Tragically my father, David Murphy, was killed by a white tail deer
One evening last month my parents set out from their home in Forest City to enjoy a motorcycle ride and a picnic in the park. My mother would have never imagined it would be the last time she enjoyed a smile and wave from my dad. The two enjoyed riding their Harley Davidson motorcycles around North Iowa and even across the country. As my dad turned onto the river road south of Forest City, a deer bolted from the ditch, striking him in the side and throwing him to the pavement as his bike slid off the road. My father was pronounced dead later that evening and he became another statistic in Iowa’s losing battle against the white tail deer.
Sadly, my dad was not alone. Several days prior to his accident another North Iowa man was killed when his motorcycle collided with a deer near Lake Mills.
In the days following the accident I couldn’t help but think if my dad would have left home 30 seconds earlier or 30 seconds later he wouldn’t have been hit by that deer. I’m sure that 1.5 million other people in North America have shared those same thoughts. One and a half million people are estimated to be involved with deer/vehicle collisions annually in North America. That number along with 29,000 human injuries, $1 billion in insurance claims and tragically the loss of life is what makes the white tail deer the most dangerous mammal in North America (http://www.reason.com/news/show/34914.html ).
The loss of a loved one is always difficult. But what has made it especially tough for me, is the fact that my dads death easily could have been avoided. If state officials would examine their policies on the size of the deer herd a herd that has been estimated to have tripled in the past decade there would be fewer accidents and fewer deaths. Allen Farris, then the head of the fish and wildlife division for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, testified to lawmakers in 1997 that he thought the deer herd should be between 80,000 and 90,000 in the state. Today the herd is estimated at 475,000. (http://www.drake.edu/cyberpress/2-25/deer.html)
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website (http://www.iowadnr.gov/wildlife/files/drhist.html ) deer do well in Iowa. But the question the state should ask is what good do the nearly 500,000 deer do for Iowa? Outside of revenue from the sale of hunting permits, the white tail deer is more of a scourge to the environment. An MSNBC article clearly shows that the white tail deer has destroyed farmland and changed the ecology of forests nationwide, as well as causing increasing property damage and fatalities like my father’s. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6835501 )
It’s easy for Iowan’s say that it’s someone else’s problem. But that’s no longer true. While covering stories for the Spokesman I’ve come across farmers dealing with severe deer destruction. Two come to mind as I write this. Steve Duke, a farmer near Keosaqua, has had to repair his fences constantly and has seen crops trampled and consumed by a herd of 60 deer that he watches from his kitchen window nightly. Stan Mattes, a Taylor county farmer warned me to be careful as I left his home one night, because of deer. I smiled back and said I would take caution if I spotted one. He replied “it’s not if you see one” and sure enough as I drove Highway 2 at dusk I counted five deer along the road in a 15 mile stretch. It’s everyone’s problem in Iowa.
It’s time that citizens of our state join with organizations like the Iowa Farm Bureau; ABATE of Iowa and other groups to loudly say “enough is enough.” Even hunters see the need to reduce the deer population. The National Rifle Association has weighed in on the issue offering the expertise of their membership to help cull the deer herd across this country. (http://www.nraila.org/Search/?q=Deer%20Over%20Population )
As a matter of public safety it is irresponsible to allow a U.S. deer population that was estimated at just 500,000 deer in the early 19th century to grow to a staggering 30 million deer nationwide today. Some estimates in Iowa place the ratio of deer to humans at one to six. In my mind that ratio has a direct link to why my father was killed on one of Iowa’s roadways.
The Governor, Iowa legislature and the DNR should make it a top priority to cull the herd just for the simple fact of public safety alone. I urge people reading this blog to contact their elected officials, write to the Iowa DNR and talk with law enforcement personal about ways that we can get this problem under control.
Written by Joe Murphy
Joe is a photgrapher for the Iowa Farm Bureau.
June 22, 2009 at 2:54 pm |
moving story and a tribute to a wonderful family and the tragedy that remains a future threat for all who share the road with the four-legged menace. I have a friend also widowed by car collision with a large buck. God bless you for sharing this story and your passion to help us all turn the situation around.Otherwise, sadly, there may be more similar tragedies shared by other Iowa families this Fall. Even one person lost, one family impacted–is too great a price to pay.
