Deer Killed on Park Avenue
Many of you may have seen the dead deer in front of 1010 Park Avenue. It is not the same as the one that pranced around Park & Seventh. No word yet on whether that one got hit by a car on city streets. I took a picture of the dead deer, but decided not to post it.
Anyway, now that it is rutting season and given that we have deer in the southeast part of the city as well as in Green Brook Park, drive carefully, especially at dusk.
The state-wide deer herd is estimated at 150,000. As with black bears, the encroachment of new housing and other development into formerly untouched habitats is causing a clash between people and the state's wild creatures. Some rural towns hand out information on how to deal with bear encounters. Hunters have been allowed to cull deer herds, even quite close to populated areas.
Years ago the Courier News used to publish what I called the "deer at sunset" photos, so evocative of the former shyness of deer. It was a hallmark of rustic living to see a herd of deer grazing at the edge of a forest.
But no more. Even here in Plainfield, people can recount tales of herds coming right up to their backyard windows as if to say, "Who are you guys and what are you doing on our turf?"
Click here for a link to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Wildlife page, which has many more links on deer, bears, foxes and more. It is a little too heavily oriented toward hunting for my taste, but certainly very informative.
--Bernice Paglia
Anyway, now that it is rutting season and given that we have deer in the southeast part of the city as well as in Green Brook Park, drive carefully, especially at dusk.
The state-wide deer herd is estimated at 150,000. As with black bears, the encroachment of new housing and other development into formerly untouched habitats is causing a clash between people and the state's wild creatures. Some rural towns hand out information on how to deal with bear encounters. Hunters have been allowed to cull deer herds, even quite close to populated areas.
Years ago the Courier News used to publish what I called the "deer at sunset" photos, so evocative of the former shyness of deer. It was a hallmark of rustic living to see a herd of deer grazing at the edge of a forest.
But no more. Even here in Plainfield, people can recount tales of herds coming right up to their backyard windows as if to say, "Who are you guys and what are you doing on our turf?"
Click here for a link to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Wildlife page, which has many more links on deer, bears, foxes and more. It is a little too heavily oriented toward hunting for my taste, but certainly very informative.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 10:17 AM
3 Comments:
The news of the dead deer few steps from me it is not a surprise. Park Avenue drivers often speed by, and really, since we moved here three years ago there has not been one single patrol car controlling speeders around here despite our calling of attention to this problem.
Deer were a common sight around the Leland Avenue area, but lately more and more deer have been seen closer to downtown. One question to ask would be: Why are deer moving closer to downtown? What habitat of theirs is being replaced by a MacMansion?
In the book I am reading, "Last Child in the Woods" there is mention of how high the deer population is, the higher that it has been in a 100 years cycle, but it also talks about how America is losing its forest; it is estimated that the decline of American forest will go from 767,000 in 1982 to 377,000 in 2022.
Forest, as mentioned in this book, includes suburban and urban forest as well as the Yosemite grounds and the Smoky Mountains.
With this said, let's see how long it takes the city to pick up the dead deer. Moreover, let's hope this merits an awareness campaing throughout the city.
MP
Hey Bernice. . .a VERY big 6 point Buck was behind Grace Church in the gardens on Saturday....the handsome fella hopped over the 5 foot iron gate. He had the place to himself and was enjoying the solitude of his environment. I hope this is not the same lad you saw on Park?
signed. . .the 'guy who cuts the grass'
We've had deer recently in and around the Van Wyck Brooks Historic District. They've been on the street and in people's yards (including ours).
I'm told many deer live in or near Hillside Cemetery and the golf course and obviously some have been displaced by the development off Woodland Avenue.
They're all over this year--so be careful driving, especially when visibility isn't good!
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