We don't have a deer problem; we have a commission problem

Mt. Lebanon resident and Ward 5 candidate, William Hoon wrote the following letter to the editor of the Post-Gazette. 

Letter to South Suburban editor: Deer numbers in Mt. Lebanon

Our commission wants a nice tidy box to cram the “deer problem” into, tie it up with a pretty bow and get on with killing action number four. Their premises are completely wrong, as is their goal of reducing dead deer on our roads by 50% over five years. What does that even mean? Our problem is not deer in Mt. Lebanon but rather an inept, poorly informed commission. They all need to be replaced.

At the last commission meeting, Mt. Lebanon resident and Lebo Citizens reader, David Fusco presented this information during Citizen Comments.

- Deer-related accidents in Mt. Lebanon are down 35% in 2015 (19 accidents through June 30 based on MTL deer report projected out to 38 for the year compared to 58 last year). 

- PA residents have 1:71 chance of being in a deer-related accident (State Farm Insurance Report). 

- Mt. Lebanon residents currently have a 1:655 chance of being in a deer-related accident (2010 population x .65 [residents over 18 and presumed driving] divided by 38 [2015 projected accidents]). 

- Upper St. Clair residents have a 1:190 chance of being in a deer-related accident (based on above formula applied to USC data and 73 accidents in 2014 based on the Commission's June 22 presentation). 

- There are 10.4 deer-related accidents per square mile in USC (9.6 sq. mi. divided by 73). 

- There are 6.3 deer-related accidents per square mile in MTL (6.06 sq. mi. divided by 38). 

- If the Commission achieves a 50% reduction over 2014 numbers (down to 29 per year), that would translate to a 1:859 chance of a MTL resident being in a deer related accident. Compared to the national data, that would rank us 47 (between DC and Florida) despite PA being one of the largest natural habitats for white-tailed deer in the country. It would also reduce the number of accidents to 4.8 accidents per sq. mi. 

- An arrow from a bow can travel over 300 yards per an article testing distance from Cabela's. (Admittedly this would have to be a misfire/accident, but any such chance is not warranted on the vehicle data). 

- And lastly, the Commission's presentation from June 22 explicitly dispels the myth that deer are involved in the transmission of Lyme disease as I quoted. The above data demonstrates that the Commission's proposed program is not supported by deer-related accident data. In reality, achieving the stated goal of a 50% reduction in accidents would likely require near eradication of the deer population. And that appears to be what supporters are seeking as anything less would not prevent the concerns raised by so many related to gardens and "potential" deer-related accidents. Unfortunately, it simply appears that many residents do not believe deer have any place in urban residential communities - even ones that have essentially been built in the middle of the forest.

Mr. Fusco also sent me a link to a website which discusses State Farm's data. DRIVERS BEWARE: THE ODDS AREN'T IN YOUR FAVOR  

And here are some deer facts that all drivers should know:

• Deer are on all roads
• Deer are unpredictable
• Deer often move in groups
• Deer movement is most prevalent in the fall
• Dusk and dawn are high risk times

I highlighted the first deer fact. DEER ARE ON ALL ROADS. The commissioners don't seem to understand that fact. Killing deer is not the answer to their "problem."

I asked the question, "Is it about deer/vehicular collisions or is it really about gardens?" Like so many other issues, the commissioners do not listen to facts, just wealthy constituents.