To the Editor:
The typo in 'Deer Management' Options Explored (Great Falls Connection, April 16-22, 2014) was quite telling. It states that bow hunting is the "more human" deer management option. It certainly is-- but bow hunting is the furthest thing from humane.
The HSUS advised Fairfax County in 2009 that "bow hunting is undeniably one of the cruelest forms of hunting due to the exceeding high wound rates associated with this activity... For every animal retrieved by a bow hunter, at least one animal is left to die a slow and excruciating death."
Regardless of how one may feel about the impact on the deer (and the deer management debate has many voices), what about bow hunting's complete misses?
The suggestion was made to allow bow hunting on private property.
It is disconcerting enough to hike in our Great Falls parks past the signs warning us of hunting in progress and to stay on the paths, without imagining arrows flying in my neighborhood as well.
My summer vegetable garden stands in the open, is lush and productive every growing season, and is untouched by the deer.
Ivory soap--an old Maine farmer's method-- does the job. It's very human, and humane.
Nancy Luehman
Great Falls