04-22-2011, 07:29 PM
Deer management in PA is a very long story. Average current densities are 50 to 100% higher than what is sustainable for a healthy herd and productive forests. The balance is much worse in suburban areas where hunting is limited. If we had a balanced predator population, massive culls would not be needed. Since suburban Philly is not really a good place for wolves or other large deer predators, humans step in to provide that service. What they really needed was a smaller culling yearly program started 30 years ago. They'd be 30 years ahead in the effort to balance the herd, we'd have better results without the headlines, and we'd have one less bomb for a troll to toss.