SHARPSHOOTING MANAGED HUNTS FERTILITY CONTROL ...

SHARPSHOOTINGSUPPORTS:MANAGED FERTILITYHUNTSXRED TOP MOUNTAIN DEER POPULATION REDUCTIONPUBLIC MEETING COMMENTS (VERBAL AND WRITTEN)November 20, 2003CARTERSVILLE CIVIC CENTERCONTROL OTHER COMMENTSRed Top Mountain needs to have managed and/or handicapped hunts to control deer. This shouldbe used at all state parks.XXDeer density is only great in certain parts of the park. I suggest you distribute the deer more evenlythroughout the park. He and his wife went through the park recently and saw healthy deer.That was a great presentation. I'm for thinning of the herd and controlled public hunting. Hunters arethe only predators left.XXXXXXXXXHe's an avid hunter. There is no program for birth control that exists or none approved and no modelhas been developed. Supports sharpshooting to minimize herd now but was too costly for a longterm solution. Suggests managed hunt. He has research with him if anyone interested.Society has some 240 members. Regulated hunting was the primary way to manage deeroverpopulation. Overpopulation damages the eco-system. (Have typed statement)Red Top is an ideal spot for handicapped hunts and managed hunts.Ga. Wildlife Federation has some 46, 000 members. We believe that the recommendations made byUGA are based on good sound science and are appropriate. As a certified biologist, I have donemany surveys and you can't just take a ride-through the park and see all the deer. Fertility control isnot an appropriate solution nor a cost-effective solution. Trapping and relocating is not a practicalsolution and would be enormously expensive. I support herd reduction and managed hunting and tofind a way to do safely and effectively.Loves North Georgia and hunters. Georgia is ranked #1 in fiscal responsibility. Let's take advantageof wildlife population by controlled hunting.The subject here is about balance. It is clear we have a critical problem. DNR has made the decisionto reduce the herd and I think we should try a combination of hunting & birth control for long termmanagement plan.

XHave been going to the park for 46 years, and lately has not been able to see the diversity of speciesthat used to be there. Don't think fertility is a good method, believe that controlled hunting would begood.SHARPSHOOTINGMANAGEDHUNTSFERTILITYCONTROL OTHER COMMENTSXXXXXXXXXThe issues here are not new, but they are tragic. I generally support the plan, but fails to identify themajor problem - why is there a problem? A slaughter at Red Top Mountain - who let this happen?The necessity for this slaughter should be laid at state parks. I want to publicly thank Becky Kelleybecause prior to this plan, nothing was ever given a chance and I believe State Parks will adopt agood management practice. Sharpshooting is a highly distasteful step, but should be doneimmediately. Should be a contractual agreement between State Parks and University of Georgia. Ihave seen no plan and nothing understanding the cost of this plan. Parks created this mess andshould reimburse WRD. Parks, not WRD or UGA, should provide legal removal of deer. Birth controlshould not be a preferred method. Recreational hunting should be the management method.Do support public hunting. My family and I visit the parks a lot, and I will enjoy teaching my kids tohunt at Red Top Mtn.I visit Red Top Mtn. quite often and am a member of the Handicapped Sportsmen. I support huntingto reduce deer.Have hunted most of my life and hunt responsibly. A good way is to do it with responsible hunters.There is definitely a problem at Red Top and I thoroughly support hunting all the time. The fertilitymethod would cause a stagnant herd and is not a viable method. Don't think sharpshooters all thetime is viable - too costly. Hunters will be glad to pay to hunt.I originally opposed to managed hunts, but since the presentation has changed my mind. I amconcerned about hunting, and I would like to see it limited to bow hunting. I also go along with fertilitycontrol - they are using this out west.I am speaking on behalf of campers. I have camped in 7 state parks this year. I believe the bestoption is managed hunts, not sharpshooters or fertility--rather use money you would spend on that tostock fish, update and renovate facilities. Public hunting is the most cost effective.I support managed hunts - adult/child or archery hunts.If deer can't reach vegetation, they will go somewhere else. I feel there's many other possiblereasons for loss of biodiversity. Vegetation quickly regenerates - elimination of deer is faultyreasoning. I support the natural response of fertility control. use of SPAY-VAC makes deer killunnecessary.

XXMANAGEDSHARPSHOOTING HUNTSFounder of SE Deer Study Group - has studied deer management for 4 years. What can be done atRed Top can be done other state parks. Managed hunts is my choice for reducing and managing thedeer herd.I have observed a lot of what's going on at the property. I counted 14 deer on the side of the road inone night. I do support hunting/handicapped hunting. I commend you for giving us the opportunity tocomment.FERTILITYCONTROL OTHER COMMENTSXXI take my kids to Red Top Mountain and I've done motorcycle rides through the park to see the deer.Red Top's most often asked questions about deer shows what mismanagement can do. Supportsmanaged hunting and this needs to be done right away. Birth control is not a guarantee, but if youwant to do research for birth control that would be okay too. I would support combination of both.XXI am an avid and ethical hunter. I frequent Red Top Mountain. Commends Parks and Historic SitesDiv. For addressing the problem. He remembers talks in the '80's about deer management in stateparks. Supports sharpshooting and then managed hunting for long term management. Hunters arethe best conservations. I feel you should open up to handicapped hunts, father/son hunts.XXXXXSeems like your only concern is that deer have no fact - no concern for shooting the deer. All thatmoney for research -- what about the people who hike, picnic -- what will they think of deer kills.Hunting is not human. Hunters just want to hunt in state parks. The don't look at other options.It's pretty transparent that we just want to get sport killers on our parks. The majority don't want deerkilled. This is an execution, a massacre. If DNR wants to thin deer, don't manage them at WMA's.Go to Ossabaw - see if killing solved anything. It's just greed for more land to hunt. What about the96% of non-hunters.I am a female hunter. It is unfortunate that they have to kill deer. I don't think guns would be safe,but a handicapped hunt or parent/child hunt with bows only. Could we relocate to North Ga.? Youcould get volunteers to shoot deer with tranquilizers and relocate.Deer at Red Top Mountain are really sick. They need to be thinned out, but you need to select yourhunters carefully.I live on Lake Allatoona. I believe deer can be managed by hunters. We can benefit by solving theproblem and raising revenue. We need more deer signs on the park. I learned a lot at this meeting.

