Is it worth a human life to save a deer in NJ? (Opinion)

In two separate incidents over the weekend, rescue squads risked their lives to save deer who had gone through the ice on local lakes.

I love watching deer behind my house and occasionally will buy "deer corn" from a local farm to feed them in winter.

Growing up we didn't get to see too many up close, so it's kind of nice to have them come out of the woods behind the house and feed. So, I don't hate deer, but if one runs in front of a car and is injured on the side of the road, there's no way I'm going to risk my life and perhaps other human lives to intervene.

No one would disagree we have far too many deer in this densely populated state due to a number of factors. Hunting restrictions are just a small part. One of the other reasons is that there just aren't that many people in this state who will go through the hassle of licensing and regulations just to harvest a deer.

Interest in hunting amongst young people is way down from a generation or two ago.

When a deer is trapped on the ice, some very caring compassionate person calls the local authorities to come to the rescue. These are trained professionals who know how to conduct rescues knowing when to call it off if their lives become endangered.

The question being: Is it worth our resources and personal sacrifice of first responders or park personnel to rescue a deer from the ice? Is it nature's way of "thinning the herd" and we should nature take its course? Take our poll below.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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