Deer crisis grows dire
Spotting several axis deer approaching the walking path at Keopuolani Regional Park, the Wailuku woman pulled out her cell phone and began recording the moment on video.
To her astonishment, the deer just kept coming. More than 80 crossed in front of her, she said this week. The clip on her phone backs that estimate up. A retired police officer we mentioned the story to said he and his son witnessed about 200 deer grazing on a Keopuolani Park playing field last month.
To have such a growing herd in the center of the island’s urban core illustrates the population explosion that is happening from Kapalua to Kaupo. Spawned from six female and three male axis deer initially released on Maui in 1959, the island had a conservative estimate of 60,000 in 2022, government officials have said. Media reports and people working on deer management say the herd is growing at an annual rate of between 25 and 30 percent.
The negative impacts of the invasive species are well-documented. Deer are a bane to island farmers, ranchers, gardeners, watersheds, native species and unlucky motorists who plow into them at night. Last year, one hopped a Kahului Airport fence and wandered onto a runway. Luckily, that incursion only caused flight delays and not something far worse.
Imagine if there were one million axis deer on Maui. Math has never been our strong suit, but by our humble calculations, at a 30-percent growth rate and left unchecked, 60,000 deer would swell to more than one million in 12 years. At year six, they would already exceed 222,000 — though drought and a growing lack of forage are already posing a challenge to the population.
Obviously, something needs to be done beyond emergency proclamations by our governors. Gov. Josh Green signed the sixth last month. Tapping the herds as food resources is a logical step and already underway with island hunters and businesses such as Maui Nui Venison, which harvests and sells USDA-approved deer meat. There are companies that provide deer hunts on private land.
Faced with the coming tsunami, their efforts are important and appreciated, but far from extensive enough to stem the tide. Bringing Maui’s deer population under control will require a sweeping commitment to action by our leaders, starting with Green and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. The multipronged effort will require buy-in by state agencies and private landowners.
Culling the herds has potential to be wildly unpopular in some vocal circles. What politician wants to be known as the person who sanctioned the harvest of 40,000 animals? How those animals are harvested and what is done with their remains will be vitally important. Cruelty and waste must be avoided wherever possible. We’ve heard the idea floated of sterilization and wonder if that will be one of the strategies tried.
The numbers do not lie. Every year that we wait to address this brewing ecological disaster makes the job that much harder down the road.