Managed deer hunts near Fellows Lake and Lake Springfield scheduled for later this year have been canceled while the Missouri Department of Conservation and City Utilities work through legal concerns.
"Basically what's happened is City Utilities ... had some concerns about some hunter liability issues," said Francis Skalicky, a spokesman for MDC's southwest region office. "We weren't able to reach a consensus before registration started, so it's delayed until next year."
The archery-only urban hunts, meant to curb overpopulation of deer in and around city limits, garnered broad support during City Council discussions in late 2009.
Conservation agents, who had urged an urban hunt since the 1990s, cited deer populations four to eight times the preferred density.
Springfield-Greene County Health Department officials chimed in with concerns about a rise in tick-borne diseases.
Homeowners in Ravenwood, Spring Creek and Ravenwood South wrote to City Hall to complain deer were creating a hazard on the roadways -- backed up by police crash statistics -- and a nuisance in their gardens.
Full story at: Springfield News-Leader
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