Two Annotations

Mere, R.J.. "Deer Overpopulation is a Serious Problem". American Deer and Wildlife Alliance. March 20, 2012 http://www.deerwildlifealliance.org/Deer-Overpopulation-is-a-Serious-Problem.htm

The first source I have is an article about the severe overpopulation of deer, specifically in Southern Maine. R.J. Mere states that in some coastal communities there are as many as four times the amount of deer per square mile that it is equipped for. Once they eat the food that summer has produced, they move to eating people's plants and other less nutritious food options. He discusses the different predators in the area for deer such as coyotes, black bears, and wolves. None of these can single-handedly control this overpopulation, which leaves humans as the main predator for these deer and their best hope. He presents the different methods that have been offered as potential solutions and then explains why they won't be successful. He then offers his own idea of how to get this issue under control and explains to us why it will work.



Augsburger, Randy. "Why hunting is important for population control". Helium. March 20, 2012 <http://www.helium.com/items/1352081-deer-population>.   
 

The second source I have is an article about how hunting is a necessary and humane way to control the overpopulation of deer. The article begins with Augsburger presenting the main issue, that whitetail deer populations are at an all time high in most areas. He states that this overpopulation can cause malnutrition as well as increased auto collisions. In a perfect world, animals and humans would have their own space, but we as humans are encroaching on the deers habitat. A study in Michigan was discussed in which a deer herd was left unchecked by hunting and the herd grew to ten times the optimal level. After this, the fawn survival rate dropped drastically due to too much competition for food so the does abandoned their fawns. His overall point is that hunting is a humane and efficient way to keep these deer populations in check.