A deer is seen in the South Mountain Reservation in West Orange, N.J., near private homes, on Jan. 25, 2008. (AP)

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North America was once a brimming landscape of abundant wildlife — animals great and small, coast to coast, all over. Then human populations, and hunting, ground wildlife down to a desperate nub.

Now, key wildlife populations are making a comeback, maybe into your backyard. Deer, coyote, moose, bear, wild turkey. Cougar. Wolf.

They’re rubbing up against a lot of people. On the street. On the golf course. And hunting is way down. Some say it’s time to bring hunting back, to strike the balance. Others say no more playing God with guns.

This hour, On Point: Thinking again about hunting.

You can join the conversation. Are animals crowding humans, or is it the other way around? Is hunting the way to solve problems between people and animals?

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests:

From Fairhope, Alabama, we’re joined by Matthew Teague, a journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. His article in the Nov. 24 issue of Sports Illustrated is “A More Dangerous Game: How the decline of hunting is changing the natural order of predator and prey.”

From Washington, D.C., we’re joined by Doug Inkley. He’s a wildlife biologist for the National Wildlife Federation, specializing in ecology and wildlife management.

Joining us from Long Island, New York, is John Rocchetta, a land steward who manages properties on Long Island.

And from Vancouver, British Columbia, is Brian Vincent, founder of Big Wildlife, an Oregon-based conservation group.