PG's reporter told what to do with deer feces UPDATED

Susan Morgans' bestie, Linda Fuoco, is at it again. Linda writes for the PG and once wrote in to Lebo Citizens here, Here's how Benner plans to kill the deer UPDATED defending herself against the anonymous commenters who mocked her for saying that we have 400 deer in Mt. Lebanon. She ignored the fact that I signed my name. Anyway, here is Linda's latest in the PG, Pet Tales: Dealing with deer .. and what they leave behind where she describes watching in horror, does jumping into her yard.

The residents and elected officials of Mt. Lebanon have come under fire from animal rights activists because “we” have decided that the deer population has burgeoned out of control and the herd must be thinned. Out-of-town protesters scoff at residents’ complaints about what the deer leave behind — feces, big piles of it. Some people find five or six piles every day. It’s not just the smell. People worry about dogs that love to eat it. So I sought advice from experts.

Are deer feces harmful to dogs? 

“That’s a totally valid question,” said Justin Brown, wildlife veterinarian for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Management. “I think there are unresolved issues, and more research may be needed.” 

Deer and other wildlife often have intestinal parasites, what non-veterinarians would call “worms,” which along with their larvae can be excreted. Dogs, cats or people cannot get worms from touching or eating feces, Mr. Brown said.

Feces generally contain bacteria, including E. coli, “some strains more serious than others,” he said. “I really don’t see a huge problem” if dogs eat feces, although they might get diarrhea. 

“Gastrointestinal problems are one of the most common things seen by veterinarians,” Mr. Brown said, and it can be hard to pinpoint the cause. A vet may advise several days on a bland diet or prescribe antibiotics for more serious upsets. [Timmy, the dog loves deer poop and once had to go on a bland diet for a couple of days. No big deal. Deer feces is like caviar to dogs.]

Will deer feces harm your grass, flowers and vegetables? I asked Denise Schreiber, the horticultural consultant known as “Mrs. Know It All” on KDKA Radio 1020..."You can immediately apply fresh deer feces to your garden beds, she said. Work it into the soil or use it as “side dressing” along the edges of gardens. Or, use a rake to spread it out over the yard, where it will fertilize your grass and the soil beneath it."

Update August 1, 2015 10:46 PM From Rep. Dan Miller's end of July newsletter:

"'Peril'...sell the fear."

Thank you, Jason Robi, whoever you are. That was his comment to Linda Wilson Fuoco's article Rabies, coyotes and ticks, oh my! Perils abound in the backyard this summer I wonder when the PG's deer hunter John Hayes, who wrote on February 1, 2014: "With thousands of white-tailed deer causing what has been called a public safety hazard in Mt. Lebanon.." will write his BS about deer for the obvious media blitz going on in time for the June 22 Commission Discussion Session on deer "management."

Fuoco, who responded with a comment on Lebo Citizens  was just part of the "media circus" as described by Susan Morgans. Somehow, Fuoco subscribed to the theory that there are 400 deer in Mt. Lebanon. Morgans defended her on Facebook.

The municipality is so entrenched in this prokill movement, that the two donated planters of deer resistant plants outside of the municipal building are dying from lack of water. Thanks to Barbara S., the planters got a healthy drink of water last night. Driving by today, I don't think MRTSA can revive one of them.

To be fair, I am starting to think it is the commission, being bullied by the power brokers. In the latest Right To Know, our former police chief wanted to end the deer incident report.

It was crazy how our commissioners expected our police force to protect corn. As far as the deer incident report, I have been saying all along that it is bogus. I never filed that August 20, 2014 report. I have never been able to remove that entry from the report. Now, I see that the report has many gaps of information. Yes, Coleman, the report is being used erroneously to push a personal agenda. Originally, we were told that the goal was to reduce deer/vehicle collisions by 50% in 3-5 years, from 2% to 1%. Our commissioners are relying on a deer killer's estimates while ignoring FLIR aerial surveys. They are now depending on an incomplete deer incident report, often confused with a deer accident report.

Our public misinformation office is busy at work contacting her clowns, gearing up for Round 2 of the media circus and the June 22, 2015 Commission Discussion Session featuring deer killer Tony DeNicola. All part of selling the fear.