Isn't hunting by humans necessary to prevent deer
overpopulation?
In many cases, when people claim there is deer overpopulation, what is really going on is that some residents are upset that deer are eating the flowers on their front lawn, when in reality there is no overpopulation problem - with the possible exception of human overpopulation.
Nevertheless, there are some cases where there genuinely is a severe deer overpopulation problem. Some communities have successfully dealt with this situation through deer sterilization programs. The primary problem with this approach is that it costs between $200 and $300 per deer, and most communities are unwilling to pay this cost.
However, we should realize that the most overpopulated species on the planet is us humans, and no other species adversely affects the environment as much as we do. However, we generally do not consider it to be an ethically acceptable solution to kill the excess human population. We try to address our own overpopulation problem by reducing our birth rate, not by increasing our death rate. Similarly, I believe that this is also the ethically preferable solution for dealing with deer overpopulation.
Follow up questions:
Isn't hunting and eating meat a part of our cultural heritage?
Isn't it unfair and insulting to compare the murder of a human being with the killing of animals?
Shouldn't we focus on solving human problems before worrying about animals?
If everyone becomes a vegetarian, then what will we do with all the farm animals?