More support for the deer hunt

This is a letter to the editor 2/16/10 The Record

Overreacting against deer hunt

All I know about the deer hunt on Garret Mountain is what I've read in The Record. In "Questions on hunt mount like deer" (Page L-1, Feb. 11) Columnist Mike Kelly says bow hunting is "medieval," that scientific conclusions about ecosystems seem "overly exaggerated" and that dialogue about deer is "hyper-embellished." With these comments at the heart of his column about the recent deer hunt on Garret Mountain, his general assessment is wrong.

The scientific reason for culling the deer is that they destroy the natural ecosystem because the deer density is too high in the county park. This is a serious problem that should be dealt with. One of the simplest solutions is a bow hunt, and the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders should be given credit for authorizing it.

It appears that Kelly is upset at United Bowhunters because they had not told him or The Record how many deer were killed. Have a little patience; the results should be made public. Similarly, a report on the amount of venison given to homeless people should be forthcoming. Kelly should commend the freeholders for giving the deer meat to homeless people, and not call it a "lame attempt at political correctness."

If the bow hunters were allowed to complete their mission, it could have been a success. However, as the momentum has turned against the hunt, it's easy to jump on the bandwagon and to conclude that the deer hunt was a bad idea.

Michael J. Sebetich

Hawthorne, Feb. 11

The writer, a bow and gun hunter, is an ecologist in William Paterson University's biology department.