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10.2. SR 06-01-2015 �j Elk = - Request for Action River To Item Number Mayor and City Council 10.2 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Work Session June 1, 2015 Michael Hecker, Parks and Recreation Director Item Description Reviewed by Deer Herd Reduction Cal Portner, City Administrator Reviewed by Action Requested Discussion of the proposed Deer Herd Reduction Plan. Background/Discussion The Parks and Recreation Commission has discussed deer herd reduction for several years. This includes allowing limited archery deer hunting in select city parks to reduce deer herd numbers. A volunteer group was organized and has been meeting monthly since February to discuss possible rules and details of the hunts. An outline of these discussions is in the attachment. Members of this group include Commissioners Mike Niziolek and Dave Anderson, MN DNR Conservation officer Mitch Sladek, Councilmember Matt Westgaard, Steve Engelmeyer who manages the local Cargill hunt, and Elk River Police Reserve Kelly Hinrichs. Elk River Police Sergeant Dave Dummer has also attended meetings. Representatives from the volunteer group will attend the work session to answer any questions. Financial Impact None at this time. Attachments ■ Deer Herd Reduction Efforts in Elk River p0WIRLa 0 Template Updated 4/14 INAWREJ Deer Herd Reduction Efforts in Elk River The goal of this program is to reduce the deer herd and achieve a healthy population of deer for the urban and natural landscape of our community. While deer are in short supply in some areas of the state, the deer herd in much of Elk River, like many other urban areas, has grown too large. Urban and other protected areas offer deer a refuge of sorts from predators, both two and four legged, and a relatively abundant food supply. When deer densities get too high, in addition to the obvious car/deer collisions and the damage to home owners landscaping, their quest for food harms natural forest regeneration as the deer feed on young trees, killing them before they have a chance to mature. This environmental damage is evident in most of our parks. Aggravating the problem and often a significant cause of the increasing deer numbers is back yard deer feeding. This is part of the abundant food supply that brings deer into urban areas. Well- meaning homeowners,who enjoy watching the deer that they feed, can create unnatural travel patterns increasing car/deer collisions and increase the chances for the spread of disease. The best and only method to control deer in much of the city is the current"back tag" program, where hunters can take deer on private property,with land owner permission,within the cities no discharge zone. One limiting factor in the ability of this effort was the 2014 "hunter choice" category which limits hunters to a single deer. While likely inappropriate in many areas, there are areas within the city that could benefit by more liberal limits. MN DNR deer hunting Zone 601,which encompasses much of greater Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area and includes a small portion of Elk River, has no individual limit of antlerless deer. Expansion of this zone further into Elk River would greatly benefit the deer herd reduction effort. In response to the damage that deer are causing in city parks, the Park and Recreation Commission has discussed and supported the possibility of allowing limited archery deer hunting in select city parks to help reduce deer numbers. A volunteer group has been organized and has been meeting monthly since February to discuss possible rules and details of the hunts. Members of this group include Commissioners Mike Niziolek and Dave Anderson, MN DNR Conservation officer Mitch Sladek, Council member Matt Westgaard, Steve Engelmeyer who manages the local Cargill hunt and Elk River Police Reserve Kelly Hinrichs. ERPD Sargent Dave Dummer is participating when he can. Outline of Discussion to Date 1. Controlled archery hunts following MN hunting seasons and rules with many additional restrictions. 2. Antlerless deer only. 3. Hunt will be patterned after successful hunts such as Cargill in Elk River, St.John's Arboretum, City of Anoka, City of Red Wing, and the St. Cloud Regional Airport. 4. Rules of the hunt are being developed by a volunteer group. They include hunter qualification, hunter selection, hunter safety and hunter educate. 5. Management of many details of the hunt will be done by volunteers. 6. Six city parks have been identified as possible candidates for deer herd reduction. They are; Woodlands, Sedge Meadow,Birch Meadow, Camp Cozy, Big Tooth Ridge and Harris Island. With the exception of Woodlands all are very low use parks. 7. The first year will be a trial year where only two or three parks will be hunted. 8. Parks will need informational signage announcing the hunts. 9. The MN 2015 archery season runs September 12 thru December 31. For parks except for Woodlands, the hunts will occur the first 9 days of the season and then Monday thru Wednesday of each week starting the fourth week of the season for the remainder of the season. The portion of Woodlands (east of the GNT) will be closed during the hunts that are proposed to occur Monday thru Wednesday of the 4ffi, 6ffi, 9ffi and 11ffi week of the archery season. In Woodlands as in other parks, there will be restriction on hunting location to insure public safety. 10. Hunter selection will be by lottery. The first year it is proposed that hunters be hand selected to help insure a successful first year hunt. It is hoped that some of these hunters will help manage future hunts.