Urban Deer problem, Solutions???

4orMore · Dec 29, 2009

My home town in Utah has come out and declared an "Urban Deer problem". They sent a survey with the utility bill asking for input on their options to deal with the deer within city limits. Options are as follows:

1: An urban Archery hunt. Allowing certain "qualified" archers to wander through backyards etc. to harvest these deer.

2: Hire sharp shooters.

3: Relocate the animals. The city stated this is expensive and most animals die of the shock.

4: Do nothing.

I'm just wondering if anybody out there has dealt with the same problem in their hometown. What might be some other solutions and/or issues with any of these suggested solutions?

My vote is do nothing at all. We've built so high up the mountain into THEIR winter range.

Help me and my hometown out here...what do you think?

YukonDall · Dec 29, 2009

I WOULD DO NOTHING....IF YOU BOW SHOOT THEM, OTHERS WILL REPLACE THEM......I WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THEM IN MY HOME AREA.........YD.

slamdunk · Dec 29, 2009

"My vote is do nothing at all. We've built so high up the mountain into THEIR winter range."

That is the PERFECT answer for this situation.
In fact....plant things in your yard they can eat to replace what the housing ate up.
I sure would!

fatrooster · Dec 29, 2009

4orMore, I agree with you to "do nothing." It pisses me off when people move into the animals winter range and then want to kill off the deer and elk. Pathetic! fatrooster.

36moose · Dec 29, 2009

call the govenors tag holders!!!!! somebody was gonna say it.

Deuce · Dec 29, 2009

The best solution is do nothing. I would'nt like people wandering through my yard.

4orMore · Dec 29, 2009

I couldn't agree more with you guys to do nothing. I love viewing the deer. A couple afternoon's a week I sit on my porch with my scope glassing the mountain as they get up and get ready to come into town at dark. When I was a kid we'd get up in the middle of the night just to watch out the window for them to come by our house or eat in our yard. Great memories! If I'm out late I'll still circle a few blocks to see if I can see a few in the neighborhood. I actually saw a great buck a couple nights ago two blocks away. That's what made me think of this situation and posting this on MM.

Wiszard · Dec 29, 2009

Bring in more mountain lions. That's what Ca has done esentially. There was another mountain lion spotted in a backyard in a neighborhood 2 blocks from my house. It is getting ridiculous. You can't shoot the deer because more will replace them as mentioned before. Relocating...same thing. Build a 10 foot fence around the entire mountain to keep the deer out.

Steve

3X4 · Dec 30, 2009

I think shoot the people who build there houses on winter range. Problem solved.

completesportsman · Dec 30, 2009

I can definitely agree with do nothing but around here almost every town now has a urban archery season that opens before the regular one and then a late season after all other seasons close.

Funny thing is I don't participate and I don't know anyone in my group of hunting friends that does. And I've never heard of any of those monster bucks that are seen wandering around town at night being taken during the urban archery hunts.

____________________________________________________________________
Success is failure that tried one more time

quakiepatch · Dec 30, 2009

Political pressures and lack of common sense will be the end of the deer. I agree with the rest of you, "do nothing"! 4...what are the whisperings going around? What can we do to assist you? I would gladdly call/write your city officals and voice my concerns, even though I am an outsider...

muleywatcher · Dec 30, 2009

Where do you live?

wildsage · Dec 30, 2009

I don't have a problem with deer, in fact we have several that come through our yard on a regular basis. I try to keep the bird feeders out of their reach but as you can see from the picture, they can be creative.

YMIINIDAHO · Dec 30, 2009

relocate the people

NVPete · Dec 31, 2009

As long as you have differences of opinion on whether they are really a problem or not, there won't be a solution. My 87 yr. old neighbor wants me to fill up waterers under her apple tree; she says the deer saved them during the depression years when the men would harvest them and share the meat amongst families. Then there are those that encourage the deer by feeding them. I actually have some really neat videos (I call my video deer hunts) of some fairly decent bucks in different locations all over town. On one video a buck actually snorted at me! Another resident told me he was challenged by a forky stamping his feet! Another lad I know slept out in his backyard to get a look at a nice buck... he was a bit frightened when he awoke to find the big guy face-to-face checking him out!There are occasionally problems if you don't take measures to try and deer-proof your trees and gardens, and there has been at least one accident in town where an unsuspecting motorcyclist collided with a deer. I love shed antler hunting, I actually got started (and now hooked!) when several years ago, my first shed of the season was a brown forky dropped in my wife's raised garden!This season,since deer seem to like to congregate on fields during the rut, the only "field" available was a ball park; the bucks were even mixing it up on the ballfield; my neighbors said they could hear antlers being racked! One young lad founnd this guy's missing side after he broke it off in a fight...the same night, I think I saw the buck that did the damage in my car headlights...a much bigger buck!Then, a lady said she was watching TV with her door open, and was amazed to look out and see a forky craning his neck apparently curious to what she was watching! Overall for this town, I'll bet most like to see the deer and have them around, so no problem!

southmountain · Dec 31, 2009

bow hunt by saying no to hunts gives the anti s their way . Not hunting in yards and crap but in areas near town. Most cental Colorado hippies have their way NO HUNTING even on land many mant miles away from Ft Collins that the city owns libs say no we let them win ! While Utah is more conservative than Co it will not remain that way especially if we let them by saying No just my opinion