This story from the Washington Times almost made me bust a gut when I read it.

There's plenty of laughter and a little sadness in the hunting community over an incident involving a deer that collided with an automobile driven by two animal rights campaigners who belong to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The folks who worship at the altar of animals now want to sue a New Jersey game department over the incident, claiming it's the state's fault that it happened.

No, this is not an April Fool's joke � April is still weeks away. Besides, our newspaper frowns on such things. This is the real deal.

On Feb.14, PETA legal counsel Matthew Penzer sent a letter to Bob McDowell, director of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, that said, "Pursuant to New Jersey state law, this will serve as notice that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Dan Shannon and Jay Kelly each reserves the right to bring an action for damages and/or injuries sustained in an automobile crash on November 16, 2001. Shortly before 1 o'clock in the morning on that date, while driving a Honda Civic belonging to PETA and while returning from a PETA [anti-hunt] campaigning tour, southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike, a deer darted out in front of the car and a collision resulted. The collision occurred at or near mile marker 15.4 in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County. Damage to the car was severe, resulting in a repair bill that exceeded $6,000.00 and loss of use of the car for nearly two months. The total amount of damages is, as yet, unknown.

"PETA, Mr. Shannon and Mr. Kelly believe that this collision, which occurred near the start of New Jersey's hunting season, was caused by the state's Department of Environmental Protection Fish and Wildlife Division and the Fish and Game Council as a result of their deer management program, which includes, in certain circumstances, an affirmative effort to increase deer populations. Despite the known dangers an increased deer population poses to motorists in the state, the Division and Council actively assist in increasing the deer population for the purpose of enhancing hunting opportunities and license revenues. The result, as was the case here, is a significant number of auto-deer collisions each year, causing significant injuries and property damage."

This tragic incident presents us with a variety of humorous suggestions.

1. The deer knew that the deer population was booming, so it decided to do something about it. Darting across that highway was a suicide.

2. Since PETA commonly argues that animals have the same rights humans do, shouldn't the New Jersey State Police consider charging the driver of the civic with "reckless driving resulting in death?"

3. Would this be a cause for a class action lawsuit against steel manufacturers? After all, they make the steel that's used in the guns that hunters use to scare deer. The steel industry must know that if they sell steel to gun manufacturers, that it's going to be used to make guns. Also, the car that hit the deer, causing its death, is also made of steel.

4. Also, the state's wildlife management officers are probably liable too. There wouldn't be that many deer out there if they weren't going around handing out those instructional pamphlets on reproduction to the deer. They shouldn't hand out that sort of information unless they are also providing deer condoms.