“WE HAVE TOO MANY DEER!”
Those words, splashed in bold letters across the cover of a new pamphlet released by the North Fork Deer Alliance leave no doubt about the message the group is desperate to spread.
The alliance, a citizen group that promotes the return of a reasonable deer population in our area, is dedicated to educating the public on the disturbing increase in motor vehicle accidents, disease and damage to our environment caused by the exploding population of deer on the North Fork.
The information in the new pamphlet makes it very clear that the deer problems on the North Fork go far beyond Lyme disease and car accidents. Destruction of forests, water contamination and economic loss for farmers are just a few of the issues featured in their latest publication.
Local doctors see rise in potentially life-threatening meat allergy after tick bite
High on their list of priorities is raising public awareness of the threat to human health posed by the overpopulation of deer in our area. According to Dr. John Rasweiler, a retired research professor who is quoted in the pamphlet, what we are experiencing on the North Fork is a “health emergency.”
In addition to Lyme disease, babesiosis and Borrelia miyamotoi, a new and potentially deadly tick-triggered meat allergy has been introduced into our area. Known as alpha-gal meat allergy, it begins with the bite of the lone star tick. The bite triggers an allergic reaction to meat in an individual and can cause a host of symptoms ranging from hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergy specialist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Southampton and an expert in the alpha-gal meat allergy, says the number of cases has risen dramatically since 2009 when it was first discovered. Presently McGintee has over 350 patients with the allergy and more are being diagnosed every week.
The alpha-gal meat allergy is not considered a tick-borne disease because it doesn’t cause an infection.
“It’s not an infection. It can come from any lone star tick,” McGintee said. “We don’t know why some people develop it and others don’t. Tick bites from the lone star tick induce the body to start making this allergy antibody against a component of meat that we call alpha-gal for short,” she said.
“We do think that the more bites you get, the more likely you are to develop the allergy but even that’s not an absolute. I’ve seen people who’ve had one bite and develop it and I’ve seen people who’ve had tons of tick bites and never develop it. It seems that bites in close proximity to each other does seem to be a higher risk for developing the allergy,” McGintee said.
For patients who develop the allergy, avoiding red meat will completely eliminate any reaction. Researchers have not discovered any long-term health issues related to the allergy unless the patient continues to eat red meat.
Asked if people should be concerned for their dogs, cats or horses, McGintee replied, “We don’t see the allergy in pets because they’re mammals. All mammals express this allergen except primates. So humans and apes and monkeys don’t have any alpha-gal allergen in our bodies but every other type of mammal expresses it widely in all the cells in their body. So for dogs and cats and horses, it’s part of their genetic makeup so they can’t become allergic because it’s part of them.”
An effective cull is the only real solution, group says
In addition to promoting public awareness of health risks, the North Fork Deer Alliance advocates for a meaningful reduction in the deer herd on the North Fork by an effective cull.
“There is not a wildlife group that doesn’t support the cull,” said the North Fork Deer Alliance’s Ellen Wexler.
The overpopulation of deer upsets the balance of our ecosystem, she said. The burgeoning deer population has stripped bare the understory of wooded lands — and that has impacts, some of them potentially devastating, on plants and other animals and even on our groundwater, Wexler said.
Increased soil erosion caused by damage to the understory has led to water runoff resulting in elevated levels of fecal bacteria in our area’s waterways. This in turn affects the shellfish population and causes the potential for unsafe bathing at beaches.
The damage to our environment, our health and our quality of life can not be understated, according to Wexler.
“It’s not good for deer to be overpopulated. It’s not good for the ecosystem, it affects our water. Long Island is ticked off and sick of being sick,” she said.
And we’re not the only ones suffering.
Deer struck by automobiles are not always killed instantly. Many are wounded and left to die slow, agonizing deaths. And when there is not enough food to sustain the population, deer starve to death.
In the pamphlet the alliance provides information on how to connect with skilled hunters who can assist in culling the enormous herd in a humane way. They have also set up a program to connect homeowners with well-trained and insured local deer hunters to hunt on private property, according to Wexler.
“This is the most effective way to reduce deer herd numbers as they have over-grazed the town-owned land and now are primarily on private land,” she said.
An additional bonus is that the deer meat is collected and distributed to food pantries throughout the area.
“If you love animals,” says Wexler, “this is what you need to do. Reduce the population.”
The NFDA has already distributed 5,500 pamphlets and is hoping to get more printed. View and download the document below.
If you would like to make a donation or get involved you can email northforkdeer@gmail.com.
2016_1007_deer_brochure
