MISSOURI NEWS: Referendum on Urban Hunt

Another community is using the petition process to halt urban deer management.

There will be no bowhunting for deer in Cape Girardeau this fall.
The ordinance that would have allowed deer hunting within the city limits is now officially suspended. Keep Cape Safe, a group opposed to urban deer hunting, collected nearly 4,000 signatures on a referendum petition, which was certified Friday by the Cape Girardeau city clerk.


The Cape Girardeau City Council passed the ordinance July 16, which would have allowed bowhunting for deer on tracts of at least three acres during four months in the fall. The council now has 30 days to repeal the ordinance or the issue will be placed before voters in a future election.

 Source: Semissurian

MINNESOTA NEWS: Duluth Cull Continues Quietly

Deer are still creating problems for residents in Duluth.  However, the magnitude of the problem has been dropping over the past seven years.

But Duluth would be far worse off if the city had not conducted a bow hunt for deer within city limits for the past seven years. So far, a total of 3,777 deer have been taken during those seven years, and about 84 percent of them were antlerless deer (either does or fawn bucks). Each fall in recent years, more than 300 hunters have paid their $25 fee and passed shooting proficiency tests to take part in the hunt.

There has not been a single accident to date, and it is getting easier to donate venison to local food banks.

Source: Duluth News Tribune

INDIANA NEWS: Deer Cull, Opposition at Ogden Dunes

There are 55 deer in the one square mile town of Ogden Dunes.

The Town Council has voted 4-1 to seek a deer cull permit after the state Department of Natural Resources rejected steps such as trapping and moving deer and using insecticides to kill ticks on the deer.

Not all residents are on board.

Bernadette Slawinski, a 35-year resident and member of the task force, said she spent hours researching alternative methods of controlling both the deer and tick populations and gave her findings to the Town Council.

"I'm not sure they even read the report," Slawinski said.

She said there are simpler things residents can do, such as planting deer-tolerant plants and controlling the mice population, but officials and residents don't seem interested.

While Lyme is the main issue, traffic safety is a close second.

Source: Chicago Tribune

MISSOURI NEWS: A Referendum on Whether to Cull

Citizens of Cape Girardeau will get to vote on whether to conduct a municipal deer cull.

Opponents of a Cape Girardeau ordinance that established an urban deer hunting program say they have enough signatures to put the issue to a vote.

 The Southeast Missourian reports the organizer of Keep Cape Safe says more than 3,000 petition signatures are on hand and notarized. Only 2,446 signatures are needed to get a referendum on the ballot.

The hunt is scheduled to begin Sept. 15. Supporters say it is needed to cull a deer population that is causing traffic accidents and ruining landscaping inside the city.

Source: Sacramento Bee

OHIO NEWS: Mentor's Ordinance to Hunt Deer, Put Forth "Best Practices"

Another municipality is a step closer to authorized deer hunting.  The town of Mentor took the additional step to outline best practices for municipal hunting.

The amendment comes with a number of conditions, including who can hunt, where, when and how. Only bows and arrows and crossbows would be allowed, and hunting could only occur — by property owner's written permission — on parcels of 5 acres or more, or on a combination of no more than three contiguous properties not separated by a public road. Potential hunters would have to secure a permit from the police chief, pass a proficiency test with their weapon and hunt from a fixed, elevated position at least 8 feet off the ground. They must stay 100 feet from the lot line of properties on which they don't have permission to hunt and cannot shoot at deer if residential structures, vehicles or people can be seen anywhere in their shot direction.

The full proposed ordinance can be seen at the link below.

Source: News-Herald

CONNECTICUT NEWS: Economic Costs of Deer Surprising

Wilton, Connecticut, just tallied the economic impact of their 60+ deer per square mile. It came in at $6.36 million per year (possibly higher), which amounts to $3900 per single family household. Does this seem high? The actual figure might be closer to $9000, depending on what you count and what you leave out.

Wilton’s Director of Environmental Affairs Pat Sesto, who confirmed the calculations, noted that the $6.36 mill figure does not include the cost of education about Lyme disease and sick leave and medical-related losses brought on by tick-borne diseases. A more realistic estimate would probably land the cost per deer at over $4,000. The 2010 study estimates that these damages cost $1,176 in taxpayer money per single-family household in Wilton per year.

Here is a cost breakdown. Damage to landscaping and the environment tops the list, while vehicle damage is at the bottom.

