Guns ahoy at Griffy lake

Recently, the Bloomington City Council voted 6-2-1 to approve an ordinance that allows government-hired sharpshooters to hunt deer at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.

The sharpshooting amendment to the ordinance, presented by council member Dave Rollo, overrides Bloomington’s ban on the use of any firearm in city limits
that isn’t used by law enforcement or for self-defense.

Rollo explained that the deer population at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve had grown too large and park commissioners were worried that the deer would damage the ecosystem.

The Editorial Board, shockingly enough, supports the passage of this
ordinance.

As we see it, there are a limited number of options of how to deal with the deer problem at Griffy Lake.

The first option is sterilizing the deer, which is costly and impossible to do in an
open system. The second option is to poison the deer, which is inhumane.

The third option consists of allowing hunting in the nature reserve, which the Editorial Board is anxious about. We aren’t too keen on having multiple hunters at Griffy Lake shooting indiscriminately at anything that moves.

That just leaves hiring sharpshooters. These sharpshooters, as we understand, are hired by the city based on their credentials as shooters who are trained in safety and effective killing.

These sharpshooters will be able to eliminate the deer overpopulation quietly and quickly, which is another benefit of sharpshooters over hunters. Hunters tend to either hunt with loud weapons, such as shotguns, or weapons that don’t always kill instantly, such as bows.

Either of these methods run the risk of having deer flee the reserve, ending up in the roads, where they pose an even bigger hazard to drivers.

Many people who oppose this ordinance feel it’s inhumane and overly violent, but we don’t have another choice.

If the deer population goes unchecked, the deer will eventually outgrow Griffy Lake. They will eat all the vegetation they will find. They will continue to breed in high numbers. And they will move on.

Once the ecosystem in Griffy Lake is destroyed, we could one day run the risk of having the deer problem move toward campus.

The last thing any of us wants to see is a herd of deer bathing in Showalter Fountain or eating the tulips by the Sample Gates.

Deer aren’t cute animals like kittens or puppies. They aren’t Bambi. Deer are creatures that mimic viruses — they move in, destroy an area, and move on.
Deer serve an important role of our ecosystem; however, the Editorial Board recognizes the threat they post to Griffy Lake.

Thus, Councilman Rollo’s solution of allowing only the most professional, talented hunters to control the deer population is likely the best option.
The deer may be cute to look at now in the nature preserve, but they won’t be so cute when they’re jumping out in front of your car.


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