June 22, 2009 at 3:39 pm |
I agree that there are too many deer in Iowa, and there needs to be continued public pressure on the DNR and Iowa Legislature to get the numbers down. Official deer population goals should not be based on what will produce the most hunting revenue. And the amount of damage deer overpopulation is doing to woodlands and other natural areas is mostly ignored by the media and isn’t acknowledged even by the DNR.
There also needs to be pressure on some local officials. Towns where large numbers of deer shelter in the fall and winter need to have effective bow-hunting programs, and if that doesn’t work, sharpshooters need to be hired.
June 23, 2009 at 8:36 am |
Excellent blog Joe! That is everything that a lot of people have been saying for a long time! Just last weekend, a guy I know had to lay his bike down to avoid a deer. He escaped with just a bad road rash on his arm, but it could have been much worse. As a hunter, I have personally seen huge deer herds as well as the crop destruction that they cause. I think you will find it interesting that the DNR shows in its hunter rules book every season that there are probably 5 to 10 times the amount of deer we have in northern Iowa in the extreme south of the state and in that area they are allowed to hunt with high powered rifles because of the huge population.
A hunter is only allowed 1 deer tag per season he hunts. Many hunters only hunt for the trophy buck and do not hunt does at all. Minnesota in the past has been able to cut it’s deer population by having an “earn a buck” license system. A hunter is allowed to take a buck only after first shooting and tagging a doe. The tag can also be filled by taking 2 does.
It is interesting to note also that for the hunting season coming up this fall, deer licenses have increased in price. We have a weak economy and money is tight, and we have too many deer, the solution to the problem is not to raise prices on deer tags!
June 23, 2009 at 9:47 am |
Great article Joe. We have referred to deer in our family as rats with antlers for many years. Many of my family members have had car accidents with deer (some of us multiple times). We also witness the damage they do to our crops each year.
A couple of years ago, on our way home from a horse show we hit a deer, though it was not a pleasant experience, I was very thankful that I hit that deer. I found out later in the evening my parents had driven on that same spot in the road just a short while before me on their motorcycle.
Thank you for raising your voice to this issue.
June 23, 2009 at 11:27 am |
Last fall north of lake mills iowa my son driving a crew cab truck was hit by a deer in the back door causing 6000.00 damage to his truck, He had just moved minutes before his 1 year old son from that door that splatered glass all over the back seat, that was luck.. I agree the deer need to be thined out. the damage they do to crops will out wieght the income from licences,not thinking of lives that are lost and damage on vehicles
June 23, 2009 at 11:53 am |
David’s accident is even more troubling due to the fact that a land owner along that stretch” cultivates” a deer herd in several hundred acres on the south side of that road. The area which borders the Forest City Airport is so over populated that due to close calls with aircraft, Winnebago Industries and Forest City put a 12 foot fence around the entire airport to prevent a disaster. While the deer population is far over what is safe, we clearly do not need people creating pockets of super populations of deer like what David Murphy drove through.
June 23, 2009 at 3:05 pm |
I very much sympathize with the author of this article on his loss. I very much enjoy hunting deer in Iowa and by issuing more permits will not help the situation. The public hunting areas have very few deer in them due to the hunting pressure. Time and time again, farmers complain and whine about the deer damage, yet they will not allow a person to hunt on their ground. Deer will populate very heavy where hunting is not allowed. They know where they are safe.
June 23, 2009 at 5:14 pm |
I agree. Iowa has too many deer. I’ve been severely hurt in two collisions with deer – one a 300-pound, 10-point buck and another with a big doe. I sends my heart racing to even see them on the roadside. All you have to do is look at the roadside of I-35 to know we have too many deer. Hunters should be allow to take as many deer as they want until they get horns – like other states too. I would be happy (seriously) if I never saw another one on the roadside again.
June 23, 2009 at 6:48 pm |
I feel for all the families that have lost ones because of deer. Also for those of us living in a town that have our property damaged by them. They come in–eat the vegetation, leave their markings and are off to the next place. Many trees have been damaged along with other property. My husband and I garden and find it very frustrating when they decide to wander thru and help themselves to what they think they might enjoy.
Something definitely needs to be done to REDUCE the deer population!
June 24, 2009 at 12:27 pm |
No pro-deer replies… that should say something!
Let’s use them to feed the hungry, plenty of that going around too.
