Big Outrage Over Killing Non-Native Deer In Marin County

  ASSIGNMENT 7

Point Reyes, Calif. Nov.2, 2007 - KGO (KGO) -- Over the last three months, the national park service has quietly killed hundreds of deer in Marin County. It's happening at Point Reyes National Seashore where the future of non-native deer has been hotly debated for years.

The park service announced the start of the shootings in August, but critics did not expect the killing to move so fast.

They're known around Point Reyes as "the white deer," though only some of them are actually white. Their real name is Fallow deer. They, along with another species called Axis deer are native to Asia.

But in the 1940's and 50's, a few dozen were brought to Marin County to be hunted for sport. Those that didn't get killed did what deer do.

So when the National Park Service took over the land in 1962, there were hundreds of non-native deer and they became a tourist attraction, beloved by many local residents.

"They are a great asset to the park. They are beautiful. People love to go out and look at them, including me," said Jim Simon.

But the park service wants them out and they've hired a team of sharpshooters to kill the non-native deer.

The shooting is being done secretly with no outside observers allowed. Almost 400 deer have been killed in the last three months.

"Our mission is to preserve and conserve the natural eco-system here, the native eco-systems," said Point Reyes National Seashore Biologist Natalie Gates.

The park service says the fallow and axis deer are competing with the native Blacktail.

"There's no extra in nature. There's no extra food out there for the fallow deer and the axis deer. So what's happening is you are reducing the ability of the Blacktail deer to reproduce or survive," said Gates.

But animal rights groups including the Marin Humane Society, In Defense of Animals and WildCare don't buy it.

"By the park's own tally there are 1,100 Axis and Fallow deer combined on 90,000 acres of land. They are not out-competing any species," said Karen Wilson from WildCare.

The park service says one of the biggest problems is how the male fallow deer behave during mating season.

"As soon as we get a good rain, some of that churned up soil gets washed into creeks, and so then we transfer the impacts to our creeks and waterways where we have a number of endangers species," said Gates.

The Marin County Audubon Society and Sierra Club agree with the park service that the non-native deer need to be eliminated.

Some ranchers want them removed because of the damage they do to fences, but local residents are campaigning to save the deer.

Ilka Hartman says she often saw a dozen or so deer in this field, but they're gone now and she thinks they must have been shot.

"This whole area between Olema and my town, Bolinas seems dead now. It's very painful," said Hartman.

There are signs all over the area asking the park service to "manage" the herd rather than exterminate it.

Ilka believes it's too late to return the park to its native state.

"It's a fantasy. I think if they really intended to let it go back to its original state, they would need to take out all the roads, the parking lots, the restrooms, the signs," said Hartman.

The park service is saving eighty female deer for research. They've been injected with an experimental contraceptive drug. The treated deer are given ear tags and a radio collar so they can be found next spring to see if they reproduce.

Animal rights activists say the park should stop the killing and wait for the results. They believe there's no hurry.

"Many of our organizations and individuals really question what kind of data the park is using to make decisions. We really haven't seen the evidence of destruction that the park is indicating are caused by these deer," said Cindy Machado from the Humane Society.

"It would be a terrible thing if we would have to wait in order to -- because the impacts are not completely destroying the ecosystem. I think we should be able to act before we get utter destruction," said Gates.

Park officials say they plan to kill as many non-native deer as possible this fall, so there will be fewer to reproduce next year.

The park service is giving the deer meat to food banks and a program to rehabilitate condors. Officials refused our request to go along when the deer are being shot.

To read the official statement from Point Reyes National Seashore Deer Management Plan and the Environmental Impact click here

Organizations that support the park's shooting of deer:

The Sierra Club, Marin Club
Marin Audubon Society

Organizations that oppose the park's shooting of deer:

Friends Of The White Deer
The Marin Humane Society
In Defense Of Animals
WildCare

Written and Produced by Jeniffer Olney.

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