Ethical vs. Unethical Hunting

I enjoy all animals and I have a fond spot for deer. They have sweet eyes and cute ears. They are quiet and graceful and interesting to watch. But I also know they are ungulates (hoofed animals) and therefore are prey for many animals. "Way back when" in NY they were prey for natural predators such as cougar and wolves. Today they are hunted by coyote (sometimes) and humans. I have nothing against ethical human hunting of deer. I think it serves a useful purpose since there aren't other natural predators to keep deer populations in check. Where I have a problem is unethical hunting. Hunters that don't follow the law and hunters that hunt for the sheer joy of "bagging a kill", so they'll do anything to get a deer. I don't like hunters that will hit something and not track it and finish so the animal isn't suffering. I don't like hunters that hunt wherever they want, not following posted signs.

This morning I found out someone killed a deer on Tanglewood's property. Hunting is not allowed on our property and we have signs posted. To add insult to injury, the deer was killed in front of our building, by our pond where the deer sometimes gather and eat apples, and very near the road. Likely someone didn't even get out of their car to kill the deer, but did get out to drag the deer across our property to get it to their vehicle. That isn't ethical hunting. That isn't hunting at all, that is dangerous, cowardly, lazy, illegal and pure nasty. Hunters like that give a bad name to others that follow the laws, the laws of nature and of authority.

I am hoping someone saw the person that killed a deer from the road in front of a nature center. The DEC has been informed and will be on the lookout, as well as some nearby hunters. Tanglewood will prosecute anyone that is caught hunting on our property, that is a promise.