Advocates for Michigan Wildlife
Providing a strong and resourceful voice to improve the peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife.
STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF DEER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS!
Say NO to Archery Hunting and Firearm Sharpshooting in Residential Areas!
In 2021, the Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition was formed, which includes many cities in Oakland, Wayne, Washtenaw, Kent and Ingham Counties. The Coalition cities have been collaborating with only the biased and narrow-minded Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) which wrongfully recommended only lethal measures to reduce deer conflicts with residents. In its presentation to the Coalition, the DNR clearly stated that their objectives are: “Increasing hunter satisfaction”, Increasing hunter numbers” and “Increasing opportunities for access to agriculture and urban areas.
The Coalition did not allow any input from organizations which advocate using effective science-based nonlethal measures to reduce deer conflicts with residents. Based on the DNR’s unreasonable advice, the Coalition cities plan is to use firearm sharpshooting and archery hunting at the same time in residential areas which will risk the safety of homeowners and their children. Farmington Hills, Southfield and Farmington have already voted and approved the killing of deer. To allow the killing, Coalition cities plan to suspend their safety ordinances which prohibit the discharge of weapons and/or hunting in our residential areas and risking the safety of homeowners, children and pets.
The DNR has no scientific basis to support its claim that yearly firearm sharpshooting and archery hunting throughout a suburban city landscape will effectively reduce deer conflicts in a community, such as deer vehicle accidents, the incidence of Lyme disease, which is not caused by deer, or landscaping damage.
The DNR admits that yearly firearm sharpshooting and archery hunting will have to be used endlessly, because the surviving female deer will reproduce more fawns, known as the rebound effect, and other deer from surrounding areas will migrate back into the area where the deer slaughtering took place. Furthermore, the DNR knowingly has no scientific basis to support its claim that yearly killing deer will effectively reduce a deer population. This is clear because the DNR has had to approve the relentless slaughter of deer in our Metroparks every year for the past 25 years.
WE ARE URGING YOU TO PLEASE SPEAK UP AND OPPOSE THEIR SENSELESS, INEFFECTIVE SLAUGHTER BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER, YOUR STATE SENATOR AND HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE. DEMAND ONLY NONLETHAL, SCIENCE-BASED, EFFECTIVE METHODS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN YOUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS!
Advocates for Michigan Wildlife is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization whose mission is to:
Educate and inform residents on issues of local, county and statewide significance in the development and execution of wildlife conflict management public policy.
Provide concerned residents with rational, science-based nonlethal alternatives to promote and resolve wildlife conflicts instead of current and proposed DNR wildlife conflict lethal management public policy positions.
Communicate with local, county and state governments on rational, science-based nonlethal alternatives to promote and resolve wildlife conflicts instead of current and proposed DNR wildlife conflict lethal management public policy positions.
Report to the public on the honesty, integrity and transparency of wildlife conflict management public policy developed and implemented by public officials and employees.
