Jason Miller pushes aside his tie, pulls up the right side of his black shirt and, squinting at the computer screen in the basement of his Lenexa home, starts to scrawl the phone number of a lawyer on his abdomen — just in case.
It's a little after noon on September 25, and Miller is making the final preparations for a stunt he promises will be a "mind blowing" moment in his battle against the Johnson County Park & Recreation District.
Protest placards and campaign handouts cover the chocolate-colored shag carpet. "Disgusting, evil, atrocity, deplorable," says one poster that's smeared with red paint to evoke spattered blood. "Vick went to prison for a lot less," reads a flier with the image of a dead deer, a pistol atop its rib cage.
Earlier this summer, after nearly two years of study, the Johnson County Park & Recreation District finalized a plan to use sharpshooters to reduce the deer population in Shawnee Mission Park by 75 percent. Miller has made it his mission to stop them, starting a blog and an activist group. County officials have refused to meet with him. They haven't changed course in the face of angry letters or peaceful protests.
"They want to play hardball?" Miller says. "I can play hardball."
The 42-year-old has adhered to the conventional activist playbook so far, but today's presentation will be a first. He has revealed his plan only to his girlfriend, Sylvia Riley, and one other confidant. "It's off the fucking chain," he says.
In his garage, a severed deer head, wrapped in two plastic bags, is defrosting. He took delivery yesterday from a venison vendor in Minnesota, he says. Because the butcher would have tossed the head in the trash, she charged him just $40 for shipping.
The exposed flesh isn't new to him. As a kid, his dad took him fishing and hunting. In college, he dissected a pig. "For as long as I can remember, gruesome things don't seem to bother me," he says.
Still, he's taken aback as he opens the bag encasing the deer head. The plastic adheres awkwardly to the softening flesh of its face and the still-oozing neck.
"Oh, Jesus," Miller says, cringing. "I'm not usually squeamish, but this is getting to me." He exhales hard. "She's not smelling too good, either."
After washing his hands — the first of four trips to the sink — he runs upstairs to retrieve a newspaper. Balling up sections of print, he lines the bottom of a wicker basket. "All right, baby," he says, positioning the head in the gray nest, "you did not die in vain."
He has named the deer Victoria.
At 12:50 p.m., he's poised to leave. Deer blood has dripped onto the floor, so he sprays the spattered tiles in his entryway with kitchen cleaner before letting his pit bull, Chico, back into the house. "I'm a little nervous but more eager, actually," he says. "I feel so strongly about this issue: our culture's fetish with killing everything that gets in our way or is a nuisance."
On this cloudless Friday afternoon, he wants to show Johnson County officials the face of death. More important, he wants his opponents and supporters to know that he won't back down.
For 18 years, Vicky Needham lived in a little ranch house in Shawnee. The boisterous mother with a puff of dark hair raised her three kids and got involved in the PTA. But with her children nearly grown, Needham fled the subdivision life in 2003.
She designed her dream home. The house sits atop a wooded hill, just west of Shawnee Mission Park. Gigantic windows show off sweeping vistas of forest and field.
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I've been a vegetarian for seventeen years. I mention this not to be holier-than-thou, but because I have spent a lot of time thinking about animal welfare. If Mr. Miller were really concerned about the plight of animals in this country - and well he should be - he would be far, FAR better served protesting the factory farming system of raising cattle and chicken. While obviously the ideal situation for the deer is one in which humans had not removed their natural predators and thrown off their population balance, the fact is that we HAVE done so. Since re-introducing predators is not likely to fly with the residents of Johnson County, it seems to me that humans must take the place of the "natural" predators or let the deer die a cruel and unnatural death by starvation. A life led in the wild (or "wild," I guess, as far as these deer go) and then ended quickly by a gunshot seems to me far preferable to a slow death by starvation or, for that matter, a life lived entirely in a cage with no room to move, as is the fate of most of the chickens we eat every day without thinking much about it because we don't see them live and die, as we do the deer.
Those of you casting aspersions on the hunters - I assume that you are all vegetarians who don't wear leather, search product labels to avoid gelatin and rennet, and do all the other things that vegetarians do on a daily basis to avoid the meat industry as much as possible. Remember that SOMEBODY killed whatever meat you eat. I think it's the height of hypocrisy to decry hunting while thoughtlessly buying into our far less humane system of beef and chicken production.
