USDA photo by Scott Bauer

The Star Ledger had an article today about the deer management program at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Seems like Refuge Managers think it has been such a success that they are not interested in continuing to lower the population.

Still, Bitler said the dwindling [hunter] interest is not necessarily a bad thing.

“Someone asked me if I was concerned,” Bitler said. “No, I’m actually happy. I don’t want a lot of deer taken.”

The article makes is seem like we have reached an ecological carrying capacity in the Great Swamp.  The Refuge Managers seems to think that:

The number of deer living in the 12-square-mile area has been reduced by half, to about 220. And the area’s low-growing vegetation has gradually recovered, giving birds and rodents a place to live.

Could it be that we have reached ecological carrying capacity in the Great Swamp?  Or is it just a matter of it being too difficult to hunt, and we reached hunter “carrying capacity”?