Letter to the Editor

Captive deer on a farm tour?

Saturday, August 6, 2016

To the Editor:

Reading the Poplar Bluff DAR newspaper on Wednesday, July 27th, I read the article "Rep. Smith visits deer farm," as he embarks on annual farm tour.

Farms in the state of Missouri are normally where crops are raised to eventually supply food for human consumption. Mr. Smith states, "We're going to everything from deer farms to peanut and cotton farms". Maybe I don't see the right type of farms when traveling through Southeast Missouri. I see farms with corn, soybeans, rice, cattle, hogs, cotton, watermelons, muskmelons, etc., food for consumption by human beings.

How do you promote agriculture as the No. 1 industry and economic engine for our area, when your first visit in the area is to a "DEER FARM"?? Mr. Smith needs to get his priorities straight.

How did these "DEER FARMS" ever get started? They are taking Wild Animals, putting it in an enclosed area, feeding it in order for it to grow a very large rack, having someone pay a few thousand dollars, come into an enclosed area and wait for the deer to come up to feed, pick out the deer you want, SHOOT IT, take it have the rack mounted, take it home and brag about the deer that you got for the season. Now, this is what I call the "REAL DEER HUNTER".

From this article, it appears that all the Deer Farmers do now days, is complain about the regulations they have to follow in order to handle and care for these Wild Animals, all this through regulations from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Jason Smith, like all the other politicians, needs to get his nose out of the business of the Missouri Department of Conservation, the organization voted in and funded by the people of the state of Missouri. The organization proven to be the best Conservation Department in the entire United States, this being done for over 80 years.

Tom Melton

Doniphan, Mo.