Deer cull "poorly planned"
Ann Arbor is not just conducting a deer cull. It is an urban cull, which is inherently more complicated than hunts or culls in rural areas. Culling in town, close to dense populations, raises practical issues including greater expense, safety considerations and park closures (and diversion of police resources for their enforcement). It also raises legitimate concerns based on people's keen feelings about their neighborhoods: disagreement with the use of parks for killing; objection to firearm discharge in town; distress at the prospect of viewing the aftermath of culling; regrets at municipal action against an animal population that has provided many with moments of delight.
Urban deer culls may be warranted, but they demand a rigor in planning that has been absent here. Proper planning assures residents that the cull is warranted and effective; its absence undermines the cull's legitimacy.
