OK, that's slightly wildly out of context. The NYT is actually talking about how deer have become a nuisance -- a plague, even -- in suburban areas.

An excerpt:

Deer are simply heeding the biological imperative to go forth and multiply. With no natural predators, and the suburbs a year-round salad bar, they have slipped out of their ecological niche - and it's our fault, not theirs. The deer did not ask human beings to create the kind of predator-free suburban landscapes in which they now thrive. But the mountain lion, gray wolf and bobcat are not about to return, and the houses and highways are staying put. People, therefore, must own up to their place in a compromised food chain, and assume the responsibility for managing it well.

Unfortunately, deer contradict our innate assumption that only ugly creatures can be vermin. As the recent release of the "Bambi" DVD reminds us, they seem miscast as villains. But wise conservation means looking at the environment as a whole - from the smallest wildflower on forest floor to the biggest brown-eyed herbivore. The whole system - not just the prettiest mammals - needs protection.

This is something of a mealy-mouthed editorial. In it, the NYT cited the New Jersey Audobon Society as calling for the termination of excess deer with extreme prejudice.

But the NYT only talks in generalities about the need to protect the entire ecosystem.

How, exactly, do the great sages propose this be done?

Actually, Saskatchewan has wrestled with exploding deer numbers at various times. One thing that helps control deer numbers is a long, cold, snowy winter.

And when that happens, some well-intentioned people go out to feed the deer! Agghh!!