WISCONSIN NEWS: City Revisits Deer Feeding Ban Ordinance

Waupun Common Council next week will renew discussions on the possibility of a deer-feeding ban in the city.

Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in its Committee of the Whole workshop at the auditorium at City Hall, 201 E. Main St.

Last year, the city failed to pass an ordinance that would prohibit the feeding of white-tailed deer that are wreaking havoc on trees and shrubs on the northwest side of the city.

Now, with the extent of damage and large sizes of herds, officials believe it is time to revisit the matter.

"We've had snow from November on," said Waupun City Administrator Gary Rogers Jr. "The deer are not that dumb. They've got food, a warm place to sleep, they're not running from hunters and they're coming into town."

Rogers said a couple of herds of deer are roaming the community, causing a great deal of damage.

The ordinance, if passed, would ban residents from setting food plots in yards.

"It's kind of nice to see deer in the countryside," Rogers said. "Now, we're seeing deer (in the city) can be as common as rabbits. They can become a nuisance."

Residents say even barking dogs don't seem to bother the deer, seen walking down streets and through yards — sometimes in groups as many as 20 strong.

Despite testimony last year from Department of Natural Resources officials recommending a ban, the Council voted to keep the feeding of deer in Waupun a legal activity.

Source: Fond du Lac Reporter