The Cull
In August of 2015, the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, implemented a deer cull [1]. The cull aims to decrease significantly the population of deer in an effort to reduce automobile accidents, to mitigate the damages to local flora, and to stop the spread of chronic wasting disease, a neurological disease that affects elk, moose, and deer [2]. To achieve this, the city hired sharpshooters to hunt deer until the population was reduced to a target number. Though the deer cull was intended by city officials to promote the good of the public, it has been highly controversial. Soon after it began, a lawn sign campaign was launched with the message “Stop the Shoot” [3].
Those who oppose the cull argue that the deer’s damage to property and local flora is not a weighty enough consideration to merit the killing of innocent animals. Another argument made against the cull is that deer have only become a nuisance in Ann Arbor because of human encroachment on their natural habitats. Some “Stop the Shoot” advocates have even argued that the deer have become “refugees” due to human activities. Besides concerns about the rights of the deer themselves, many residents are also concerned with the safety of lethal methods of reducing the deer population, worrying that due to the proximity of deer to residential areas, sharpshooters might endanger residents of those areas.
Supporters of the cull argue that deer overpopulation poses a significant enough threat that culling deer is a necessary cost. They claim that deer have significantly damaged residents’ property, including causing automobile accidents. Furthermore, they argue that the deer population’s damage to local flora is not just a nuisance, but a serious threat to the local ecosystem, as deer feed on native plants that are essential habitats and food sources for other wildlife. The cull, supporters say, is the only way to make the city safer and restore balance to the local ecosystem [4]. In addition, since 2015, they have introduced non-lethal but potentially more expensive methods of population control, such as sterilization, to complement their original methods, and attempted to address concerns about danger to humans by increasing the distance between residential areas and target areas for culling. However, many residents are not satisfied with these steps—as the cull enters its third year, the “Stop the Shoot” campaign continues to advocate against it.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is the moral relevance of the fact that humans have encroached on deer’s natural habitat?
When, if ever, do benefits to humans outweigh harms to non-human animals like deer?
Is culling the most humane way to address overpopulation problems? If not, what is?
References
[1] Detroit Free Press, “Ann Arbor OKs controversial winter deer cull”
[2] The Michigan Daily, “Roundtable: Should the deer cull be stopped?”
[3] Advance Local Media, Michigan Live, “Stop the shoot!' crowd tells Ann Arbor council about deer cull”
[4] The Michigan Daily, “From the Daily: Deer cull is a necessary cost”
