On finding Bambi lying dead in the middle of the road

Ten-plus years of living in Oregon hasn't dampened my excitement every time I spot deer casually strolling around by the roads, or even by the homes. 

Growing up in India, I had seen very few deer, and that too not in the town where I lived throughout my childhood years.  It is, therefore, quite a fascinating and exciting change; so much so that when driving--whether on surface streets or on the freeway--I have pulled over in order to spend a few minutes watching them and reminding myself that this was not India or even Southern California anymore.

But, then sometimes it gets up close and personal. 

Early in my Oregon life, a late autumn rainy evening I was heading back home on the two-lane stretch when the only other car on the road, which was ahead of me--started flashing the hazard lights and came to a stop.  I did the same.

It turned out to be the literal version of the metaphorical deer in the headlights.  The two deer stood there apparently unable to decided which way they ought to go.  This being Oregon, neither the other driver nor I sounded our horns or did anything to force the animals off the road; instead, we simply waited.  After a couple of minutes, the deer scampered away, and we resumed driving.

If only all such encounters were without any damage.  It is a terrible feeling inside every time I see a deer lying dead by the roadside.  Earlier this morning, I saw a deer smack in the middle of the road.

The everyday human in me feels the pain and emotions of the suffering and death there. 

But then there is the rational intellectual in me that wants to explain, perhaps even trying to make it easy for my heart, that America has a big time problem with deer--there are way too many of them!  The deer population has exploded over the past few decades, which then leads to:

The most dangerous mammal in North America is...Bambi. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that white-tailed deer kill around 130 Americans each year simply by causing car accidents. In 1994, these predator deer had a banner year, causing 211 human deaths in car wrecks.
There are about 1.5 million deer/vehicle collisions annually, resulting in 29,000 human injuries and more than $1 billion in insurance claims in addition to the death toll. Deer also carry the ticks that transmit Lyme disease to about 13,000 people each year. Economic damage to agriculture, timber, and landscaping by deer totals more than $1.2 billion a year.

 Oh deer, er, dear!

[Prior] to the arrival of European settlers, white-tailed deer numbered between 23 and 34 million. By the early 1900s, deer populations had fallen to between 300,000 and 500,000 animals. This population crash was a result of market hunting, that is, killing and selling the animals to butchers.
In 1900, the passage of the federal Lacey Act, prohibiting interstate traffic in wild game taken in violation of state law, effectively ended market hunting. At the same time, states like Pennsylvania and Virginia established game commissions that restocked deer and prohibited the hunting of does. Before the arrival of settlers, predators like wolves and bears, along with Native American hunters, had kept deer populations in check.
After their nadir in 1900, deer populations began to recover, rising to around 27 million animals today.

With this massive increase in deer population, it must be quite easy to hunt deer, one would think.  After all, if they are roaming around all over, how difficult will it be for a hunter to bag one, right?  Not so fast. 

Here are some curious facts. One: more white-tailed deer live in the United States today than at any other time in history. Two: fewer hunters are going after them than did even 20 years ago. And yet, three: deer hunting now rivals military combat in its technological sophistication. Outfitters’ shelves are crammed with advanced electronics, weaponry, chemicals, and camouflage, all designed to eliminate every last shred of chance from the pursuit. The average American hunter now spends nearly $2,500 a year on the sport, despite the fact that finding a deer to kill has literally never been easier

 Oh deer, er, dear!

Tom Gallagher, Cabela’s purchasing director, understands the game that’s being played. “It’s no different than the club that’ll drive the ball the longest, the bat that’ll hit the ball the longest, the weight-loss drug that’ll lose you the most weight,” he told me. “Americans love anything that’ll give them an opportunity.”
We also love a sure thing. Hunters took down more than 6 million whitetails in 2011. An old military joke comes to mind: the enemy is all around us—this time he shall not get away.

 Oh deer, er, dear!