How do citizens feel about hunting as a method to control deer populations?
A survey by C. Mason Ross Associates, Inc. of Annapolis found that the majority of Marylanders – 67 percent of Western Maryland citizens, 58 percent of central Maryland citizens and 7 out of 10 Eastern Shore residents support deer hunting for deer population control. A recent survey by the Howard County Deer Task Force verified citizen support for regulated deer hunting. Citizens rated various deer management strategies on a scale from not acceptable (0) to most acceptable (5), and each strategy was given a total average score. Regulated hunting (3.05) and experimental deer contraception (3.14) topped the list of all potential strategies. A 2003 survey by Responsive Management regarding Maryland citizens hunting attitudes also found broad-based support for all legal hunting, with 78 percent of Maryland citizens approving of legal hunting. Do hunters pursue deer primarily as trophies? C. Mason Ross Associates’ survey reported that less than 4 percent of Maryland deer hunters considered
