**Argumentive Research Paper**

[struttinhoyt]

As promised I got done with my research paper that I been working on for the past couple weeks.. So I thought Id post it up.. Kinda long.. but it gets the point across.. hope you enjoy

Should the Hunting of Deer be Illegal?

Deer hunting is more often referred to as killing. It more than just killing, I myself see it as harvesting. I think I owe respect to the wildlife and to the environment of my community to hunt. I look at it as a sport, I try to be the best sportsman of my ability and try to be as ethical and humane as much as possible.

The question of whether the hunting of deer should be illegal or not has been a very debated question that has been around for sometime now. There are some very good reasons why it should be allowed, the population of the Whitetail deer has been steadily increasing the past several years. Even taking into consideration of death by natural causes and harvest rates the population are still higher and higher every year. One person stated that “Hundreds of thousands of people undertake to shoot deer for sport and food. But while I come to this issue from an ecological perspective, and I don't hunt, I would argue that the No. 1 wildlife issue in the Eastern United States is a gross overabundance of deer that is actually threatening the ecosystem, not to mention posing a serious hazard to motorists and farmers.”(Gibbon) Hunters today harvest 8 to 10 million whitetail deer every year out of a nationwide herd of 32 million--there are more deer in America now than when Columbus discovered the continent. More than 50% of deer harvested by hunters each year are does. Many states use earn-a-buck programs, special doe tags and other methods to reduce deer populations. Biologists in every state use hunters to balance deer herds for the good of humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Here, Miniter discusses how to convert an anti-hunter by pointing out the truth about hunting (Miniter).

What types of problems can a high population deer herd have on the ecosystem you may ask. Deer have a very dramatic effect upon crops and vegetation. You wouldn’t think that a deer was able to actually eat enough to even be noticed, but they can eat a hole in a farmer’s wallet. “In Pennsylvania, there are so many deer in the forests, fields, roads, and suburbs that they cause at least $300 million in damage each year. About $100 million of that is done to crops - and this in a state where agriculture is still the No. 1 revenue source.” With the number of damages that whitetails do to the environment it is a must for hunting to continue. “ Gibbon submits that the most scientifically sound and compassionate direction is for policymakers to change their approach to game management from an "agricultural" perspective to an "ecological balance" perspective, in which hunters take the place of predators and keep the ecosystem in balance”(Gibbon).

Every year there are thousands of wrecks that are caused by deer. “Some 45,000 deer are killed on state highways each year, doing another $100 million in damage to cars and drivers” (Gibbon). They are also the cause of around 200 fatalities and 300,000 injuries a year. “Although motorists typically think that deer crashes are a problem mainly in October and November, these crashes are common in June, as well. In four of the last five years, June ranked as the worst or second worst month for motorists' injuries from deer crashes, according to Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety” (US Fed News). If hunting were made illegal the population would sky rocket and the number of deer inflicted wrecks would dramatically increase.

Not only do high population deer herds create a problem with crops and road hazards, but the spread of infectious diseases such as Lyme’s disease or Chronic Wasting Disease also known as C.W.D becomes a serious issue. Lyme’s disease is spread by ticks that are commonly found on deer. The early stage symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rash. This disease is something that can be treated by medication prescribed by a doctor. If untreated problems in joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. "People are moving into wooded rural areas, which are prime tick habitats," said Marc Dolan, entomologist with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). He said numerous tick-borne diseases exist in America and ticks often transmit multiple infections. One reason for the spread of Lyme, which is transmitted by deer ticks, is the growth and geographical spread of the whitetail deer population that is a host for the Lyme bacteria. (CDC) Chronic Wasting Disease is in most cases occurring in adult animals such as deer, elk, and moose. The disease is progressive and always fatal. The most obvious and consistent clinical sign of CWD is weight loss over time. The spread of this disease would make these animals distinct. Wikipedia states that although there have been reports in the popular press of humans being affected by CWD, a study by the CDC failed to find any relationship.

To some people hunting may seem like it would make people more violent prone and think there are other ways to take care of these problems. “Some people advocate a "kinder and gentler" solution than hunting, such as deer contraception. But the reality is that deer contraception in the wild has no politically viable funding source, which renders it a non-option for a million-plus deer herd. Can you imagine the cost of trapping and inoculating every female deer in the herd, perhaps twice each year, and keeping track of all that? Hunting is the only way to control the deer herd in the short run and perhaps in the long run” (Gibbon).

