As more and more suburban developments spring up around the country, wildlife is being displaced at an ever-increasing rate. As a result of this growth, the natural predators of deer are being killed or removed, leaving them free to eat everything in sight. Where there's very little forest left, there are also very few hunters. Registration of hunting licenses in some places has dropped almost 40% compared to numbers in 2005. Even animal rights activists have raised the alarm that something has to be done.

The largest problem is that deer consume massive amounts of vegetation. The New York City EPA opened 330 acres of land a couple years back because deer were eating the saplings and ground cover that help filter the water that flows through watershed properties and ultimately comes out of the tap. There are whole tracks of woodlands and forests where few branches are left within a deer's reach. Wildflowers, forest regrowth, all elements that birds and other woodland creatures depend on are being put at risk.

And of course, we have no one to blame but ourselves for this problem. Once again, society has blindly marched forward without much thought of the consequences. Wolves a threat to livestock? Well, let's get rid of them then. Don't like the howl of coyotes? Let's allow hunting. See that forest over there? Let's put in a strip mall and two or three developments! Wait a minute? Why are all these deer thriving? Why are they everywhere?

The solutions to this issue are complex. Beyond hunting, nobody is sure how to control the populations. Sure, we can offer up protected lands, but you're not going to find much vocal support in allowing wolves to thrive near a community. The sad fact is, we're going to keep encroaching — and eventually, we'll win without a care to the balance we're upsetting.

Cities throughout the U.S. are starting to open up lands previously set aside. According to the article, "The towns are even going so far as to ask large property owners who might consider opening their backyards to hunters to register with police." Allowing hunting near suburban areas and cities offers it's own complications, but the problem is so dire that there's not much else that be recommended.

In the meantime, another development will go up, another coyote will be shot, and deer will continue to thrive. Add to the mix warmer winters, and we're setting ourselves up for an issue that could undermine the future of the very areas we're trying to protect. The scales are tipped.

Source: Deer Population Surge Results In Organized City Hunts