Editorial: The Deer Explosion is an Emergency - Cull the Deer

A recent investigative report by Newsday on the deer explosion on Long Island has uncovered an epidemic.

A health crisis as thousands of people are bitten by deer ticks and infected with Lyme Disease and Powassan - diseases that create chronic weakness and pain - and can be fatal.

A safety crisis as thousands of local motorists collide - or to quote Lloyd Harbor Mayor Jean Thatcher - are “literally run into” by deer.  Causing thousands of dollars in damage every time and killing or sending hundreds of motorists to the hospital.

And an environmental crisis as deer overpopulation strips and kills local foliage - leaving our woods and gardens as an environmental desert, starving bees, birds, squirrels - and the deer themselves - who are left with nothing to eat.

Not to mention the tens of millions in foliage damage to people’s lawns and gardens.

The deer population has exploded - to more than ever before - because of the loss of predators - wolves, coyotes, bears, cougars - and human hunters as well.

50 years ago there were no deer on Long Islands Gold Coast.  30 years ago they inundated Northport and Huntington; 15 years ago they crossed over to Oyster Bay (see the Leaders cover story “Oh Deer”) and now they have crossed through North Hempstead and into Queens.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has thrown-up obstacles to stop deer culls on Long Island.  That needs to change.  For our health, our safety, and our environment we need to stop the deer overpopulation.

We need to rebalance our ecosystem - and dramatically reduce the deer population. Now.