Details from the Hendersonville Poaching

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

Notice the proposed measures by the city to hire professionals to bait and kill the overpopulated deer in the area.

In my opinion, hunters need to take heed. Hunting has been a tradition but other methods are available to control populations. Let's not take it for granted.

 

[bowriter]

Hiring "sharpshooters" is nothing new. Both BSK and I have been involved in culling operations in overpopulated areas. And yes, it does work.

it is tough selling hunting to homeowners when it involves hunters shooting bows around their houses during the daytime. You can imagine the "horror" of Suzy Greener Than Grass" when a wounded deer jumps her garden fence and lands in the swimming pool. Shooting deer at feeders at night in selected areas mostly eliminates that.

However, in no way or scope can see that ever replacing hunting. They are apples and oranges. There are situations where sharpshooters are just about the only viable method of control. And I promise you this, go on one and you may never hunt again. It is terrible.

 

[Mike D]

BAITING? BAITING? Hmmmmmmmm

 

[156p&y]

How big are most of the lots there? Why don't they have an approved archery program that approves bow hunters proficient with the weapon to hunt and pair them up with willing landowners? I'm sure there are a lot of hunters that would even pay to be in this program which would actually bring revenue to the city instead of spending money on a resource that will renew itself and become a problem again in the future. I know other programs similar to this have been a success.

 

[TheMMAn]

Does anyone know if there is a group around here like Suburban Whitetail Management of North Georgia? http://www.swmnga.org/index.html

I met the organizers a few years ago while taking an IBEP course. It's a great idea, and the guys were serious about the steps they took to make sure all hunters did their best to not give hunters a bad name.

Basically, the organization gets contracts to eradicate deer for golf course communities, large subdivisions, municipal airports, etc. They donate most, if not all, of the venison taken to a Georgia charity for feeding the hungry.

To be a hunter for the organization, you have to go thru several steps. You have to provide proof of hunting experience, take the IBEF safety course. Then you have to pass a shooting proficiency test from an elevated platform. If you pass all of that, then you have to pass an interview performed by the executives.

In the heavily populated subdivisions, the hunters go to all kinds of lengths to stay under the radar. They will drive in wearing no camo, take body bags with them to put a deer in before transporting out in an open truck bed, etc.

I had lunch that day with the organizers and some of the hunters for them. These guys had endless stories about the monsters they had seen while in amongst the houses and golf courses. The big problem was weeding out the hunters that would pass up on does in search of the big bucks. If they got wind of this, the hunter was asked to leave the organization.

Sounds like something like this (if it doesn't already exist)
could beneficial in the burbs around here...