EDITOR:

After reading “Judge denies deer group effort to appeal and NRC decision” regarding U.P. deer hunting, some questions and suggestions come to mind. Why does this group call itself “Deer hunters for a responsible U.P. Management” when these avid hunters want the unlimited slaughter of deer?

Richard Smith of Marquette who claims to be a “spokesman” for this group states “Ironically, regulation that would allow hunters to shoot more antlerless deer would do a better job of protecting U.P. bucks than having both buck tags restricted on combo licenses.”

Why then did hunters post billboard sign all over town saying “Let them go, Let them grow”

Smith states “There is no biological justification for protecting yearling bucks from U.P. hunters.” Smith states without this unlimited yearly slaughter the deer could starve to death.

If Smith is so concerned about deer starving, why not use his group to organize a campaign to feed the deer through the harsh winter months?

Smith also claims bucks and does dying during severe winters do major damage to critical winter habitat limiting that habitat’s ability to carry as many deer in the future.”

He wants to “harvest” some bucks before winter to increase the chances of survival for the deer that remain.”

Suggestion: How about not slaughtering the deer in the first place to ensure they survive?

Since Mr. Smith is so concerned about dead deer causing habitat destruction, does it ever occur to him that clear-cutting our forest by paper mills and others in pursuit of profits may be contributing to lost habitat?

The great U.P. of Michigan is a very unique place with its beautiful natural resources. Others outside our beautiful U.P. see us as a place to make a fast buck by chopping down our great forest to killing our wildlife for fun and profit.

Unless we preserve and protect our treasured God’s country now, it will be exploited and plundered until all we have left are like the desolate dirty cities to our south of tar and cement.

We have all witnessed the daily killing and senseless slaughter of life. We, as human race, continue to live in the dark ages of our ignorance and inhumanity to others life forms.

Only when we finally learn to respect and cherish all life that God created as equal with its right to exist, will this carnage stop.

Diana Peach

Cedar River