Kansas City residents who get a hand from Harvesters this holiday season could be setting their table with local venison.
The controversial deer harvest to reduce the herd and preserve the ecological balance in Shawnee Mission Park is now in phase two, with certified archers taking down additional deer by early in the new year.
But, according to the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, the 313 deer killed by police sharpshooters in November have been inspected, processed and passed on to groups that help the area's needy.
That's just one portion of the nearly $54,000 price tag for this season's deer management. Earlier this morning, Randy Knight, community relations manager for the parks district, sent me the following break-down of costs.
Costs associated with the first harvest by police sharpshooters
White Buffalo, Inc.
Wildlife management consulting services
$28,452
Steve's Meat Market
Meat processing
$19,900
OMB Guns
Sound suppressor
$810
Simmons Guns Specialties
Ammunition
$615
Costs associted with the current bow hunt by certified archers
Cabela's
Proficiency test targets
$300
Big Dog Treestands, Inc.
Treestands
$1,380
Treestand Manufacturer's Assoc.
Treestand safety training and travel
$1,028
Hampton Inn
Treestand safety training lodging
$271
Hunter Safety System, Inc.
Treestand safety harnesses
$333
Cost divided between both hunts
Valley Feed & Supply Co.
Grain
$899
TOTAL
$53,988
Showing 1-9 of 9
Jim
You won't even know it if you get some. It's in a little plastic bag, frozen, not labeled, not dated. It's dark and bloody with flecks of white stuff.......maybe chopped up muscle worms. Since they said the deer were starving, the white stuff sure wouldn't be fat.
I am on Social Security Disability. I worked for over 30 years, until they told me I couldn't work. I am a vietnam era veteran, served 6 years. Ok. Big deal.
But, how come I don't see any of this deer meat? I live in Johnson County. They must think that there are no poor hungry people in Johnson County. I see no government USDA commodities, i.e. beans, rice, instant mashed potatoes, maybe a can of peaches or pork and beans. And NO venison. I dont see it, nobody is offering it at the pantries. All I get is dented cans people were going to throw away. Just another example of "life isn't fair".
Poor victim. Overland Park
Fozzy has it spot on!...but, I think due to the media hype, tree-hugger protest's and potential legal action if "something" goes wrong, culling would be replaced with chemical abortions or ?
But I just heard on TV that many tons of venison was donated to food banks in the local area due to this hunt. So that's recycling or "green" living for you PC types...
Wow, ...Deer eat green things, I eat Deer, so I must be VERY green! See, we all can get along and be green. :)
People eating tasty animals....
Are you kidding me? $50K to harvest deer? Judging by the buck pictured above, they could have made $50K by selling the privilege to bow hunt this area. I'm from Oklahoma and would gladly have paid to participate in this hunt. I would bring my own stand, and my own bag of corn, and process the deer too! Charge a fee that at least covers costs for in state tags and a higher fee for out of state and now you have a net gain. Further, make them shoot a doe before they can shoot a buck and you got your population control. Require hunter safety education certificate and you can skip the cost of safety class too! Why do governments pay sharpshooters to do the job that sportsmen will pay to do for them? Kansas residents pay $32.50 for whitetail license and non resident is $322.50. If all tags are resident 313 deer x 32.50=10172.50 paid for this privilege. If only 10% are non resident now we're over $19,000 net gain to the state. I'm just saying...
Approximately $175/deer, if you do the math, for the firearms portion. The bowhunters paid for their own tags, had to pay for a "safety class" and use their own equipment.
Why concentrate on the $53,988 figure? Consider instead the $3,312 calculation of the archery phase of the hunt. As a JoCo taxpayer, I strongly encourage the county to save the $50,000 rifle cost in the future and continue to allow bow hunters to maintain the herd. Deer are wildlife and as such will populate uncontrollably without a predator to control the herd. Want to introduce wolves?? With Shawnee Mission Park now landlocked with development all around it, the deer can no longer naturally move beyond the boundaries of the park as their population swells.
like
dislike
