Threat of Axis Deer on the Big Island

[MarkP]

The notion that recreational hunting, or any sort of hunting short of a full-on eradication effort by a numerous and well armed cadre of dedicated and proficient hunters, will be useful in controling deer numbers to an acceptable level is something that we must recognize as fanciful. A successful effort, if one is even possible at this point, would eventually be hard work that is not fun as a huge investment in time and resources is made to weed out the last stragglers. Given their secretive and nocturnal habits, any population that will allow a rewarding recreational hunt will be way over the threshold for tolerable damage to agriculture and native species.