 
Wilton is not what you could call a deer hunting mecca, so they really are not deriving economic benefits. The community is looking into sharpshooting.

 Source: wilton.patch.com

MISSOURI NEWS: Lots of Towns Face Deer Problems

It's being done in small towns, like Fulton, Osage Beach and Moberly. Larger communities, too: Springfield, Columbia, the St. Louis suburban areas and all of metropolitan Kansas City.

The issue of urban deer hunting has landed in the lap of the Cape Girardeau City Council, beginning anew a process that has been repeated in communities across Missouri as officials almost everywhere have struggled with how best to manage deer encroachment into city boundaries.

Twenty-three cities in Missouri currently allow residents to participate in managed bow hunts to curtail growing deer populations that were blamed for an increase in deer-vehicle collisions and lawn destruction. Others are considering it, including Ballwin and Ellisville.

Different municipalities took different approaches--the article is worth a read.

Source: NECN.com

NORTH DAKOTA NEWS: PETA Targets Deer Cull

Demands from members of the international group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (best known as PETA) called Mayor Brian Taylor to halt the plan for culling urban deer herds in Grand Forks.

The mayor is receiving hundreds of emails a day from all over the country, requesting that the city look into humane deer control methods. Of course, this was not a knee-jerk decision by the city.

Grand Forks’ urban deer herd has been monitored for over six years by the deer committee and their results indicate that the herd is growing at a much higher rate than would be normal for deer in their normal habitat. The city passed a no-feeding bylaw earlier in the year in an attempt to educate citizens about the dangers of supporting wildlife. The committee also released an educational pamphlet in the spring, again, to assist local residents in understanding their role in the survival of the herds.

Source: Boundary Sentinel

WYOMING NEWS: Cody Residents Split on Urban Deer Problem

The results of Cody's urban deer survey were unveiled Wednesday night in a poorly attended but sharply divided public meeting.

At the Cody Auditorium with about a dozen people in attendance, City Parks Director Rick Manchester presented the findings of the survey, which was mailed to utility customers earlier this year.

The city sent out more than 5,000 surveys and 1,546 were returned.

Manchester said 56 percent of those who returned their survey said they were concerned about the city's population of urban deer, while 44 percent said they had no concerns.

Yet when asked if they'd like to see the city adopt an action plan to reduce the deer herd, 50 percent of the respondents said yes while 50 percent said no.

The even split in the survey set the tone of disagreement for much of the meeting, leaving committee members to decide what the results mean.

You would get a nearly identical response anywhere in the country with a high urban deer population.

Read more: Billings Gazette

KENTUCKY NEWS: Mayor Disbands Deer Study Committee

I think this story ends with "and they lived happily ever after."

To some they may be cute to look at or feed, but for the city of Prospect, the growing population of deer is a serious problem.

After the mayor disbanded a committee to study the issue, many were left wondering what happens next.

"The mayor has decided that maybe its best to disband the committee, sit back, let everybody calm down and revisit it a little bit later on,” Prospect city councilman Alan Simon said. "I can see the issues on both sides, but I think we have to be doing it in a sensible manner and not have everyone hollering and carrying on."

Source: WLKY

OHIO NEWS: Cleveland Area Municipalities Struggle With Deer

The News-Herald provides a nice overview of how Cleveland area municipalities have been struggling with record deer numbers.

Come springtime, Carole Clement will break out the coyote urine.

She will begin her annual ritual of using it to soak cotton strips that she places atop sticks erected around her gardens.

"It's kind of a universally known deer repellent," the Mentor resident said.

She lives near Veterans Park, where a recent deer count indicated a large overpopulation.

Clement, an active member of several conservation groups, addressed City Council last year about the deer threat to vegetation.

"In 50 years it's going to be ‘Veterans Meadow' because they've eaten all the seedlings and the young saplings," she said.

Deer in Lake, Coyahoga, and Geauga Counties face minimal hunting pressure and now reside in ever-increasing "no hunting zones" subdivided residential housing developments. Recently several parks and municipalities have ended sharpshooting due to budget constraints.

Several organizations are looking at developing a regional deer management strategy, with the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership taking a lead role.

Source: News-Herald

WEST VIRGINIA NEWS: Record Harvest in Charleston

In it's fifth year, Charleston's urban deer hunt set a new record.

City Manager David Molgaard says 60 deer were killed during the several month-long season that ended Dec. 31. Forty-two animals were does.

