State to hold more archery hunts at popular park

[almtnman]

State to hold more archery hunts at popular park


PELHAM, Ala. (AP) — The state will hold two more archery hunts this
year at Oak Mountain State Park to kill deer as part of continued
efforts to thin out the herd, which is ailing from severe
overpopulation.The hunts will be held on Oct. 26-27 and Dec. 15-16,
with 70 bow hunters selected in drawings for each one, said Barnett
Lawley, state conservation commissioner.A similar two-day hunt in
January killed only 27 deer, far below the numbers sought by state
officials. In February, sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture were also sent in to harvest deer.Deer have stripped away
low-lying vegetation throughout the park, killing plants and
contributing to erosion problems."This is not a trophy hunt," Lawley
said. "These regulated hunts are a management tool to help the park
bring the deer population down to numbers that can be supported by
the park's habitat."Any Alabama resident with a hunting license can
register to get in the drawing, Lawley said. The people chosen by
random drawing to participate in the hunt must then pass a
proficiency test, he said.Hunters will be allowed to kill up to two
deer per day and are required to kill a doe before they are allowed
to take a buck,

[wireone577]

I live in Massachusetts and we have a rather large resivoir that was beeing ravaged by the deer in the same fashion. The state decided to take the same approach to thining the herd. The only difference is, we used "Slug only" shotguns. That was about ten years ago. The herd is down to what the experts say is the appropriate number. Now every year they do a lottery for the rite to hunt there for two days. This is to maintain the correct numbers. The area has made a great come back and the vegetation i s now looking normal.

[almtnman]

I think our conservation officials have their head in the sand. A lot of hunters have said that they should allow at least one hunt with shotguns. It seems to fall on deaf ears. I think that they are trying to appease the local tree huggers.