N.Y. Times Op-Ed Supports Deer Hunting The Sunday, Dec. 4, New York Times' popular “Week in Review” section carried an article on the ecological benefits of deer hunting. “For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle,” by Nicholas D. Kristof, points out that deer kill more humans each year than bears, wolves, cougars and other predators, primarily because of the road hazards they create. He also mentions ticks and Lyme disease and says that the answer to regaining an environmental balance is hunting. Citing figures from Families Afield, the program coordinated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation and U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance to remove unnecessary barriers that prevent young people from hunting under adult supervision, he acknowledges the difficulties in recruiting new hunters and concludes that “it’s time to reestablish a balance in the natural world—by accepting the idea that hunting is as natural as bird-watching.”