many effective ones available. Gardening supply companies offer a range of products to
address this problem.
Between 2000 and 2005, the Town of Millburn,NJ spent$177,329 to eliminate 85% of the deer
population, but failed to achieve lowered deer-vehicle collisions or incidences of Lyme disease. (Lyme
disease, in fact, increased). (Source: Humane Millburn. Attached) This demonstrates the need for a
comprehensive program that targets each problem at the source, rather than simply relying on reducing
numbers of deer.
Killing deer by itself is a simplistic and cruel means of dealing with a problem that is much broader in
scope than simply numbers of deer. It is unrealistic to expect to live in a community that offers green
space without encountering the wildlife that reside in those spaces. There are ways to mitigate deer
human conflicts without killing them—in fact killing them is rarely the answer.
In closing, we reiterate our strong opposition to the use of netting and bolting of deer in Cayuga Heights
and urge you to pursue humane and non-lethal methods of living peacefully with deer.
Very truly yours,
Barbara Stagno
New York Campaign Coordinator
In Defense of Animals
+Schwartz,JA,et al,1997.Captive and Field Tests of a Method for Immobilization and Euthanasia of Urban Deer. Wildlife
Society Bulletin 25:532-541.
12/16/2010
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