The deer dilemma continues

They poison deer, don't they?

OK, so it's not going to rival "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" for catchy Hollywood titles. But the fact that deer in Dalton Gardens have been shot and, now, perhaps poisoned, makes for a compelling story. Instead of the tale of a dance marathon with deeper plot lines and implications, the dropping of Dalton deer is headed toward a truly tragic ending.

We sympathize with city officials in grappling with this difficult issue. For the past several years, the What to Do with All These Does debate has raged without resolution. In the view of some residents, there are simply too many deer in Dalton. In the view of others, humans encroached on the doorsteps of deer so homeowners should either ignore the critters or defend their property with non-lethal solutions like higher fence and less enticing vegetation.

Speaking of fences, it seems like everybody is on one side or the other. The question is, what do you do? Do you treat them like Bambi and ask them nicely to go play with Thumper in Hayden? Do you take your cue from the border with Mexico and try to erect impenetrable barriers around this beautiful little burg? Do you resort to sanctioned violence executed under conditions as safe as possible to humans? Or is there another way through this mess?

Only half jokingly, we wonder what would happen if beautiful Dalton Gardens used the deer as a draw rather than a political and social detour. What if an area of the large-lawned community were designated Deer Gardens and visitors were invited to come view the beasties in a modern interface where Ma Nature and Mankind play nicely together? You do know that there are deer parks around the country, and that some people pay for the privilege of watching these things, right?

But if a deer-based dash of economic development isn't practical or desirable, harsher solutions will still be on the table and tough decisions will still need to be made. Until then, one or more idiots has again taken the law into his own hands, and it's only a matter of time before the intended target gives way to the unintended victim, a human. Then it isn't cruelty to animals we're talking about; it's homicide. And that's not how this movie is supposed to end.