In many cases, claims that deer are overpopulated reflect local residents’ frustration that deer eat flowers from their lawns, when there is no actual overpopulation problem—except for the overcrowding of people.
There are, however, a few cases where deer overpopulation is a serious problem. Some communities have successfully addressed it through deer sterilisation programmes. The main difficulty is that this costs between $200 and $300 per deer, and most communities are unwilling to pay that amount.
We should recognise that humans are the most overpopulated species on this planet, and no other species affects the environment as negatively as we do. Yet we generally do not consider killing excess people an ethically acceptable solution. We try to address human overcrowding by reducing the birth rate, not by increasing deaths. I believe the same is an ethically preferable way to address deer overpopulation.
Continue with these questions:
- Is eating meat part of our cultural heritage?
- Is it unfair and insulting to compare killing a human with killing an animal?
- Should we focus on human problems before worrying about animals?
- If everyone became vegetarian, what would happen to all the farm animals?
More answers: Vegan Ethics FAQ.