I've been a vegetarian for seventeen years. I mention this not to be holier-than-thou, but because I have spent a lot of time thinking about animal welfare. If Mr. Miller were really concerned about the plight of animals in this country - and well he should be - he would be far, FAR better served protesting the factory farming system of raising cattle and chicken. While obviously the ideal situation for the deer is one in which humans had not removed their natural predators and thrown off their population balance, the fact is that we HAVE done so. Since re-introducing predators is not likely to fly with the residents of Johnson County, it seems to me that humans must take the place of the "natural" predators or let the deer die a cruel and unnatural death by starvation. A life led in the wild (or "wild," I guess, as far as these deer go) and then ended quickly by a gunshot seems to me far preferable to a slow death by starvation or, for that matter, a life lived entirely in a cage with no room to move, as is the fate of most of the chickens we eat every day without thinking much about it because we don't see them live and die, as we do the deer. Those of you casting aspersions on the hunters - I assume that you are all vegetarians who don't wear leather, search product labels to avoid gelatin and rennet, and do all the other things that vegetarians do on a daily basis to avoid the meat industry as much as possible. Remember that SOMEBODY killed whatever meat you eat. I think it's the height of hypocrisy to decry hunting while thoughtlessly buying into our far less humane system of beef and chicken production.
Did anyone else pick up on the fact he was thankful for Hamas? I mean, let's be a great guy and stick up for deer, but support an organization that believes in the extermination of Jews. What a hypocrite.
I struck a deer of 470 last Monday, Jason will you pay my $500 deductable? I can't get it from the deer. Or should I be arrested for cruelty to animals?
Did anyone else pick up on the fact he was thankful for Hamas? I mean, let's be a great guy and stick up for deer, but support an organization that believes in the extermination of Jews. What a hypocrite. I struck a deer of 470 last Monday, Jason will you pay my $500 deductable? I can't get it from the deer. Or should I be arrested for cruelty to animals?
The guy is an anarchist. Nobody with any sense sees this as a feasable choice of society after about being 22 years old. Enough said.
The guy is an anarchist. Nobody with any sense sees this as a feasable choice of society after about being 22 years old. Enough said.
I wonder if Mr. Miller, the other members of the Bite Club and all of the animal rights activists have the same compassion for the cockroaches,silverfish,rats and mice that would inhabit their homes if it wasn't for the local exterminater. Why don't they protest the Raid and Dcon manufacturer?They are responsible for a lot more animal deaths than any hunters are. The bugs and vermin are animals too. I suppose since they aren't soft and furry with big brown eyes they don't count!
Here is an idea. Introduce natural predators back into the park. Get a few grizzlys, black bears and mountain lions and stick them in there. Then when they reduce the deer population and get hungry they can start on the humans that visit and live around the park. Now that would make an interesting story!!
To Craig -
I'm with you in that the destruction of the deer's natural predator is a whole matter of cruelty unto itself. It is a great concern for many. And, you're right, the decline in those numbers undoubtedly lead to an increase in the deer population. That, along with the constant land development, has given the deer little room to roam. However, if someone is offering a solution that doesn't involve killing the animals why do you care? The argument that deer should be killed because someone might drive into them isn't reasonable either. Will these hunters just be killing those deer that stray near the roads?
More importantly though, since you pointed out the cruelty of starvation, what about the cruelty of bow hunting? There is nothing quick or painless in that death. It's horrific.
I admire Jason for taking action. There are many who feel as he does but just don't do anything about it. He's a hero - maybe not to you since you seem to favor animal killing but to those of us who value animals he is.
I wonder if Mr. Miller, the other members of the Bite Club and all of the animal rights activists have the same compassion for the cockroaches,silverfish,rats and mice that would inhabit their homes if it wasn't for the local exterminater. Why don't they protest the Raid and Dcon manufacturer?They are responsible for a lot more animal deaths than any hunters are. The bugs and vermin are animals too. I suppose since they aren't soft and furry with big brown eyes they don't count!
Here is an idea. Introduce natural predators back into the park. Get a few grizzlys, black bears and mountain lions and stick them in there. Then when they reduce the deer population and get hungry they can start on the humans that visit and live around the park. Now that would make an interesting story!!
I'm glad someone is standing up for the deer - for all animals. The idea that hunters hunt for preservation is laughable. They kill because they enjoy it. You always see pictures of them posed over the bodies of their victims, heads mounted on the wall - what does any of that have to do with preservation.
To Craig - I'm with you in that the destruction of the deer's natural predator is a whole matter of cruelty unto itself. It is a great concern for many. And, you're right, the decline in those numbers undoubtedly lead to an increase in the deer population. That, along with the constant land development, has given the deer little room to roam. However, if someone is offering a solution that doesn't involve killing the animals why do you care? The argument that deer should be killed because someone might drive into them isn't reasonable either. Will these hunters just be killing those deer that stray near the roads? More importantly though, since you pointed out the cruelty of starvation, what about the cruelty of bow hunting? There is nothing quick or painless in that death. It's horrific. I admire Jason for taking action. There are many who feel as he does but just don't do anything about it. He's a hero - maybe not to you since you seem to favor animal killing but to those of us who value animals he is.
I'll bet Mr. Miller wears leather shoes, belts, and coats.
What are your kid's tennis shoes made of Mr.Miller?
Who killed that animal you wear every day folks?
Mr. Miller is far separated from his existence on this earth, to much for him to deal with? Me thinks so, hide your head in the sand, pretend that you are not part of the web of life on this planet, he saw too many Disney movies as a kid.
