Chattahoochee Bend State Park will allow hunters to harvest deer and feral hogs and kill coyotes for two days this December.
Thirty bucks will allow you to harvest two bucks (or does) after a mandatory pre-hunt meeting with park officials.
After debating the issue on the “Friends” Facebook Group, I was a bit surprised to see that many support the hunt. One commenter even complained about seeing three herds of deer on a twilight ride. Another said that deer were a dangerous threat to park visitors.
That prompted this reply from me:
“I guess I'm just a silly old man, but when I go to a park I WANT to see deer and coyotes and other forms of wildlife. If I saw three herds I would be thrilled!
The park speed limit is 20 MPH, so I don't think that the threat of injury is all that great. If the herd needs to be thinned, I think that it should be done by professionals and not by anyone willing to pay 30 dollars. (sic)…
You’ll notice I don't use words like "slaughter" or "murder" although I do see the wanton shooting of coyotes as cruel and unnecessary. I understand a harvested deer or hog is food on the table rather than road kill. But as I have reiterated, I would prefer to see the herd controlled by professionals.”
To me a park is a park. It is NOT a wildlife management area, a state forest, or a game land. Hunting by amateurs should not be part of population control because of potential damage to fragile ecosystems.
I have nothing against hunting at all. I am absolutely opposed to hunting within the boundaries of a state park.
Period!
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