Saddle River and its residents are lurching through the ugly turmoil caused by a decision to allow hunting. Residents are polarized on the issue – one side defending the decision (let’s save the landscape), another side defending the deer from the death sentence, and a possible third side of frustrated hunters who want to bag the animals that were the original residents of Saddle River. Even before Nixon. Too many questions, too few answers and feelings are running high. This is the topic of discussion on several Facebook groups where the issue is being thrashed out.
On a day when silent banners were held in Saddle River as a protest here are the words of one resident:
Last year, my town of a Saddle River, had a question on a ballot asking residents if they approved of a bow hunt of deer within our town. The town citizens voted this down and approved a non lethal method of deer population control. The town government has decided that our will and vote doesn’t count and they will do whatever they want. The town is setting up feed stations to lure deer in so they can shoot them like fish in a barrel. They are allowing non resident hunters into our town to hunt in the backyards and woods of our properties. And we’ve been told they are good shots. I’d like to know who determines their ability to successfully kill a deer with one shot. What we don’t need is injured deer running through yards and streets potentially traumatizing our children and auto-deer encounters. What will happen to the deer meat? Do these hunters take it? Or will it be donated to the food pantries? How much is this costing our town? Do the hunters pay to do this? They really aren’t hunters as we’ll be presenting the deer to them on a platter and there is no skill in this. And, according to a recently discovered email to a town counsel member, illegal hunting has been going on for several years. Coyotes, fox and deer have been secretly hunted without town folks approval or knowledge. The word now is that these “bow hunters” have the ok to use whatever weapon the want, including firearms. And they can shoot any fox or coyote they see. They are actually allowing hunting in our parks where children play.
I just wanted to shine a spot light on the underhanded governing done even on a very small town local level. The town people are “woke”. The good people of this town will not allow this hunt to happen in our neighborhoods. We have children, grand children people and pets that live in this town. There is no way the government of Saddle River can guarantee the safety of our people.
The town counsel of #SaddleRiver have a lot of explaining to do. As a member of this community, I demand immediate reversal of any deer slaughter this town thinks it will do. I am not in support of this deer cull at all. As representatives of this community, go back to the drawing board and come up with a better, humane and acceptable plan.
Reprinted with permission
Please Note:
Next meeting of Saddle River Mayor & Council – Monday September 17, 2018 @7pm
Not a big surprise other members of HSUS are coming to the support of the writer. The comments used to write this with claims of being unethical and killing creates more all directly taken from the Humane Society/Project Coyote toolkit produced earlier this year. The claim that killing coyotes creates more is exaggerated and ignores several important factors affecting coyote reproduction. Coyotes are monoestrus meaning they go into heat once a year. 60 to 90% of coyote females produce litters of 4 to 6 pups and 0 to 70% of yearling females produce litters of 4 to 6 pups annually. If killing coyotes created more, then explain why study after study shows that coyote population densities are on average twice as high in urban environments where they are not killed? Simple. Food is the predominant controlling factor of coyote populations and coyotes are omnivorous. The idea that killing coyotes sends them into a mating free for all or that these contests remove enough coyotes to cause density dependent effects are simply unproven. All HSUS and Project Coyote has are unproven theories. Instead, like usual they resort to emotional pleas and vilifying those whom they don”t understand or simply don”t agree with.