Animals eat other animals, Mother Nature is not merciful.
It is the way of the earth fellow humans.
I'm glad someone is standing up for the deer - for all animals. The idea that hunters hunt for preservation is laughable. They kill because they enjoy it. You always see pictures of them posed over the bodies of their victims, heads mounted on the wall - what does any of that have to do with preservation.
Problems like this dont happen overnight and they are not cured overnight. We need controlled hunts and permit sales in my opinion to cure this problem in a secure and humane fashion. Certainly not sharpshooters murdering countless deer at the pull of a trigger. I am truly appalled that a so called "civilized" community would let sort of thing happen !!!
I'll bet Mr. Miller wears leather shoes, belts, and coats. What are your kid's tennis shoes made of Mr.Miller? Who killed that animal you wear every day folks? Mr. Miller is far separated from his existence on this earth, to much for him to deal with? Me thinks so, hide your head in the sand, pretend that you are not part of the web of life on this planet, he saw too many Disney movies as a kid. Animals eat other animals, Mother Nature is not merciful. It is the way of the earth fellow humans.
Problems like this dont happen overnight and they are not cured overnight. We need controlled hunts and permit sales in my opinion to cure this problem in a secure and humane fashion. Certainly not sharpshooters murdering countless deer at the pull of a trigger. I am truly appalled that a so called "civilized" community would let sort of thing happen !!!
Ever see a human who has died because a deer came crashing through their windshield? Their face and throat slashed to ribbons by the dying deers desperate attempts to kick itself free?
Ever see a deer impaled on a cemetery fence as it tried to flee a pack of dogs?
Ever see deer forced to eat mountain laurel and other evergreens because there is no food. Evergreens are poison to deer.
While he may be passionate about "his deer", he is a selfish dolt who doesn't understand the balance of nature. The only predator the deer have now are the automobile.
An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.
H. L. Mencken
Ever see a human who has died because a deer came crashing through their windshield? Their face and throat slashed to ribbons by the dying deers desperate attempts to kick itself free? Ever see a deer impaled on a cemetery fence as it tried to flee a pack of dogs? Ever see deer forced to eat mountain laurel and other evergreens because there is no food. Evergreens are poison to deer. While he may be passionate about "his deer", he is a selfish dolt who doesn't understand the balance of nature. The only predator the deer have now are the automobile. An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup. H. L. Mencken
So this chuckle head was a meat eater just a couple of years back, he does a 180, and suddenly it's all about the animals. Does his pitbull eat tofu and brown rice, or is it part of the problem as well, suckin down alpo and pupparoni?
Anyone spending 10 minutes on this clowns website should come away with a good idea of what a wack job he is. He compares the plight of animals to the Holocaust, for christs sake. He promotes poisoing the water supply, and swings from the sacks of domestic terrorists, all enamored and shit like a little school girl. What he has aint passion, it's called crazy and Miller has it in spades.
I respect and appreciate the passion and compassion.
However, the deer population in the park has become too great and is causing problems for humans, the deer, and other animals.
The overpopulation is leading to a lack of food resources for the deer and disease has set in.
Hungry animals, deer or otherwise, become aggressive and do things they wouldn't normally do.
Lime disease afflicts the overpopulation. Mosquitos feed on the lime-disease-ridden unhealthy deer.
Mosquitos feed on humans and other animals, transferring the disease across species and populations.
If the deer could be caught, relocated, and or eaten, they would be. That was of course considered.
Humans and other animals should not feed on disease.
Sometimes tough decisions have to be made. Humans, the deer, and other animals are at risk.
Passion is admirable and respectable only when logical and in the best interest of affected and potentially-afflicted parties.
I bet this guy would be alot happier if he had some delicious red meat in him. It seems that the real crazies never eat red meat, why is that? Come on over to my place pal, I will cook you a slab of meat that will knock your socks off, wait, can you wear socks? If your lucky maybe we can share some deer jerky! I love animals don't get me wrong but this is stupid, they will start dying a painful death and infecting other animals as well. Why not thin the heard for heathier deer, what is killed, processed and then feed to the homeless in the area. That way they didn't die for "no reason!"
There are more deer in Missouri now than there were at the turn of the last century. We have taken any natural predators out. So without hunting, cars, disease and starvation are the only means of thinning their numbers and those are not pretty ways to die either. So what's the alternative solution unless someone has the land and money to adopt all of them. Any takers among the protesters?
So this chuckle head was a meat eater just a couple of years back, he does a 180, and suddenly it's all about the animals. Does his pitbull eat tofu and brown rice, or is it part of the problem as well, suckin down alpo and pupparoni? Anyone spending 10 minutes on this clowns website should come away with a good idea of what a wack job he is. He compares the plight of animals to the Holocaust, for christs sake. He promotes poisoing the water supply, and swings from the sacks of domestic terrorists, all enamored and shit like a little school girl. What he has aint passion, it's called crazy and Miller has it in spades.
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