ABSTRACT
This exploratory chapter grapples with the contentions that exist among agritourism providers, the hospitality industry, communities, and the population of wild white-tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in New Jersey, USA. The impetus for this exploration came forth from empirical data that were collected as part of a larger study focused on climate change perceptions of agritourism providers in the state (Cavaliere, 2017). The various agricultural and development pressures that impact the white-tail were not an anticipated outcome of the larger study and thus warranted further exploration. This chapter presents a discussion of the ethical implications of the management of white-tail as related to the state’s tourism and hospitality industries and stakeholders (see Figure 11.1), particularly as the current population of the species exceeds tolerable limits (NJ Department of Environmental Protection [NJDEP], 2016b). Figure 11.1 illustrates the white-tail’s connections to the tourism and hospitality sectors in NJ including agritourism, nature-based tourism, community hospitality/food banks, parks and protected area management, and hunting and sport tourism.
