Posted by David Hamilton on December 3rd, 2009

One modest cost of living in the bucolic splendor of Albemarle County is dealing with deer.  For folks coming to Virginia from parts of the country less blessed with white-tails, it’s a treat, of course: turning a corner in the early morning to see a fawn bolting across mist-draped pastures.  But this state of balance requires monitoring and management.  The Bundoran Farm design team struggled mightily with the issues surrounding wildlife management on the farm and neighboring properties, weighing concerns of safety, health and convenience, as well as culture and other intangibles.  We think we’ve come up with a solid wildlife management plan, and the right people implementing it (Leif Riddervold, our Natural Resource Manager, and Jim Wynne, who heads our wildlife management group).

One reason people are concerned about game management is that everyone has heard a horror story about hunting.  Usually about an irresponsible, often illegal hunter who’s caused a problem for a neighbor.  Often, the response is to dismiss active game management out of hand, but this approach has unintended consequences.  The absence of responsible wildlife management on a property almost ensures that the jerks will start to show up.

To further deter the jerks, the Albemarle Sherrif’s department has recently begun a program of installing decoy deer, visible from County roadsides.  The deer are monitored to catch irresponsible hunters attempting to spotlight deer, a practice that’s as unsafe and unethical as it is unsporting.  The dummy deer do not, regrettably, return fire, though I’m sure somebody at Tech is working on a more assertive version.

The project team strongly supports the efforts of the Sherrif’s department, as they complement the excellent work of our own wildlife managment team in combatting illegal and unsafe hunting, and promoting sportsmanlike stewardship in Albemarle County.

Filed under: Education and Inspiration, General, Nature/Environment