A plan to allow hunting in the Blue Hills Reservation south of Boston to thin an out-of-control deer population is sparking backlash from animal welfare activists.
The activists say the state should attempt to control the population using more humane methods, including contraception.
But state officials say those methods are way too expensive and it’s not clear if they even work.
The state Department of Conservation and Recreation estimates there are 85 deer per square mile in the 7,000-acre reservation, far above the ideal of six to 18 deer per square mile. Officials say the deer population is a threat to the entire ecosystem as well as public safety.
Hunting will be allowed in the reservation on just four days this month and next.
