I have never shot a deer on my property for fear of getting in legal trouble, but have thought about it several times. There are just too many of the d@mn things around here now. On many occasions while flying near dusk, I see them darting out of the cornfields across my runway. If I ever hit one with my airplane while landing or while riding my motorcycle to work and live to tell about it, rest assured I will go Rambo on the oversized rats.

I am not an advocate of harvesting them but I have the same problem in the Adirondacks. Almost any airport in the NE has similar problems with deer and also serious issues w/ geese. It's not an issue of inconvenience but personal safety, there are clearly too many. I'm not a hunter but the problem is getting worse very quickly and eventually the animals will actually have to be harvested.

There are too many around here because we have eliminated their habitat. Its a pretty lame argument to give them no place to live and then get worked up because they are around. A 25 pound fawn isn't exactly a major threat. She could have easily run into her little ginger bread house and called animal control. Wacking it with a shovel isn't exactly necessary. Euclid isn't the far out styx, its suburb ( a pretty dumpy one at that). I will wager she is just a nasty old lady who has survived this long on being mean.

i used to live in euclid....it's on the east side of cleveland.
it is a pretty populated area, but there is a large metro park system just south of I-90, deer have always been a problem......
on the west side of cleveland they were so overpopulated a few years ago that they brought in "experts" to thin the herds.....
can't tell you how many times friends told me that they hit one with their car somewhere in the city....

not saying the old hag isn't a little off kilter :D

I live in a farming community. Plenty of habitat..... not enough hunters.

Neither is a 10 oz. rat or a 10 lbs. raccoon. But that fawn will grow up to be big enough to kill a motorist. Why is it fine to kill small pests but not big ones?

You have to remember Rick that many who have a problem with killing a nuisance deer also have a problem with killing a nuisance rat, raccoon, possum, woodchuck, coyote, rabbit or feral cat. Luckily killing nuisance varmints does not bother me in least tiny bit. ;):D

Just to let you know I appreciated that. Thanks! :D

the same could be said of 76 year old women.

there have been several major accidents here in Boston in the last few months caused by the elderly. The State is looking to pass new legislation making them take driving tests after a certain age.

Last night I'm on the Duc in downtown Waltham (small town outside of Boston). At a small intersection, I'm in the middle of the lane that goes straight, there's another lane for RH turns. All of a sudden my right side field of vision is filled with a blue Corolla. The car is inches away from me and I almost fall over. I walk the bike up, back and up again, in the driver's seat is an 80+ year old woman. I motion to her to wind the window down, she just looks straight ahead.

Old people are more dangerous than deer. I suppose we should hit them with shovels too. Could be the way to save SS.

here's a good article, read it:

http://www.bostoninjurylawyerblog.com/2009/06/two_more_massachusetts_car_acc.html

Two More Massachusetts Car Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers Adds Fuel to Issue of Whether the State Needs Tougher Driving Rules for Older Seniors

In Boston, lawmakers are considering whether to impose stricter driving regulations on elderly senior drivers. The debate comes in the wake of several high profile Massachusetts car accidents this month involving senior motorists.

Just today, an 83-year-old Malden driver faces negligent operation charges following an accident that left a 78-year-old woman with life-threatening injuries. Police want the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to evaluate whether the man’s license needs to be revoked.

Already this week the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles took away the driver’s license of Virginia Nelson, an 86-year-old Malden motorist. She is accused of hitting and seriously hurting an 84-year-old Medford pedestrian in Melrose over the weekend.

The pedestrian, Francis Blomerth, is in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital. Melrose officials believe that Blomerth was in the crosswalk when Nelson's vehicle struck him.

Massachusetts and local police are investigating the Melrose pedestrian accident. At this time, Nelson has not been cited for any crime.

On June 15, elderly motorists were involved in separate Massachusetts auto crashes in Lawrence and Andover. The drivers lost control of their vehicles, striking a lamp post, trees, and cars.

On June 3, a 73-year-old Middleboro driver accidentally drove her minivan into a crowd of people attending a Vietnam War Memorial in Plymouth. Eight people went to the hospital.

On June 2, a 93-year-old driver hurt a mother and toddler in a stroller when he drove his car into a Danvers Wal-Mart. He stepped on the gas pedal because he thought he was stepping on the brake.

Representative Chairman Joseph Wagner says lawmakers are going to put together a comprehensive bill and place it on the “fast track” so that it is ready for a floor vote by September.

The bill calls for elderly drivers to pass a road and vision test every five years after they turn 85 if they want to renew their Massachusett's driver’s license. Under current state law, individuals must only pass a vision test every 10 years.

Two things wrong here:

- Not a clean kill
- Tossing the carcass

If she would have hit it right the first time and cooked it up, I'd say more power to her. But to slowly kill an animal and throw it out, even though it is amongst the best table fare out there is not ok with me.

Tim, why don't you get a hunting license and hunt deer on your property legally during season. It will put a dent into the population, especially if you can have half a dozen of tags, like they do now in some states. If you only have to step outside to kill one, the meat will pay for the tags. :)

George

Lamp posts are big enough to kill motorists, let's hit those with a shovel as well.
You make it sound like deer cause accidents on purpose. Like they've been trained for it.

I have no problem with killing nuissance animals, but this does come across like a cruel act of a retarded old git. (like it was going to bite my head off..... puh-leez)

AFAIK, 1/2 dozen tags is not possible in Ohio and does not have a season for high powered rifles. So with that said.... I do not have a slug barrel for any of my shotguns.... I don't like venison..... I never really got into the whole hunting scene as I get bored sitting around waiting (more power to those enjoy hunting, I just don't).... I don't like the idea of the state telling the only week I can hunt on my property.

For the most part I view most of my guns as tools for eliminating pests... kind of like wasp/hornet spray and mousetraps. On rare occasion I have even used a steel fence post and my workboot to take care of a possum and a woodchuck, so the whole shovel deal does not bother me much. ;) I will however admit that in general the old lady comes across as a nutjob and probably has been her whole life.

Slug barrel on ebay is about $100 - rifled. That is actually a fun gun to shoot. Will kill anything in Northern America.

That said, if you don't like venison, that's an issue. Also, Ohio hunting is very different from Western hunting, where a lot of it is spot and stalk or still hunting on foot. I call it "armed hiking". I could not sit in a deer stand in cold weather all morning and evening either.

George

Cut to the chase. She said she was in fear of the animal, STOP. It was in her yard and she was afraid.

That should be all it takes.

Threads like this just reinforce my deeply held belief that most people are (1) stupid, (2) uncompassionate, (3) capable of rationalizing ANYTHING and (4) scum.

But they tend to stay put and don't normally run across the road in front of you.

They and kamikaze deer and have been trained. Why else do you think they run out in the road and just stand there and stare at you?

Yes it does but I don't think she should be charged for it.

Do you think I am all four? :eek:

Never said I was talkin' about you... Guilty conscience? :)

I've never felt the need to rationalize killing a pest around my house, whether it be wasps, scorpions, mice, whatever. Unless I had a big piece of land, I'd probably worry about getting into legal trouble for killing a deer out of season on my property. But I didn't feel the least bit of guilt when I killed one with my SC and I was pretty far from my own house. Ditto for killing a raccoon with my SC. No guilt at all. They're like Doritos - they'll make more. We're not talking endangered species here.

Might be but they sure can reproduce and vote. Unfortunately thinking is not tied to either of these in their case.