DEER: Deal with problem rationally

In response to “Dalton deer drawing danger:” As a 20-year DG resident, I’ve seen the after-effects of predators coming into our community many times, but the prey weren’t usually deer; they were domestic chickens and ducks and wild pheasant, quail or other birds. The predators were most often raccoons, skunks, hawks, owls or an occasional lone coyote.

I realize this type of activity is to be expected since Dalton Gardens and surrounding communities border the Idaho Panhandle National Forest that is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, moose, coyote, wolf, bobcat, cougar, wolverine, black bear and even grizzly. My point is, as was pointed out by one resident at an earlier DG City Council meeting, “Do we want to make an ordinance that potentially pens one neighbor against another?” when predators coming down from Canfield Mountain are going to come whether for deer, chickens, ducks, dogs, domestic cats, or other prey small enough to be overtaken.

If you recall, just two weeks ago children had to be kept in lockdown at Woodland Elementary in Coeur d’Alene because a small black bear wandered into Coeur d’Alene. I cooked bacon that morning with my kitchen window open. Do you suppose we should ban cooking bacon that might attract predators, or ban chickens or ducks because they attract predators? If a problem exists and a “solution” is necessary, let’s take a “realistic” approach, rather than place blame on the deer or those who intentionally or unintentionally feed them.

A.J. PEDERSEN

Dalton Gardens