August 21, 2015: The gray wolf returns to California

[xoxoxoBruce]

On the East Coast, we could use some Wolves, as we're overrun with White Tailed Deer. It's not unusual to see a dozen in my yard, and the road kill numbers are astronomical. Something like 60,000 a year on I-80 alone, and even in Philly proper they're a problem.
Coyotes have driven out a lot of the foxes, but I'm not so sure wolves are the solution for that.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Something like 60,000 a year on I-80 alone...

That's over 164 deer per day.

On one highway.

In 1991 (that's a hard thing to find numbers for) PA only had 42,651 road killed deer statewide. (Source) I know that number has probably gone up, but, dayum!

Was that an actual number you heard, or did ya just grab that one out of the air?

[xoxoxoBruce]

For the state it's 315 per day.
I had posted it in a thread in the Cellar, along with the source, but I don't know where that was. I-80 is 313 miles of deer habitat with a million vehicle a year, 30% of them 18 wheelers. It goes through woods where the undergrowth is sparse and where there is undergrowth it's mainly shit tasting Laurel and evergreens. So the cornucopia of roadside/median vegetation, plus tons road salt, are irresistible.
Wiki

In the United States, the state with the highest number of deer-vehicle collisions is Pennsylvania, with an estimated 115,000 collisions in 2013 causing $400 million in damage.[6] West Virginia is the state with the highest risk that a motorist will hit a deer while driving.[7]

That footnote 6 at Wiki is

Mid-October through mid-December is the peak season for deer vs. vehicle collisions, and Pennsylvania is one of the nation's most active battlefields. State Farm insurance projects that about 115,000 collisions occurred in Pennsylvania in the year that ended June 30, 2013, and the average damage claim for that period was just over $3,400.

That works out to nearly $400 million in damage wreaked in the state by wayward deer, and that doesn't count the value of the gardens they devour before roaming onto the roads.

Pennsylvania is the undisputed leader in the number of deer-vehicle crashes, with Michigan a distant second at 77,000, according to State Farm. But West Virginia remained the state where a typical motorist stood the greatest chance of taking a deer in the headlights -- a 1 in 41 chance. Pennsylvania was fifth, with a 1 in 77 chance.

[Lamplighter]

I-80 is 313 miles of deer habitat with a million vehicle a year, 30% of them 18 wheelers.
It goes through woods where the undergrowth is sparse and where
there is undergrowth it's mainly shit tasting Laurel and evergreens.
So the cornucopia of roadside/median vegetation, plus tons road salt, are irresistible.

That's not the reason for so many deer/car mashups... it's the DOT.



.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Yeah I know, put the sign some where else.

I read recently the deer in the headlights phenomenon may be caused by the deer's eyes seeing a different color spectrum that us. They don't see red/orange, but can see ultraviolet, so our headlights look muted gray, screwing up their depth perception even if they don't get blinded by a direct beam. Don't know if it's true but it's an interesting theory.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Do you know what happen when you introduce the Gray Wolf into an area where it becomes the apex predator?
It's gets the greenie tree huggers all fired up and they start making the politicians clean up the environment.
That results in global cooling and a new ice age.
Before you know it, Frank Reade is fighting for survival.
Is that what you want?

[Griff]

How many flavors of awesome is that?!!

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

For the state it's 315 per day...

Man, that's a lot. I mean, I knew PA had a pretty bad problem with it, but, I guess, I just never thought it out in terms of numbers. Dayum. It's still hard to get my head around those numbers.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

Man, that's a lot. I mean, I knew PA had a pretty bad problem with it, but, I guess, I just never thought it out in terms of numbers. Dayum. It's still hard to get my head around those numbers.

PA has just under 2000 miles of interstates, but deer kills are even happening in the cities. That's Whitetails, not to mention Mule deer, and Elk. Thank heavens the Meeses haven't got here yet. At least a dozen deer die every year within a mile of my place, on two lane suburban roads less than ten miles from Philly.
Wolves? Shit, motor vehicles are THE apex predator.

[Lamplighter]

Rumor has it that in the West, rabbits used to run towards headlights,
but cars were so efficient in killing them that the only survivors were
those that ran away from the lights.

PA is just experiencing a step up/down/around the White Tail's evolutionary tree.

.