"Malcolm Kane" wrote in message
...
In message ,
writes

So you deny saying that deer cannot die of starvation?

Not at all. Any animal can die of starvation. Millions of small birds
die of starvation; that's not a reason for shooting them.

It would be if (a) you could eat them, and (b) the small birds were
altering
the habitat in way that most people didnt find acceptable for whatever
reason. That might be that we want more trees, or different plants than
the
deer leave, or because the deer are competing with other creatures, or
any
of 100 other reasons. No reason why we should simply allow the maximum
deer
population, or pit up with boom and bust deer populations, maybe we find
the
habitat more pleasant with less deer and more of other things (such as
different plants and animals). We get to choose as luckily for us we
evolved
to be smarter than deer.


I thought so. Saving deer from starvation has nothing to do with it.

Yes it has Angus. As you now accept deer can die of starvation it is
better that man acts a "top predator" and eats part of the population.
This to apply your typical anthropomorphic attitude is pleasanter and
preferable to a long slow starving to death.


Most natural (i.e. non-accidental or culling) deaths of adult deer are a
result of malnutrition, but not necessarily because of shortage of available
food due to a high population density.

See
http://www.deer-uk.com/red_deer.htm

from which

"Red deer can have a life span of over 20 years, however this is unusual and
they rarely live beyond 15 years. The highest period of mortality is in
their first year, with over 80% of these deaths occurring within the first
week of birth. Vulnerability during this period is dependant upon weather
and predation. Both foxes and golden eagles have been known to take newborn
calves. Late born calves are more likely to succumb. Hinds will normally
breed between the ages of three and 13 years of age, whilst stags will
normally mate between the ages of five and 11, although stags as young as
one year will attempt to mount if the opportunity arises. After getting
through the first year it is not until the age of eight that natural
mortality starts to increase. Generally death by old age is governed by the
deer's ability to consume food which is determined by tooth wear."