The number of deer killed grew from 2009 even though less permits were issued in 2010. There were 184 permits issued in 2009 and only 124 in 2010.

Source: WSAZ

OHIO NEWS: Deer Reduction Planned for Dayton Metropark

A deer cull is planned for Hills and Dales, a small urban park in a Dayton suburb.

Sharpshooters from Five Rivers MetroParks will thin the deer herd in Hills and Dales Park for the first time this year, with the nighttime shoots beginning as early as this weekend and continuing into the winter.

Michael Enright, MetroParks’ conservation biologist, said the latest aerial infrared survey showed 22 deer in and around the small park on the Kettering-Oakwood border. That population has changed little since 2003, but Enright said it is almost three times higher than the 20 deer per square mile recommendation, and over time, the forest has begun to show damage.

This is the first cull to take place at Hills and Dales. A few years back, Oakwood residents opposed any culling in the municipality. However, the city does not have jurisdiction over the Metropark. The park is in a very affluent area, so it will be interesting to see how this develops.

Source: Dayton Daily News

VIRGINIA NEWS: Fairfax County Opinion Poll on Deer Culling

Fairfax County is trying to gauge its residents opinions on deer and a proposed deer management plan. The data come from 6,376 respondents. Some highlights:

66.5 percent of respondents would prefer the deer population decrease.

45.9 percent of respondents are very concerned they will be in a deer-vehicle collision within 12 months.

50.4 percent are very concerned they will contract Lyme disease within 12 months. (62.7 percent believe deer are directly related to the risk of transmitting the disease)

62.7 percent support public managed deer hunts

66.4 percent support the Archery Program to help manage the deer population

64.2 percent are not at all familiar with the current Fairfax County deer management program.

59.5 percent oppose no deer population control efforts; 12.2 percent of respondents support no deer population control efforts.

Source: Fairfax County

NEW JERSEY NEWS: Task Force Recommends Cull

Hopewell Township's Deer Task Force recommends a hunt to control its deer population.

The task force, created in 2009, summarized its report at Monday night’s Township Committee meeting. Former township Mayor Bill Cane, co-chairman of the task force with Denise Moser, said the report reflected the opinion of most of the task force members.

The report said increased hunting and other measures are needed to reduce Lyme disease, which is spread by deer ticks, motor vehicle accidents involving deer and damage to crops and landscaping.

The report pointed to impacts on the community.

The report says there has been an annual average of 170 reportable cases of Lyme disease in the township from 2007 to 2009 and an annual average of 567 deer-vehicle collisions during that same three-year period. Some township farmers have reported crop losses due to deer at more than $5,000 annually, the report said.

One person spoke about natural areas.

Tom Niederer, a township resident and past president of the New Jersey Forestry Association, said, “White-tailed deer are the greatest threats to our forest. Part of the stewardship of the forest is wildlife management, including deer control. Our forests will decline precipitously unless something is about the deer.”

The recommendation has been made, but a decision is still forthcoming.

Source: Hopewell Valley News

TEXAS NEWS: Feeding Ban Lifted at Hollywood Park

In response to drought, a feeding ban has been lifted at Hollywood Park.

Hollywood Park has overturned an 8-year-old ban on feeding deer within the suburb, dismaying state wildlife officials and reigniting a long-running battle on how residents can best manage the city’s deer population.

Proponents said the move to rescind the ban was justified, saying the deer population is thinning because of the recent drought.

The feeding ban has been successful in reducing deer numbers. Reversing the feeding ban will make it more difficult for the park to manage deer populations in the long term. The city is still conducting deer relocations and looking for ranchers to take deer.

Kevin Schwausch, a big-game specialist for the state, agreed that the number of deer in Hollywood Park had decreased but said it was a result of the city’s efforts in managing its deer population.

“Just because your management is starting to work, it doesn’t mean you should stop,” Schwausch said.

Source: MySanAntonio.com

OREGON NEWS: Ashland Residents Want Action on Deer Problem

Residents on Monday called on Mayor John Stromberg to curb the city's growing deer population by allowing bow hunting and sterilization.

At a community meeting in City Council chambers after a series of aggressive deer encounters were reported over the summer, Stromberg said there is no easy solution to the deer problem. He said city officials will continue to study the issue in consultation with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists.

The problem, according to residents, is the deer are becoming habituated to people and are attacking both residents and pets. This has not lead to any serious injuries yet.

