Oh Deer

According to this story from the San Francisco Chronicle, the National Park Service is darned sick of dealing with the exotic deer running around Point Reyes National Seashore. In response to the overload of fallow deer (Cervus dama) and axis deer (C. axis), the NPS has developed a management plan to reduce populations, with options ranging from sterilization vaccines to sanctioned hunting (Actually, according to the draft version, which you can read here, they seem to have come up with 5 plans, but really they hope to proceed with "Alternative E," which would eradicate the deer from the park by the year 2020). Turns out park rangers had been culling the deer for years by shooting them, but that program stopped due to public "discomfort" with the idea. Be sure to check out the full article to hear how PETA weighed in, see photos of the (adorable) deer in question, and vote for your favorite culling method!