Statement from President Sanford Ungar regarding the deer population at Goucher.

Release date: December 08, 2007 |

Goucher College’s recent decision to decrease the number of deer on campus has understandably caused concern to members of our institution and the surrounding community. Deer are a beautiful element of our campus environment, but with them come certain risks.

Our primary concern is — and always will be — the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. With an abundance of deer in such close proximity, the risk of people contracting Lyme Disease is substantially increased. In addition, anyone who has driven on our campus at night knows the heightened possibility of accidents involving deer.

We are also concerned with the animals’ sustained health. The 287 acres of Goucher’s campus are inhabited by roughly 200 deer. Because our campus is basically enclosed, when the deer multiply, their habitat cannot increase adequately to sustain the offspring.

We sought advice from experts with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who assessed the situation and told us a campus of Goucher’s size can support a herd of 40 deer. If the number is not decreased somewhat, many deer will be at risk of disease and slow starvation.

With people at risk of disease and accident, and deer at risk of starvation, we had to make some tough decisions.

After consultation with DNR officials and close consideration of options for managing our deer population, we have decided to work with a local wildlife control firm that will conduct a managed bow hunt, hoping to decrease the herd by about 50 deer. The firm is familiar with Goucher’s grounds and is licensed and experienced in wildlife control.

We feel this is the most viable and most humane option for the college to manage the overpopulation of deer at this time. Sterilization agents are being examined closely for their potential. However, as it stands now, the agents must be injected several times, causing the animals high anxiety and great potential for injury, possibly leading to a less humane death.

The herd will be culled later this month while the campus is closed for winter break, in order to prevent community members and visitors from suffering harm of any kind. We will also implement safety measures to make sure anyone who might be on campus is not at risk.

We hope some good will come out of the unfortunate predicament in which we find ourselves. To that end, meat from deer removed from the herd will be donated to area homeless shelters.

As an institution of education and as a meeting place for community members, Goucher College understands it is held as an example of thoughtful action and civility. We take pride in carrying out these roles, and we believe our decision helps ensure the well-being of those who live and work on campus, as well as the sustainability of wildlife that is part of our surroundings.