There are many anti-hunting groups such as P.E.T.A. People for the Ethical Treatment to Animals, breathing down hunters’ backs trying to argue their point that the hunting of animals is inhumane and sick. Ingrid Newkirk, founder of P.E.T.A, stated that there is hardly "anything more selfish, callous and cowardly than shooting a mother deer." Newkirk wrote a letter to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, waxing poetic about how the Great Falls deer "walk along an ancestral path that leads them to and from their sleeping place" and warning that if the state doesn't come on down and stop the hunt, "the children will be catatonic, the neighbors will be up in arms, the fawns will be orphans and the does will be dead, all for the sake of a few flowers." It is hard for people to grasp the concept that hunting has to take place. To Carol Rivielle, a retired schoolteacher who has been fighting plans for the cull for eight years, it is ''a barbaric slaughter of our animals.'' Mrs. Rivielle's 135-member group, Save Our Wildlife, has protested twice at the reservation since January as ''a voice for the deer that have no voice,'' she said. ''It is sickening, the thought of these beautiful deer being hunted down in this way.''(Collins) No one wants to come out and say, “Kill Bambi,” says Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., the Essex County executive. ''It is an emotional issue for everyone, including me. I am not a hunter. I don't own a gun -- I hate guns. But this is the only humane way to control this rise in population.'' (Collins)

No matter what is done hunting has to take place, without it things would progressively get worse to the point that deer would get so aggressive to other deer over starvation that they would literally kill one another fighting over something to eat. If you still are not in favor upon what has been said pay attention to how many deer you see laying on the side of the roads from collisions, or ask someone who works at a body shop how much damage a deer can do to a vehicle. It can definitely be surprising just what these animals are capable of.

I hunt because I am an outdoorsman and have no problem saying that I am proud of what I am doing what is best for the environment in my community which I enjoy so much.]

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Good effort, but I think it could use a lot of improvement.

I spent about 10 minutes editing it and came up with this...

Deer hunting is often referred to as killing, but it’s more than just killing. I see it as both harvesting and controlling a renewable resource. I hunt out of respect to the wildlife and to the environment of my community. I also see it as a sport. I try to be the best sportsman of my ability and try to be as ethical and humane as possible.

The question of whether the hunting of deer should be illegal is a question that has been around for sometime. There are some very good reasons why it should be allowed. The population of the whitetail deer has been steadily increasing the past several years. Even taking into consideration death by natural causes and harvest rates the population is still increasing every year. One person (who said this? – insert their name and qualifications – i.e. Bob Smith, a wildlife biologist) stated that “Hundreds of thousands of people undertake to shoot deer for sport and food. But while I come to this issue from an ecological perspective, and I don't hunt, I would argue that the No.1 wildlife issue in the Eastern United States is a gross overabundance of deer that is actually threatening the ecosystem, not to mention posing a serious hazard to motorists and farmers.”(Gibbon) And even though hunters today harvest 8 to 10 million whitetail deer every year out of a nationwide herd of 32 million, there are still more deer in America now than when Columbus discovered the continent. More than 50% of deer harvested by hunters each year are does. Many states use earn-a-buck programs, special doe tags and other methods to reduce deer populations. Biologists in every state use hunters to balance deer herds for the good of humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Here, Miniter discusses how to convert an anti-hunter by pointing out the truth about hunting (Miniter).

What types of problems can a high population deer herd have on the ecosystem you may ask. Deer have a very dramatic effect upon crops and vegetation. You wouldn’t think that a deer was able to actually eat enough to even be noticed, but they can eat a hole in a farmer’s wallet. “In Pennsylvania, there are so many deer in the forests, fields, roads, and suburbs that they cause at least $300 million in damage each year. About $100 million of that is done to crops - and this in a state where agriculture is still the No. 1 revenue source.” With the number of damages that whitetails do to the environment it is a must for hunting to continue. “ Gibbon submits that the most scientifically sound and compassionate direction is for policymakers to change their approach to game management from an "agricultural" perspective to an "ecological balance" perspective, in which hunters take the place of predators and keep the ecosystem in balance”(Gibbon).

Every year there are thousands of vehicle accidents caused by deer. “Some 45,000 deer are killed on state highways each year, doing another $100 million in damage to cars and drivers” (Gibbon). They are also the cause of around 200 fatalities and 300,000 injuries a year. “Although motorists typically think that deer crashes are a problem mainly in October and November, these crashes are common in June, as well. In four of the last five years, June ranked as the worst or second worst month for motorists' injuries from deer crashes, according to Dennis Hughes, chief of safety programs for the State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety” (US Fed News). If hunting were made illegal the deer population would explode and the number of deer inflicted vehicle accidents would dramatically increase.

