Don`t Blame the Deer

       So now they want to blame deer for human diseases;    What happened to all the " Wildlife Experts " that said, " Less Deer = Less Lyme " ?  After reviewing the latest numbers from the Connecticut Health Department and CT DEEP one can see that removing deer will not guarantee the lowering of Lyme. In fact, many believe the opposite is true to a healthy ecosystem and there is no correlation with the removal of deer and lowering of Lyme. When does Redding, CT stop the destruction of deer, when there are no more deer ?  Currently the only people benefiting from the removal of Redding's deer are the people that just what deer gone for one reason or another.      Westport, CT has seen a dramatic decline with 57 Lyme disease cases in 2005 to only 6 cases in 2012. Westport has a stabile deer population of approximate 600 deer ( 26.8 dpsm ) per a recent Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) aerial survey conducted in 2012, and the town does not allow hunting. Westport has used non-lethal solutions with public awareness to combat Lyme and it looks to be working. Deer represent approximately 1% of the total wildlife population in Fairfield County.  They are the most visible, but you can`t expect to change an ecosystem with a percentage that low. Conservationists believe that deer are very important in our ecosystem and are only one part of the dozens of wildlife, animals and birds that frequent both Westport and Redding.     Westport and other Fairfield County town`s chose to educate their residents with the facts about Lyme disease and promoted living with nature not control it. Redding town leaders have taken a different path with misinformation, fear, and destruction.       Don`t Blame the Deer !