Ashland has seen an increase in deer in recent years, Vargas said. The deer have become less afraid of humans, leading some to become aggressive during breeding and fawning seasons, roughly between May and August, he said.

This summer several residents reported being attacked by deer, especially while walking their dogs, which deer can mistake for predators. Aggressive deer have been known to rear up on their hind legs and try to stomp on people and their dogs. There were no reports of serious injuries from deer attacks in the city this summer.

The issue is polarizing, and even if action is taken, there are no easy lasting solution to this emerging problem.

Source: Ashland Daily Tidings

NEW JERSEY NEWS: Deer Cull in Essex Fells

In part of a wider effort to control the deer population that has grown in the area, the borough will begin bow hunting to cull the deer herd.

Councilman Jack Taylor said at Tuesday night’s Borough Council meeting that signs will be posted in all affected areas of the borough.

The deer culling will happen between Trotter Track and the woods on Fells Road to the right of Fells Brook. The operation will be run through the police department and handled by expert hunters, the council said. There was no date given on when the hunt will begin.

The hunters will not be going on private property, the mayor said, and will maintain a 450-foot distance from residential homes.

“In total, there will be about seven areas that will be involved in the process,” Mayor Edward Abbot said.

The borough also intends to mail out letters to residents that will detail the program.

The matter was first broached in the spring of 2010, during a presentation at a council meeting.

“The council has always had a safety concern with the increasing deer population in our town, and with neighboring towns as well,” the mayor said. “We have discussed what to do with the increasing deer population over many council meetings.”

The growth of the population, he explained, “not only presents a health concern like Lyme disease, but also effects the health and safety of our drivers. We have witnessed several accidents that caused all parties involved to be seriously injured.”

“The hunt will be very controlled,” the mayor added. “We will only have seven bow hunters doing the culling. Safety is our top priority with this project.”

For the full article, see The Progress

RHODE ISLAND NEWS: No Deer Hunt on Block Island

Reining in the deer herd on Block Island might be a bit more difficult for the Deer Task Force as it learned this week that the Land Trust will not open its lands to hunting.

At the task force meeting Tuesday evening, Chair Mary Sue Record said she had not yet received any written refusal, but she understood the conservation groups had met to set criteria for allowing a hunt on their properties, and the Land Trust determined none of its lands met that criteria. There were also concerns about liability.

With 43 percent of the island held by conservation groups, task force member Chris Blane said, “You’re at a standstill no matter what you do,” if conservation lands are not opened.

He suggested the task force “get a seat at the table” through joining conservation boards.

As to the liability factor, Blane suggested it could be the result of a current case in Newport, in which a fall from the cliff walk is going to trial despite the state’s law limiting liability of private owners who allow recreational use of their lands. The case is a test of this law, he said.

Record will request a formal response from the Land Trust.

Source: Block Island Times

BRITISH COLUMBIA NEWS: City to Combat Urban Deer

Officials in Cranbrook, B.C., have met with government biologists in an attempt to find a solution to aggressive deer plaguing the city.

Urban deer have been devouring gardens, injuring pets and attacking people.

Last month, a YouTube video of a deer stomping on a dog in Cranbrook went viral, getting more than 1.4 million hits in just a few weeks.

On July 14, a newspaper carrier in Cranbrook made headlines after he was attacked by a deer while doing his rounds. The attack left Brock Jones with a gash on his chin and a black eye.

And last week, Mayor Scott Manjak came upon an angered doe chasing a woman and her dog down a residential street, "and I had to bring my truck between the lady and the deer so the deer would stop chasing her."

Encounters such as these these are happening far too often in Cranbrook, Manjak said, and something has to be done.

"They are getting more aggressive and escalation is getting higher because these are deer that have been in the community three and four years. They have no fear whatsoever," he said.

Solutions discussed

Manjak met with biologists from the provincial Ministry of Environment on Monday to discuss solutions.

The City of Cranbrook is hoping the provincial government will help address the problem of aggressive deer. (CBC)

The ministry has done an exhaustive study on urban deer to come up with potential solutions. However, the most effective solution — a large-scale cull — is also the most controversial.

Manjak said the city plans to ask local residents what they think should be done about the problem deer, something neighbouring Kimberly is already doing.

"This is a very controversial problem and by doing the survey and following it through, we'll come to a community-wide solution," said Kimberly Mayor Jim Ogalvie.

Source: CBC News