Not only do high population deer herds create a problem with crops and road hazards, but the spread of infectious diseases such as Lyme’s disease or Chronic Wasting Disease also known as C.W.D becomes a serious issue. Lyme’s disease is spread by ticks that are commonly found on deer. The early stage symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, and skin rash. This disease is something that can be treated by medication prescribed by a doctor. If untreated problems in joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. "People are moving into wooded rural areas, which are prime tick habitats," said Marc Dolan, entomologist with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). He said numerous tick-borne diseases exist in America and ticks often transmit multiple infections. One reason for the spread of Lyme, which is transmitted by deer ticks, is the growth and geographical spread of the whitetail deer population that is a host for the Lyme bacteria. (CDC) Chronic Wasting Disease is in most cases occurring in adult animals such as deer, elk, and moose. The disease is progressive and always fatal. The most obvious and consistent clinical sign of CWD is weight loss over time. The spread of this disease would make these animals distinct. Wikipedia states that although there have been reports in the popular press of humans being affected by CWD, a study by the CDC failed to find any relationship.

To some people hunting may seem like it would make people more violence prone and they think there are other ways to control these problems. “Some people advocate a "kinder and gentler" solution than hunting, such as deer contraception. But the reality is that deer contraception in the wild has no politically viable funding source, which renders it a non-option for a million-plus deer herd. Can you imagine the cost of trapping and inoculating every female deer in the herd, perhaps twice each year, and keeping track of all that? Hunting is the only way to control the deer herd in the short run and perhaps in the long run” (Gibbon).

There are many anti-hunting groups such as P.E.T.A., People for the Ethical Treatment to of Animals, trying to argue their point that the hunting of animals is inhumane and sick. Ingrid Newkirk, founder of P.E.T.A, stated that there is hardly "anything more selfish, callous and cowardly than shooting a mother deer." Newkirk wrote a letter to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, waxing poetic about how the Great Falls deer "walk along an ancestral path that leads them to and from their sleeping place" and warning that if the state doesn't come on down and stop the hunt, "the children will be catatonic, the neighbors will be up in arms, the fawns will be orphans and the does will be dead, all for the sake of a few flowers." It is hard for people to grasp the concept that hunting has to take place. To Carol Rivielle, a retired schoolteacher who has been fighting plans for a controlled harvest for eight years, it is ''a barbaric slaughter of our animals.'' Mrs. Rivielle's 135-member group, Save Our Wildlife, has protested twice at the reservation since January as ''a voice for the deer that have no voice,'' she said. ''It is sickening, the thought of these beautiful deer being hunted down in this way.''(Collins) No one wants to come out and say, “Kill Bambi,” says Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., the Essex County executive. ''It is an emotional issue for everyone, including me. I am not a hunter. I don't own a gun -- I hate guns. But this is the only humane way to control this rise in population.'' (Collins)

No matter what is done, hunting has to take place. Without it things would progressively get worse to the point that deer would get so aggressive to other deer over starvation that they would literally kill one another fighting over something to eat. If you still are not in agreement with what has been said pay attention to how many deer you see laying on the side of the roads from collisions, or ask someone who works at a body shop how much damage a deer can do to a vehicle. It can definitely be surprising just what these animals are capable of.

I hunt because I am an outdoorsman and have no problem saying that I am proud that what I am doing is best for the environment in my community, which I enjoy so much.

[Born4it]

It'll be looking good after you make those changes...if you want me to look over it again before you turn it in, just let me know :-)

Have a good one!

Ryan

[struttinhoyt]

One of those work in progress kinda things.... had so much going on this week... had 5 finals, 2 seperate tests, this essay and about 5 labs due all this week.... its been kinda hectic.... haven't had as much time as I would have liked to have spent on this 6 page beast.... lol

Guess thats what happens when ya carry about 18 hrs a semester....

[MCH]

Where you going to school at, bud??

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

I'm not sure how to say this without seeming cruel, which certainly isn't my intent, but when I read this I assumed it was for an 8th or 9th grade project. I had no idea it was college level!

You really, really need to work on developing your essay skills.

[Flintlock1776]

Try spell check