The Potomac Highlands Watershed School 

"Oh Deer!" 2007 Environmental Forum

Points of View with Thoughtful Questions - The Forest

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The Forest POV & TQ Navigation

The Fantastic 4est ●  The Philosophers  ● Dolly Sods

Forest + Over populated deer = no more forest

Navigation to other POV pages

farmer, hunter, forester, homeowner, insurance company, Others

 

The Fantastic 4est                                        Hampshire High School

                                                                                                                                 10/25/2007

                                                                                                                                 10:20:00 AM

The Forest:       The forest needs a regulated deer population because without one, the forest’s

productivity and reproduction would decrease, as well as shrub, seedling, and under-growth

life. The deer population now overwhelms the forest in these areas; they are eating and

destroying any ground level growth, making plant repopulation nearly impossible.  Without the

under-growth the forest won’t be able to flourish as it has in years before.  Regulations and

hunting seasons should be extended and enhanced so that we can make an attempt to interfere

with the extreme deer population. The increasing on the hunting would lack the sense of

having any problems with the deer eating up the forest and with it happening now a lot of stuff

we haven’t even seen before. Our teacher Mr. Moore is always telling us that the deer is eating

 up a lot of the plant environment and that something needed to be done for that. So we are

saying the forestry industry or the wildlife management needed to do something about the

hunting there needs to be some decreasing done on the deer. Forest officials also have tried to

 keep up with the demand of decreasing the deer’s forage acres by installing deer-fencing.  

These fences prevent the deer from harvesting on the under-growth, and allow us to recognize

the impact deer are making on our suffering wood-lands and why we should focus more on the

increasing deer population.

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Thoughtful_Question

  From:    Potomac Highlanders - Farmer - HHS

                                                                                            11/2/2007             6:51:00 AM

     Do you think that the forest would go through major changes (good and bad) if the deer

     population is lowered massively? The deer not only take from the forest but they give

     too.

 

       Response    The Fantastic 4est - Forest - HHS

                                                                                       11/6/2007        10:03:00 AM

             To answer your question,I believe that the forest would have its ups and

             downs for a time, but the forest as well as the deer population would balance

              itself out(hopefully in a short period of time)Thanx for asking

  From:   Happy Houses - homeowner - NHHS                                            Ask

                                                                                            11/9/2007            7:33:00 AM

     Do you believe that putting more natural predators in the forest would help manage the

     growing deer population?  And to Potomac Highlanders, What are the deer giving back to

      the forest?  I understand that they manage the forest but it is getting out of control. 

     They are eating the most, if not all of the understory.

 

 

 

The Philosophers                                           Hampshire High School

                                                                                                                                 10/25/2007

                                                                                                                                  8:44:00 AM

My group and I known as "The Philosophers" have agreed upon controlling the deer population

through extending the hunting season by a week. We represent the forest group. This period

will not be to long but it will be enough to stunt the growth of the overall population in our area

in Hampshire county. The reason I think the extended season will work is for the reason that it

will be much easier if we had the help of the local communities to participate in the extended

season. But we would have to be cautious about how many we kill so we don't bring the

population down to an unsafe level. We should probably send out a notice about the deer

population to everyone in the area so they know where the biggest problems are. We could also

try to build fenced in territories so the deer may not enter and destroy agricultural plantations.

 Our next idea may be harder but without some sacrfice we can't have success. We could trap

many deer and transport them to areas weak in deer poulation. The DNR offices in W.V. need

to support our ideas for this to work. This will keep our forest healthy and it will allow the

plants and trees to grow without the interuption of the deer consuming them all. Our cited

website that we recieved our information from is as

follows:

http://cacaponinstitute.org/Deer%20Slide%20Show/Forest%20Understory%20slide%20show.html

 

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Thoughtful Questions

  From:    The Fantastic 4est - Forest - HHS

                                                                                            11/2/2007             7:19:00 AM

     We seem to share the same ideas, but in your second deer population reduction idea, I

     was wondering how you had planned to capture these deer and house them to transport

     them to a place and whether or not you thought they would stay in their new designated

     area or try to return to where they had just been taken from? What kind of

     transportation would you use so that you could ensure the deer's safety?

