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People must assist deer herd

To the editor:

The deer herd in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is at an all-time low as a result of severe winters and predation. Whitetail deer are an important part of UP culture, ecology and economy, and they directly affect the human inhabitants of this vast peninsula.

Since the mid-’90s, the deer herd has plummeted from a severely overpopulated 600,000 deer to a current estimated 100,000-200,000 individuals as a direct result of harsh winters and fawn mortality. Experts are predicting a long, harsh winter this year, and our deer herd will need all the help it can get.

I implore the local citizenry to contact the Michigan DNR as well as other conservation groups in the UP to assist in any way possible. Our local DNR does what it can to promote a healthy deer herd, but a collaborative effort on the part of all deer hunters and nature lovers will be far more effective over time.

I am asking you, the local community, to take responsibility for the health and survival of our hoofed neighbors, and play your part in following the policies and harvest limits specifically designed for this area.

Do not harvest more than your share of deer, and if you can, throw some food out for the deer in those cold winter months when they need it most. If we do not take action soon, there will not be any deer left to enjoy.

Gabriel Witner

Houghton

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