June 24, 2009 at 8:52 pm |
Joe, what a wonderful tribute. I’m know your father is proud. I was happy to have been able to call Dave a friend and co-worker and was sadden by his tragic death.
The almost daily reports of roadway incidents with deer, many times involving injury or death should be a clear sign that we have a serious problem. I believe we are at the point that just complaining about the deer population is not enough. It is obvious that the DNR management and the governor have no intention of seriously addressing this issue of public safety.
The legislature must act. I implore residents of this state to get the addresses of their state legislative representatives and tell them you want this problem addressed by legislation.
The law must require the deer population be kept below an estimated 80,000 animals as estimated by an independent group other than the DNR. If the population rises above the limit a hunting season of no less than 6 continuous weeks between mid Oct and late Dec with a limit of no less than one buck and 5 doe that can be taken. The licensing and tag should cost no more than 2008 fees with no additional fees required. If your legislator is not willing to address this issue then work aggressively to put someone in that will.
June 25, 2009 at 10:37 am |
Deer overpopulation is much worse in some parts of Iowa than others. A friend in Ames told me that the 2009 DNR aerial survey there showed that some survey sectors had more than fifty deer per square mile, which is ridiculous. He also said that Iowa State University does not allow any hunting on their land, and that ISU land is a big part of the problem
June 26, 2009 at 10:13 pm |
Joe – thanks for keeping up on the deer issue. It’s unfortunate that some tragic accidents happen for no reason at all. No deer is worth the life of a single human.
I think it’s time the Iowa DNR starts budgeting out of their deer license money and purchase some liability insurance to cover the cost of deer/vehicle accidents and crop/fence damage. All of Iowa’s legal drivers are required to have such insurance and most farmers have insurance to cover any accidents their animals may cause.
Another issue that has come up with deer/vehicle accidents is the number of insurance claims. It seems that if a driver had several claims for hitting deer their insurance premiums go up and possibly dropped by their current carrier. It might be a little different if these drivers were under the influence or something but these are people going to work in the morning. Totally not right as no one wishes to smack a deer to test out their airbags and I think it’s time as many others have said for the legislators to fess up and get some teeth after the DNR for “out of control deer population”
June 26, 2009 at 10:16 pm |
Your story is very moving Joe. Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts into words. Please know that there are many who stand by you. Let us work together to see that efforts move forward immediately to reduce the size of the state’s burgeoning deer population. They are a menace to life and property. May God bless you and your family on the loss of your father.
August 22, 2009 at 6:37 pm |
I am an avid deer hunter and have a great respect for the deer in this state. I love hunting. I think you are forgetting that there were deer here before roads. Evening and night are not smart times to be riding a motorcyce on the road, its common sense. Sorry for your lose.
August 26, 2009 at 10:32 pm |
You know you are right that deer were here before roads…but then hunting them back then was allowed anytime and anywhere until Iowa’s DNR regulations took over. As far as evening and night driving, please spend more time in SE Iowa. I have personally hit a deer at 8am in the summer(plenty of daylight). The dumb thing jumped out of no where in a area of tall vegetation….I wasn’t even driving that fast (45mph). I’ve hit them during the day time with a tractor on a gravel road. Just plain to many deer. There WAS NOT that many accidents 20 years ago because that deer population was not over running the countryside! Remember most of us farmers are the ones feeding the wildlife – it’s like being required to donate 1/10th to 1/5 of your income to feeding wildlife with no legal way to be financially reimbursed? Now we are paying with our families lives and putting our teenage drivers at risk. Common sense says shoot more deer now.
August 26, 2009 at 9:58 pm |
Yes, there were deer in Iowa before roads. But there weren’t twenty or thirty deer per square mile, which is the current density in some parts of the state. And in some places, the density is even higher. I’m grateful to the deer hunters who recognize there is a serious problem, and are helping to reduce it by taking does.
September 22, 2009 at 2:13 pm |
First off, the Iowa DNR is trying to reduce the number of deer in the herd. They are issueing anyone eligible to hunt an almost endlesss supply of doe tags. The number of tags permitted in each county is formulated based on the number of deer found during road side and airplane suveys. It is important to reduce the deer heard for public safety as well as helping the herd. As a hunter many of us practice proper deer management. We do this by harvesting doe each year. In 2008 more doe were hunted than buck. The DNR has reported a decrease in the deer herd. You can search the http://www.iowadnr.gov website to find information about current deer population and trends.