XCalled the park ranger three years ago about deer problem. It was appalling to see deer ribs then. Ifwe can't afford fool plots, ask volunteers to plant vegetation. Like at Amicalola Falls, have a volunteerweekend. Don't butcher the animals. Food for the needy does not work. I suggest bow hunting onlyselling permits for $50, or have father/child hunts. No sharpshooters. Then put the money towardfeeding the deer that is left.X X I used to be a game warden. I support reduction of herd and maintaining them with public hunting.XI was born and raised around Red Top. Us hunters want to help. Let hunters reduce the deer.MANAGED FERTILITYSHARPSHOOTING HUNTS CONTROL OTHER COMMENTSXI'm in favor of bow hunting on Red Top. This will also be successful as an ongoing process.XI grew up near Red Top Mountain. They had a problem with deer 35 years ago. This should havebeen addressed years ago. I can't support sharpshooting program - that is appalling. It should behandled by managed hunts to control and maintain.XI am an avid hunter. As an ongoing maintenance of deer, I support bow hunting.X X XAll for sharpshooting for reduction. Non-hunters neglect to see the health of the deer. They don'thave anything to compare them to. I'm all for managed hunting and birth control for long termmanagement.XI live in Paulding County. Hunting is a proven wildlife management practice. I support one-time forsharpshooting and for long term management, I support managed hunting. Overpopulation of deercauses starving deer. Hunting is the most cost effective ways. Most accidents are caused by nonhunters.Hunters are informed - general public are not.XXXXI am a state park volunteer and a bird watcher. I am also past president of the Audubon Society. Iam in support of deer reduction by regulated managed hunting, preferably bow hunting.I would like to thank Dr. Warren and Becky Kelley. He has been a hunter for 12 years and feels theuse of managed hunts will be very effective. I don't support birth control.I am a hunter education teacher. It is not natural to have an overpopulation of deer. Need tomaintain normal deer density.We need to go to state parks and look at the plants, do surveys of the plants. Reduction is goodchoice, but birth control will not work; however, agree that it would be a good experiment.XXXXI'm for hunting the deer with controlled hunts such as bow hunts, youth hunts, handicapped hunting.I'm an avid hunter. I support WRD and State Parks. I agree with sharpshooting, but hunters shouldnot be involved. I agree with managed hunts for ongoing maintenance.Killing the deer is just a band-aid solution. Instead of killing deer, get to the root of the problem -fertility.

XXI have found an abundance of evidence that fertility control is a viable solution. Should use SPAY-VAC. Why would this method be questionable? It has been proven. I don't believe that we shouldreduce deer by killing, but by fertility control. We should take steps to reduce collisions, usevegetation to keep deer off the road, install light reflectors - these are not expensive. Iowa has theirdeer collision down from 150 to 1 collision a year. Why don't we use money for these options?SHARPSHOOTINGXMANAGEDHUNTSXXWRITTEN COMMENTSFERTILITYCONTROL OTHER COMMENTSI am opposed to managed hunts. New Jersey opened to hunters and after 4 hunts, deer populationwent from 400 to 500. This is a mistake. If the public knew, they would not want to be on thereceiving end of this meat.I am an avid hunter. I am an advocate of managed hunting and this is the best way to go about this.If necessary, do sharpshooting soon. It is inhumane to have them starve to death. You need to dosomething that doesn't cost the taxpayers - can get volunteers to harvest them.I bear some expertise in statistics. Has advised President of Federal Reserve Bank of his views. Hetakes statistical analysis very seriously. The statistics taken are suspicious - a sample of 5 deer tellsyou little - it's an unreliable measure. Professors have gone out of their way to do other studies. TheXdeer he's seen are fat and lazy.I am an ethical hunter. I'm in favor of managed hunts at Red Top Mountain done safely. I heard theopinion that this meeting was just to allow hunting at Red Top, but the object of the meeting is tomanage the white-tailed deer. Other people are concerned with the hunters, but should allow allusers to enjoy Red Top Mountain.I don't think killing these animals is a necessary thing. I think this is just a ploy to get hunting okayedin our public and state parks. These are tame animals that will walk right up to you. I can't believeanyone would harm them. This is so wrong. I don't ever want to go to this park again if this horrorhappens.I hope you come up with another answer to the problem. Killing all those innocent deer is sad andcruel.XXXX X Sharpshooting initially, then birth control for future herd.X XXBow hunting only.X

XXXXXBow hunting with an accuracy test is my suggestion.