Oh Deer! How should we reduce the herd? (Colorado Springs, Black Forest: neighborhood, maintenance)

[Vision67]

Culling, not hunting, likely solution to deer overpopulation in Colorado Springs - KRDO

Frank McGee, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the task force that the west side has between 1,500 to 5,000 deer.

"It's mainly because 70 percent of does and fawns survive the winters," he said. "That's a higher percentage than in their natural habitat. Plus, we plant things they like to eat, and we feed them even though we shouldn't."

McGee said to reduce the deer population by half over the next five years, 200 does and fawns per year must be removed, and 100 must be harvested annually to reach the same reduction in 10 years.

"culling" is just hiring a professional hunter

People who live in the foothills have to deal with the fact that these deer will eat anything that you try to grow. They will even eat the bark off of your trees.

At night you need to really slow down if you drive residential roads in that vicinity. It's way too easy to hit a deer.

What are your thoughts? Import a few cougars or coyotes?

[Mike from back east]

IIRC the city did this a number of years ago by hiring hunters who used bows and arrows to hunt with since the discharge of hunting rifles in populated areas is too dangerous. I distinctly recall taking the exit of southbound I-25 onto Uintah and seeing a deer grazing someone's lawn across the street.

[TCHP]

I've got no problem with some skilled bow hunters being dispatched to perform herd maintenance. The irony, IMO, is that we will likely hire several, if not many, "professional" hunters and pay them tens of thousands of dollars each while we probably have perfectly capable persons in the DOW that could perform this service as a part of their job and they might enjoy the change in work duties.

I wouldn't agree that bringing in more alpha predators would be a good move. These animals would not target the deer herds so much as they look for the easiest meal of opportunity, which could be family pets or even small children. On top of that, if they do manage to take a large animal, its remains will be sitting in a neighborhood for some time while its all consumed and processed.

I'm also not in favor of any relocation efforts.

[Marcy1210]

Deer are a big problem in many parts of the country. In the mid-west and east, they have the white-tailed deer that's overrunning cities and towns, and out here we have the mule deer. What have the more populated cities in the east done about their deer populations?

[hollyt00]

Time magazine had a interesting issue out a handful of years ago about this. It's a byproduct of our desire to be environmentally friendly, and these are the consequences.

America's Pest Problem: It's Time to Cull the Herd | Time.com

[DrDog]

Is this only a problem west of the freeway? I live east of the freeway and north, and have only seen 1 deer in the past 6-9 months.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by DrDog

Is this only a problem west of the freeway? I live east of the freeway and north, and have only seen 1 deer in the past 6-9 months.

There's a herd of 8-12 that are by my parents place in Black Forest that they see most days. I really like them!!!

I think part of the issue is people should take more effort not to plant things deer like (which can be tricky actually) and the herds could probably be thinned some. I think they should post this as an opportunity and let it be free, but you have to use a bow/crossbow and have to demonstrate capability before a council

[Vision67]

I live in Briargate near Rampart HS and I've had deer in my front yard munching on all of our flowers. I turned on the sprinklers to shoo them away and they just walked across the street and started eating the neighbor's flowers.

They follow the riparian channels of the creeks that flow into Monument creek. I have one of those creeks behind my back yard.

So yes, we do get deer East of I-25 although in much lower quantities.

[TCHP]

Yes, it is predominately west of the Interstate, but they are increasing everywhere. My brother is out in Peyton and they have a herd out there that is increasing in size annually, despite also being the target of a local pack of cougars.

[little pink]

I almost hit one right in front of Garden of the Gods right before I moved last summer. I remember seeing a small car sitting on top of a deer on I25 a while back , I thought omg what happened LOL.