By Maggie Jackson, Kansas City Reader Advisory Panel

Follow the Shawnee Mission Park debate and a person could begin to think deer hunters are blood thirsty fiends.

As a woman who has deer hunted and comes from a family of deer hunters, nothing could be further from the truth. Hunters are typically conscientious about the environment and animal rights. Admittedly there are a few who give hunters a bad name, but such is the case in any field of activity or career.

Shawnee Mission faces the unhappy dilemma of too many deer in a location that can no longer sustain their population. Deer in the park do not have a natural predator to help balance the natural order.

One alternative to not hunting would be to allow the deer to die from mal-nutrition. That would be a fate crueler than a swift bullet or arrow.

Another alternative is to trap and move the deer to another location at tax-payer expense. In this economy that would be an irresponsible waste of a good opportunity.

Hunting does not have to be viewed as cruel. Instead, if done responsibly deer hunts could help stock community food banks or families depleting freezers with a healthy alternative meat.

During the 80’s recession my own father took advantage of the deer over population while keeping his family out of the welfare lines. I am grateful to him for his foresight to teach his children self sustenance.

According to the Fish and Wildlife, deer hunting provides an economic boost of a little over 80 million in sales and 1,700 jobs in Kansas. In Missouri deer hunts contribute 200 million in sales and 4,000 jobs.

The Shawnee Mission deer hunt is only one of many community and park sponsored events. It will bring hunters into the community who will spend money on more than just ammo, hot coffee and lunches at local diners come to mind first.

Much respect should be given to animal activists and their good work, but on this issue they are misinformed.