Threat of Axis Deer on the Big Island

[Carey]

Royall, there have been news reports & spottings of the deer on island. Link to one of the news reports from late spring:
http://www.kitv.com/news/28059980/detail.html

One of the biggest threats that the deer pose are to those critical habitat areas already fenced & with active eradication.... unfortunately the fencing on this island are not sufficient to exclude the deer, so all of that work and money could be destroyed, and we have lost our major resource for eradication work.... (oh for the days of the Kalani fencing/eradication team!)

As to offering bounties....The Hawaii DLNR Tech. Bul 07-01 Review Ungulate Control Methods & Approach states:
"Bounties have been found to be generally ineffective in animal management, and have actually resulted in increases in the target species in many cases"

Besides, the hunting of axis deer brings in license moneys & supports hunting clubs on the other islands.... although this is offered with a slight tongue in cheek as I have seen this work with the fishing stock collapse: the most effective total eradication would most likely be by offering deer tag/stamps on an exponential scale above the estimated population.... hunters with tags/stamps would most likely eradicate the entire population... add in aphrodisiac quality to the axis deer...and they will be GONE!

So Senator....
If the deer is already here, then the transport has already happened... (every time UH has had personnel in from NZAID, they cannot believe how pervious our shipping is.... for one of the conservation hotspots, we have done a horrible job of protection...)

What is your proposal for the critical habitats? upgrading the fencing would be a start.... but without our Kalani fencing crew...the cost is now so much more prohibitive... maybe we can use those Jr High hunters for fencing instead of bounty hunting....