The archers rolled into the gate about 5:30 a.m. Saturday, one
after another like a caravan. There were 18 bow hunters in cars and
pickup trucks, come to thin out the deer herd at the Minneapolis Water
Works in Fridley. About a dozen protesters stood and yelled as they
passed.
``Murderers,'' the protesters called out, ``killers, throat slitters.'
'
The archers did not stop on their way inside the gate at 43rd Av.
NE. and East River Rd., and they did not care to talk to the press.
They were there to reduce the deer herd that lives on the Water
Works grounds, which run along the Mississippi River. Water Works
spokesman Jim Ring said that the grounds total about 150 acres and
that about 35 acres are wooded, providing shelter for the herd of
about 30 deer. The Department of Natural Resources helped plan the
shoot. The DNR regularly thins deer herds to prevent overpopulation
by using controlled hunts, sharpshooters or archers, DNR spokesman
Jay McAninch said Saturday. The meat from Saturday's shoot will be
donated to food shelves.
A security fence encloses the grounds. Water Works employees and
visitors had been feeding the deer over the winter. The Water Works
wants to stop this practice after the herd is thinned to prevent more
problems in the future.
Julie Derby, of Minneapolis, a train engineer for Burlington Northern,
was one of the protesters at the gate. She wore a cap with the PETA
logo, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
``My feelings are that this is a real unnecessary hunt and an inappropriate
resolution,'' she said.
Mary Britton Clouse, of Minneapolis, stood at the gate and said,
``I'm irritated . . . . These deer are so tame they'll walk right
up to you.''
The protesters said they wanted the deer relocated. The DNR should
use a contraception program to control the size of herds, they said.
Protester Kevin Kjonaas, of Minneapolis, said he is a member of
an animal rights organization at the University of Minnesota. ``I'
m against killing animals of any kind for any reason,'' he said. ``Also
some of the deer here are pregnant, and I find that abhorrent.''
At least one hunter was among the protesters at the gate. Maureen
Carlson, of Minneapolis, said she hunts deer with a rifle in northern
Minnesota. ``Hunting is sporting, but this is not sporting at all,
'' she said.
Using sharpshooters would be better, Carlson said. ``Do it faster.
It'd be more humane for the animal. They wouldn't know what hit them.'
'
Shortly after the archers arrived, a buck and three does broke
from cover and ran along the fence by East River Road. Derby and several
of the other protesters ran after them yelling.
DNR spokesman McAninch said overpopulation of deer herds in the
metro area is a problem because the elements are not as harsh and
food is available. In the wild the deer have to cope with deep snow,
scarce food and wolves.
Besides, he said, deer stay in a small area. ``Deer that live
in one place stay there,'' he said. ``You can't drive them out; they'
ll come back. That's why the thinning has to be focused here. If you
tore this fence down today, I'd be shocked if these deer took off.
It goes against what we know about deer and their home range.
``In Bloomington we've found deer that appear to live their entire
lives on less than 40 acres.''
Ring said sharpshooters were not employed for reasons of safety
and expense. The archers were volunteers. Other measures were considered
and deemed unsafe or ineffective, officials said.
As for the question of pregnant does, he said that deer are pregnant
in the fall as well and that nearly every female deer hunted in Minnesota
is pregnant when it is taken.
He said figures on how many deer are killed, and other details
will be available later this week.
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