Oh Deer! How should we reduce the herd? (Denver, Black Forest: neighborhoods, high school)

[Vision67]

Colorado Springs' deer overpopulation problem needs a solution by fall, City Council members say

Colorado Springs' deer overpopulation problem needs a solution by fall, City Council members say | Colorado Springs Gazette, News

"About 20 deer live per square mile on the city's southwest side, well above the two or three deer typically found in healthy rural areas elsewhere in the state. Disease spreads faster, car accidents spike and more home gardens, fences and other pieces of property are damaged when deer populations are too high.

So far, the area's biological carrying capacity hasn't been topped, McGee said. That's the number of animals a given habitat can support. Once that number is passed, deer will starve, he said.

But the area's ecological carrying capacity has been passed, he said.

"The deer in town are damaging the environment they're relying on," McGee said.

Council members noted that McGee's third metric, the social carrying capacity, also has been passed. More deer live in town than residents are willing to tolerate.

In order to halve the city's deer population, hunters would have to kill about 200 does to start, said Julie Stiver, a wildlife biologist with Parks and Wildlife."



This is a problem common to many areas throughout the country. In fact, I've read somewhere that there are now more deer in the USA then there were when Pilgrims arrived. People used to hunt them for meat. Now, they're just like huge rats.

It seems to me that this would be a good problem for a group of young smart people to work on. All of the proposed solutions so far meet with resistance for a good reason.

What should be done?

[otowi]

For one, we need to change policy that continually results in the deaths or, at best, removal, of any of our larger predators that are unlucky enough to be noticed within our city limits.

[ryanek9freak]

The guy across the street from me regularly feeds them, to the point where they'll line up at his front door at dinner time. I've repeatedly told him this is illegal, and he told me to mind my own business.

I have half a mind to take pictures of this and send it to the DOW.

[LHS79]

Originally Posted by ryanek9freak

The guy across the street from me regularly feeds them, to the point where they'll line up at his front door at dinner time. I've repeatedly told him this is illegal, and he told me to mind my own business.

I have half a mind to take pictures of this and send it to the DOW.

The guy is an idiot and you should report him since it is against the law to feed them!

I like Canon City's law- as long as you have a tag you can hunt deer on your own property- even in the city limits.

[PyroTekRob]

As a Hunter I do not agree with "hiring" hunters or professionals to "cull" the deer, as usually that results in waste of the animal. Now I also do not live in CO. So I dont know all the details to the issue, I found the thread while looking for information for relocation. Anyway back to my thoughts. Where I live they have basically outlawed mountain lion hunting, now they have a mountain lion problem. Instead of allowing hunters to apply for and purchase tags to hunt them, they pay "professionals" to kill them. IMO that is a waste of funds that could be better used on habitat and conservation. And you could have hunters paying for those hunts to reduce the numbers, making money instead of wasting money.
Now many years ago we had a similar issue with wild hogs, they did over a million dollars damage to local dairies and a golf course. Fish and Game decided to do a limited archery drawing. Then drew say 100 applicants, and allowed them to bowhunt the area for a week.
This brought money into Fish and Wildlife instead of costing them. Apps were about $10 non refundable (like most draw hunts in any state) so say 1000 people applied. 1000 x 10. 100 were drawn. So as with most draw hunts you need a tag to complete the hunt. Tags at the time maybe $20. 100 x 20.

So I think your situation could be handled without costing the state to much. Other option, contact Mule Deer Foundation, and see about relocation.

[Vision67]

https://www.krdo.com/news/top-storie...ings/777194527

"A management plan, an ordinance and a public meeting are the latest efforts by the Colorado Springs City Council to address a deer overpopulation problem.

The problem generally affects the city's west side but is also spreading east.

"When we counted last year, there were 3,000 deer on the west side," said Frank McGee, area wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "That's ten times more than there should be. It's not healthy for the population and it leads to disease, property damage and vehicle-deer collisions."

Bret Waters, the city's deputy chief of staff, said the city averages one fatal deer collision per day."

"A town hall meeting, allowing the public to learn about the situation and express opinions, is scheduled for Aug. 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the city council chamber downtown."

Like the homeless problem, there is no easy solution to this problem. Whenever I drive west of the Interstate in the evenings, I look out for these creatures. They are everywhere!

[MFij]

Hiring professional hunters to cull these deer is just a waste of money. Just let the local archery hunters thin the herd with a special drawing for permits. And make it cheap, like $10 per permit. And include stipulations the hunter has to remove the entire carcass, including the gut pile and such. I am sure the local butcher shops would enjoy the idea of getting more business for dressing these deer.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by PyroTekRob

snip
Instead of allowing hunters to apply for and purchase tags to hunt them, they pay "professionals" to kill them. IMO that is a waste of funds that could be better used on habitat and conservation. And you could have hunters paying for those hunts to reduce the numbers, making money instead of wasting money.
snip

Originally Posted by MFij

Hiring professional hunters to cull these deer is just a waste of money. Just let the local archery hunters thin the herd with a special drawing for permits. And make it cheap, like $10 per permit. And include stipulations the hunter has to remove the entire carcass, including the gut pile and such. I am sure the local butcher shops would enjoy the idea of getting more business for dressing these deer.

On the surface this sounds like a great idea. However, based on my observations of CO hunters over time, there is always a percentage that will shoot anything that moves. Nearly every season my family lived in The Valley, they had a story of someone's horse, or cow, or even dog being shot by a hunter. I'm not saying all hunters are like that, in fact the vast majority are very aware of what they are doing, but there is always that small percentage that do not practice practical safety. Letting those types loose in an urban hunting environment really concerns me, as it should anyone anywhere near any of those hunting zones.

A low cost and open tag draw on this type of hunting in a place where the commute and effort is extremely low and possibility of success is probably higher compared to other wild land hunting will no doubt bring out an inordinate number of these less than careful hunters.

Keep in mind El Paso county is over 700,000 people. The odds of encountering someone on an urban interface area during a sanctioned hunt is extremely high, even if it is advertised and law enforcement attempts to block access to the area.

[James Bond 007]

Stop all cougar hunting for, like, 5 years. Or more. Watch cougar populations increase. Watch deer populations decrease. And the good thing about that method is, the weak and sick will primarily be weeded out of the population.

[TCHP]

Mountain Lion population density through western El Paso and Teller Counties, according CDOW, are already higher than management officials would like to see, so we already have a larger than required lion population. Also, while hunting of mountain lions is permitted, the total harvest of lions in the unit that Teller and El Paso Counties occupy has traditionally been lower then allowable permits for quite a few years already.