To the Editor:
As a longtime resident of Rye, I believe the gifts of nature and all its wonders is one of the things that makes Rye special.
I was extremely disturbed by the comment made by Chris Cohan in the June 28, 2024 issue of The Rye Record in his article “Summertime Gardening.”
Mr. Cohan propounds that because deer may eat some of the plantings in our gardens, “The best defense is to demand our city approve bow deer hunting in fall by the Westchester Bow Hunter Association. They are expert, compassionate, and willing to donate their time.”
A little fact checking – there is nothing compassionate or humane about bow hunting deer.
The organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals states that “quick kills are rare, and many animals suffer prolonged, painful deaths when hunters severely injure but fail to kill them.
A study conducted by the Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Agencies found that approximately 50 percent of deer that were shot with arrows were never recovered, noting that this rate was similar to data from other studies. Some deer survived for up to 5–7 days before succumbing to their wounds. A major study comparing data on archery and gun wounding losses gathered at four wildlife management areas by Texas wildlife biologists revealed that bow hunt wounding and crippling losses are inevitable.
Experienced bow hunters wound more deer than novices (novice archers usually miss animals entirely). The study showed that for every deer killed and recovered, at least one or more deer were wounded and left to die a slow and painful death that lasted up to months.
Furthermore, New York state has specific regulations as to where an arrow can be discharged in relation to public roads, schools, playgrounds, homes, etc.
This means the hunters would need to go to Disbrow Park, the salt marsh, or protected areas like Rye Nature Center, Edith Reed, etc. If this were allowed it would have the opposite of the desired effect by driving the deer out of the protected areas into Rye neighborhoods.
As an alternative to the inhumane slaughter of nature I would have expected Mr. Cohan to provide advice that included options to coexist with nature similar to what follows:
The best defense is to choose plantings that are deer resistant or otherwise not attractive to deer. A simple internet search provides a list.
Using store bought deer repellents like Bonide Go Away! Deer & Rabbit Repellent. I have used this effectively in my own garden.
In closing, with all the other priorities we have within our city I hope that our City Council would never have time to consider the genocide of nature so Mr. Cohan can have a tidy garden.
If they do, I hope they will also consider what I have provided above along with the public outrage, liability, and potential lawsuits if any form of hunting is approved for the city of Rye.
-George Janart