By Sanctuary Director Ed Carlson,

I need to clear up a few things about this deer depredation permit issue that has made the news recently.  Corkscrew is a National Audubon Society sanctuary.  We are a non-profit operation and not tax-payer funded.  Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, including birds and other wildlife for the benefit of humanity.  We do not feed deer. We do not hunt deer, and we do not oppose responsible hunting.  Nor do we begrudge a private citizen from legally protecting his or her livelihood.

We offer a two-and- a-quarter-mile boardwalk that visitors walk along to see first-hand native Florida habitat and wildlife.  Corkscrew is no petting zoo.  The animals do not approach visitors here.  If Corkscrew visitors get a close up of an owl, alligator, bear or a deer, it is because their natural movements brought them close to our boardwalk.  Any animal that approaches a person at Corkscrew looking for food would be relocated.  This begging behavior is unacceptable, and creates a dangerous situation for the visitors and the animals themselves. It is also unacceptable to have bowshot deer suffering for days in sight of the visiting public.

We have a vested interest in safeguarding visitors’ experiences.  That’s why we objected to the issuance of a depredation permit by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  Given our concerns, we approached Mr. Lesser to see if we could find a way to fence his property, and he said he would work with us.  Mr. Lesser has never done anything to offend us.  He has been a good neighbor.  He has a problem with the deer on his nursery, but he didn’t ask us to build him a fence.  He is a private man who takes care of his own business.  He doesn’t even hunt.  His solution has been to allow hunting on his property.  According to the FWC, this is a temporary solution to depredation, and we agree. Bow hunting also has a high probability of injuring but not immediately killing the deer, which creates a major problem for Corkscrew and the Corkscrew community.

We aren’t seeking to limit our neighbor’s rights.  He isn’t asking for a handout.  We have an opportunity to help Mr. Lesser, the neighborhood, and our own interests by getting this fence built.  A permanent solution to this problem is our sole aim.  There are no villains here.