Either that or they want to be given the go ahead to hunt wolves. And yeah, overpopulation of deer is bad for ecosystems as they clear out underbrush and prevent new growth trees from forming. This both limits biodiversity but also sets up a long term problem of barren landscapes when the old growth trees do finally die.

Hunting as a way to control animal populations is an important talking point by gun and hunting groups. If ecosystems can be put into a more natural equilibrium by reintroducing apex predators, then they lose this talking point.

Yeah deer are one of the only animals whose populations are higher than pre-Colombian exchange. We basically created their ideal environment across the entire country, forest at the edge of open field.

The most common causes of death for deer are, in order: Human hunting, car collisions, starvation, and last is predation (predation does outrank car collision in certain areas with few people and few cars). Very few animals are actually capable of taking down an adult deer, so if they survive to adulthood they’re almost guaranteed to be killed by a human or by living long enough they wear down their teeth until they can’t chew food anymore and starve to death.

I hear all the time about how there are too many deer and not enough deer licenses being issued.