Iowa is doing a lot to reduce the deer population while trying to increase the quality of the deer heard. The state is doing everything buy creating a mass genocide of deer. Any respectable person would agree there needsto be a decent ballance of deer to habitat. When doing this we will also reduce the amount of fatal accidents.
I also believe it is in our best interest to practice safe driving habits to help reduce those numbers. It will not eliminate all accidents but it will reduce some. Unfortunately for your family Iowa’s efforts has did not prevent your family’s tragic loss. My thoughts are with your family. I know I am doing my part to help reduce the population by practicing proper deer management.
September 23, 2009 at 5:46 pm |
Iowa Hunter – thanks for spreading the DNR information. I am very much aware what the DNR claims to be doing and what is really going on. I have been involved with DNR depredation tags for several years and every year have the local DNR biologist inspect the damage to my alfalfa hay and bean fields. This year my 18 acre bean field was estimated to having $500 ‘loss’ due to the deer herd (haven’t figured alfalfa yet). Last year hunters killed 42 deer on my place – only 2 were bucks. We still have a surplus of deer – why? In talking with 2 different DNR specialist and both admitted the reason being is the average doe age is much older (5 to 6yrs) than it used to be and those older does have twins and quite often triplets. Well you do the math…80 does, 40 get shot, lets say that 20 of those 40 left have at least twins – minus 5 birthing deaths (a guess as I don’t see very many dead fawns and the triplets can make up for the rest and new bucks)and you now have at least 95 deer running from original 80-40. It’s a no brainer that way to many deer are here in SE Iowa for a long time. Figure it up for the 150 + that I count! You can’t win unless some serious numbers are shot every year. The only way to shoot enough is the tags are free for the whole season! But the DNR claims to loose money….well I lost money too and just this last weekend another death in our county from a deer caused accident….I’m sorry no deer is worth a human life. I do appreciate your efforts and concerns Iowa Hunter, but understand the head DNR and legislators (the DNR biologist are doing their job) are not doing their job as this has gone on way too long with building up the deer herd. Now the geese population is starting to become the same way….no reason for it. Good luck hunting and shoot a lot of does!
September 22, 2009 at 5:51 pm |
Iowa Hunter, the decrease in the deer herd isn’t happening everywhere. My Ames friend told me that the 2009 aerial survey of the Ames area had 25% more deer than the aerial survey in 2008. Granted that the survey is just a snapshot, but that’s not good news.
Another issue is whether DNR deer population goals would really balance deer with habitat. I suspect the goals would be set lower if botanists and foresters were setting them, or if orchids brought in revenue.
Thank you for hunting does. I hope every possible doe tag in Iowa will be filled this year.
November 16, 2009 at 12:25 pm |
Let’s be real – it’s all about the money for the state and the wishes of the hunting lobbies – two consistent agendas. As a non-resident land owner it costs approx. $500 for a any-deer (buck tag) and $200 for a doe tag. Tags are on a preference point system that assures that you won’t get an any-deer tag each year. It’s all about the money in IOWA – take a look at KS, MO and NE where tags are not on a preference point system and they are substantially less expensive-deer herds in better control.
This year the farmer on our place in SW IA is threateing to leave our place because of the extensive deer damage to his corn. I’m having to manage his activiites with the DNR to get depradation tages and even then I’m not allowed to do any of the hunting. This is beyond rediculous and again, it’s about the money and the hunting lobbies in IA.
So, Iowans, if you want the deer population in check, just follow the money trail and the voting trail (is that the same?)to the state legislators; you then have a path to resolve the quest for the biggest antlers vs. the safety and common sense of the people!
November 16, 2009 at 11:36 pm |
Thank you, Iowa Nonresident hunter. You are right — ultimately, deer policies in Iowa are set by the Legislature and Governor. They make the laws.
November 22, 2009 at 11:05 pm |
I’m sorry for your loss. as a Hunter I wish I could hunt in area with high population of deer.
I don’t own land and grew up in Saint Paul. I love eating venison can’t get enough. But where I go hunting, most seasons I don’t get deer.
I find it odd that for people who want to have deer as resource, it’s impossible to obtain.
For people who dislike the deer as resource, it’s over population problem.
Our country is sooo backwards???