       Response    The Philosophers - Forest - HHS

                                                                                       11/8/2007        7:21:00 AM

             We would of course send them to a fenced in area where they would have

             plenty of land to roam but they would not be able to break the perimeter of

             the fence. We would transport them in sectioned-off trucks that would be

             padded to keep the deer safe and sound we would lure them in with apples or

              other favorite foods that deer consume.Or we could tranquilize them which

             also would not hurt them.

 

  From:    The Fantastic 4est - Forest - HHS

                                                                                            11/2/2007            7:29:00 AM

     Where do you plan to take the deer? Other states or areas in wv?

 

       Response    The Fantastic 4est - Forest - HHS

                                                                                       11/2/2007        7:30:00 AM

             Congrats! I think your group and our group are on the same lines of the situation.

 

From:    Hampshire High 4th block

                                                                                            11/2/2007            8:05:00 AM

     I am just woundering how your going to get those traps and what are you going to use as

     bait to get the deer?

  From:    bambi busters - Insurance Company - HHS

                                                                                            11/2/2007             8:12:00 AM

     I think your idea to increase the number of predators and hunters is a great idea, but

     what will happen when there are too many predators and that they will be hit by cars, so

     my question is that what will you do to balance the number of predators???

       Response    The Philosophers - Forest - HHS

                                                                                       11/8/2007        7:25:00 AM

             Well I didn't state anything about bringing in additional predators to control

             the population because that would unbalance the situation.

 

 

 

 

 

Dolly Sods Petersburg High School

                                                                                                                              11/5/2007

                                                                                                                             8:18:00 AM

The Forest      Every day I wake to the agony of the four-legged beasties trampling, pawing,

kicking, nibbling, and devouring me. But most of all, I despise the beasts’ lack of respect for

my physical needs. The masses of deer stampede to green leaves that entice and mesmerize

them. I can’t help but be irresistible. My fertile soil enriches my trees. My luscious leaves and

broad, wide branches tickle the deer’s taste buds. The fact that they are overpopulated

depresses me and makes my leaves droop in despair.      As their numbers become increasingly

abundant, this menace destroys my beautiful figure. The older members of the community have

taken years building their strength and developing their thick trunks. Half of my young, vibrant

 plants are murdered before they are even able to reach adolescence. The bushes are always

complaining about the nonsense they endure. The deer strip down all my vegetation, leaving me

to feel naked.      I respectfully petition our human co-inhabitants of this good, green Earth to

assist me in our struggle against the deer. I believe that an extended hunting season would

alleviate this pestilence. However, I would remind the hunters to be respectful to the forest

and to remember that they should kill does as well as bucks (1).      I understand the balance of

nature, me being nature after all. I don’t want all of the deer dead…just most of them. Their

overpopulation has disrupted the natural system and balance must be restored. So, because I

cannot restore the balance, I beg you humans to come to my aid and control the deer irritant.

(1) http://cacaponinstittue.org/html/Cl%20E-classroom/Warner_Deer/html

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  From:    The Fantastic 4est - Forest - HHS

                                                                                            11/7/2007            9:52:00 AM

     It seems you resent the deer...I agree with you on most of your view, but the deer have

     their place as well.  The forest needs them just as the deer need the forest. You seem to

     be educated though...so GOOD JOB!!

  From:    Click on the arrow at right (this was from someone at Hampshire High- 4th block.  Moderator)

                                                                                            11/7/2007              1:31:00 PM

     I really like how you wrote your POV and i strongly agree with you.  I was just

     wondering, if you want the deer hunting season extended don't you think the amount of

     deer we are allowed to kill should be increased as well?

 

 

 

Forest + Over populated deer = no more forest Hampshire High School

                                                                                                                              11/7/2007

                                                                                                                             1:43:00 PM

We as the forest believe that the deer population is way out of control.  The deer come and eat

all our leaves, shrubs, and younger trees.  We really don't stand a chance against them because

there are so many.  We think that to help us get back to how we were before there were so

many deer, the government and communities need to help us.  The surrounding communities

could plant more trees and shrubs and have fences around them so that they could have a

chance to grow.  The government could extend the hunting season and number of deer allowed

to be killed by each person to help decrease the deer population.  We think that this would

really help us to survive and not look so dead and bare.

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