Gardening season is upon us. Unfortunately, there have been too few snow events this Winter to run a successful flyover deer count. Adding to my latest deer article (here), Council is now looking at the next steps to create a deer mitigation plan.
In late 2022, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) biologist and suburban deer management expert presented to Council about options in mitigation. He suggested the first step in the process is to obtain a deer count. The most accurate way to do this is a helicopter flyover. The city – in partnership with MetroParks – attempted this during a January snow event, but the count was inconclusive.
The ODNR specialist also mentioned the residents themselves can conduct a type of deer count by reporting deer sightings on a centralized reporting website. Since it’s likely we will not see another snow fall, we may need to employ this second option.
At a recent Council meeting, I suggested implementing a working group (which we discussed in late 2022) to identify a deer sighting collection method and determine some actionable options to mitigating the deer through a culling program.
Unfortunately, I believe the prospective actions will not be proposed until after this gardening season. Please plant cautiously.
Would you be willing to help report deer sightings in your neighborhood? I welcome your feedback on this topic.