“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” – T. H. Huxley, English biologist and author (1825-1895)

I JUST WANT TO DIE HALF THE TIME…i actually picked up the phone and straightened out a deer biologist with our state DNR and barely allowed him to offer up lame excuses for murdering deer in parks each november.

[see my letter to the editor on said topic here, and, at end of this blog entry, read a pretty absurd response I received from Indiana State Parks & Reservoirs]

…i am tired of people getting away with bloody murder. it is absolutely wrong and wicked. if i had studied biology i would love deer even more than i do now. these asses are making cash hand over foot and lie about why…such as IT’S KIND TO DEER TO SHOOT THEM…huh-uh! so tired of thoughtless zombie humans that i could spit…like a camel!

but my friends who love animals renew my verve to continue to speak up and even run through the parks ringing bells if i need to…i would also die for this cause…you bet i would. sick and tired of looking the other way while vain humans rule the world. phooey on the clueless and the self-centered.

…called flexibility…and evolution…and empathy…in this age of information it is shameful to look the other way and not give a damn. growing quite impatient with mind-sets that refuse to look and to care and to do something to correct all of these wrongs.

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such great friends!

Ann Parkes: “You are a wonderful woman, Susie – and I can’t wait to get hold of your book!”

David Rat, fellow author: “Secrets of an Old Typewriter by Susie Duncan Sexton is also published by Open Books…she seems to me a fascinating woman and a tireless animal rights advocate….please check her out!!…”

Lotta Stenfelt: “I totally agree with Don and Susie, please stop the cull! There is no reason to kill healthy living beings just because it’s possible and we do not own the right to their lives to do as we please…All my best to Susie. Night night!”

Paro Babu: “This is one of a finest articles…Thank you for sharing, Roy ♥ and we love you, Susie ♥”

Laraine Russo Harper: “Can’t wait to buy my copy!!”

Bob Wannberg: “I will of course be buying the book and networking to all of my friends!”

Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: “Thank you Roy and you too Susie…I’m so happy to be one of your fans. I ♥ you both so much.”

Mary Shaull: “I love the photos of yore! I know you’re younger than I am, but our photos are so much alike. Little girls in dresses and hair ribbons, and always a dog as a focal point.Your blogs are drawing some mighty interesting comments. I think we’d all follow you anywhere.”

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Response received from parklakeinfo@dnr.IN.gov…

Don and Susie Sexton-

Thank you for contacting Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs and allowing us to clarify our division’s deer reductions. Our deer reductions are not a money making massacre for our properties. Generally, more money is spent preparing the property and hosting the hunt, then we make on the hunts. The hunters are very valuable helping us restore and maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Indiana does not currently have a top predator to help control the deer population. This might not seem like a problem, but without a predator to control the deer, population sizes have grown exponentially. This has severely diminished the quality of our forests and the overall quality of our state parks. Another result of a uncontrolled population, is a high number of diseases. We have seen a growing number of illness and starvation in deer on our property and throughout the state.

Our reduction hunts are done in a safe and controlled manor. Park staff, biologists, and our Chief of Natural Resources measure scientifically how many deer need to be reduced from each property generally in the spring or early summer prior to that year’s hunt. Like you mentioned this year not all properties are participating in reduction hunts. These properties have deer populations that are a safe and maintainable level. Hunters must register prior to the hunt, and only a few hunters are drawn in accordance with the number of deer that need to be reduced. Ultimately our goal is to have each property’s deer population reach a safe number, that can make these reductions hunts only as needed.

We encourage our hunters to help us control the property, and not trophy hunt. Simply removing a deer from the property will be more beneficial than having the hunter sit and wait for the elusive “trophy buck”. By asking hunters to take smaller deer or doe, we are actually helping the population maintain better genetics, allowing those with more desirable traits (antler size and body disposition) to live and reproduce.

While we can’t speak for all our hunters, most use this opportunity to deer hunt as a means to feed their family. Most hunters who kill a deer on our properties or elsewhere can fill their freezer with meat for their families, that would normally be very costly to do with meat from the store. If the hunters is successful in killing a deer, but decides he does not want to take it home, the hunter has the opportunity to donate the meat to the local food bank.

We have made available other information on website. Please visit:

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/…

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/…

http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/….

If we can be of further assistance or could answer any more questions, please let us know. At this time, we do not plan on discontinuing our hunts as they provide us with a valuable control method for maintaining beautiful parks.

Sincerely,

Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs