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CityofGalena‐2015DeerCommitteeFinalReporttotheCityCouncil
December6,2016
Galena lies nestledwithin thenatural beauty of JoDaviess County, andbecause of the rugged terrain,there are places within the city that ‐ while often platted for roads and subdivisions as if flat ‐ haveremainedundevelopednaturalareaswithinthecorporatelimits.Thesenaturalareasareappreciatedbybothresidentsandwildlife,butcitizenconcernsaboutthedeerwithinthecityhaveresultedinthedesirefor a deer management plan. This report contains reference information compiled over a 14‐monthperiod and a recommended management plan based on that information for Galena City Councilconsideration.OnSeptember10,2015,theGalenaCityCouncilcompletedtheprocessofappointingthemembersofthe2015 Deer Committee. The committee members appointed were: John Cox, Beth Baranski, CarmenFerguson,KirkFoecking,andMaryHartman.MaryHartmanservedforseveralmonthsbutwasunabletocontinueduetobusinessandfamilycommitments.TheCouncilassignedJohnCoxaschairandtheCommitteeimmediatelybeganitswork,holdingourfirstmeetingonOctober21,2015.ThefinalmeetingwasheldonDecember6,2016.TheCommitteewasgivenalistofassignedtasksthatserveasthetableofcontentsforthisreport.
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Thecommitteeprovidesits"findings"totheCityCouncilwithineachsectionofthefollowing:
TableofContents1.Engagethepublicinanopenprocessofstudyanddiscussion.................................... 3 2.Committeetotakewhatevertimeneededtodothejob................................................. 5 3.CarefullyreviewinformationpreviouslyaccumulatedbytheCity............................ 6 4.Showfindingsareaccuratewiththe“FactsontheGround”.......................................... 75.RelevanceofLymediseaseissue................................................................................................ 136.RelevanceofDeerChronicWastingDisease...........................................................................147.Answerthequestion“IsThereaProblem?”and,ifso,whatisit?............................... 15 8.Investigatehowothercommunitieshavehandledtheissue......................................... 169.Optionstoreducethenumberofdeerinherdifdeterminedappropriate.............. 1910.CommitteeRecommendedDeerManagementProgram................................................2011.Costimplicationsandstafftimefordeerpopulationmanagement..........................2212.ActionPlan.........................................................................................................................................23
Appendices
AppendixA:2015DeerPopulationControlActivityReportandCosts..........................24
AppendixB:GalenaPoliceDepartmentDeerIncidentReportTables............................25
AppendixC:DrivingDeerCountMethodology..........................................................................27
AppendixD:SurveyRegardingWildlifeinGalena..................................................................28
AppendixE:OrdinancetoDealWithFeedingDeerWithintheCityLimits...................29
AppendixF:SampleAnnualReportforDeerManagementPlan........................................30
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1.Engagethepublicinanopenprocessofstudyanddiscussion
Members of the Deer Committeemade commitments to begin and remain open‐minded on issues, toattend committeemeetings to be sure allmembers are on the same page, to followRobert’s Rules ofOrder,tovoteifnecessarybutmaintainagoalofconsensus,andtosigntheFinalReporttosendtotheCity Council. We committed to a totally open process and agreed thatwewould post all information(some from presenters and some from citizens and others) on the city website unless it was nottechnologicallyachievable.WehavedonesoandyouareurgedtotakealookattheCitywebpageonthe2015DeerCommittee,whereourmaterialsareposted.We havemet once permonth (except for October, 2016) on the thirdWednesdaywith ourmeetingspublishedasrequiredundertheOpenMeetingsAct.Wehaveplacedourapprovedmeetingnotesonthewebpage aswell. We have reached out towhatwe believedwere relevant presenters to assist us inaccumulatinginformationtofulfillthetasksyouhaveassigned.Completemeetingnotesareavailableonthecitywebsiteathttp://www.cityofgalena.org/en/your_government/agendas_and_minutes/2015_deer_committee/Meetingtopics/presentationshavebeenasfollows:October21,2015 Committeediscussiontoestablishaplanofactionandproposedmeeting agendasNovember19,2015 PresentationontheGalenaTerritoryAssociationdeermanagementprogram byJoeMattingley,RichMattas,andEmilyLubckeDecember16,2015 PresentationonAppleCanyonLakedeermanagementprogrambyJim PetelleandJohnSchereson,membersoftheirDeerManagementCommitteeJanuary20,2015 PresentationonLymediseaseandotherdeerrelatedissuesbyLauraSimon, WildlifeEcologistfortheHumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStatesFebruary17,2016 PresentationonDeerChronicWastingDiseaseandothermattersbyDoug Dufford,IllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResourcesMarch16,2016 PresentationonissuestheGalenaPoliceDepartmentdealswithrelatedto deerbyLoriHuntington,GalenaChiefofPoliceApril20,2016 Committeediscussiononhowtodeterminedeerpopulationandbenefitof aninterimreporttotheCityCouncilMay18,2016 PresentationonhowtofeedthebirdswithoutfeedingthedeerbyJulie Bruser,WildBirdsUnlimitedJune15,2016 CommitteediscussiononpossiblecitizensurveyJuly20,2016 PresentationongeneralissuesofwildlifemanagementbyPeggyDoty, UniversityofIllinoisExtensionEducatorfromOgleCounty
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August17,2016 Presentationonhowtogarden,chooseplants,andotherinformationrelated todealingwithwildlifenearone’sowngarden,byKristaGinger,University ofIllinoisExtensionMasterGardenerSeptember21,2016 Presentationtoconsiderassistancefromlocalhunterstomanagethedeer populationbyBobBuman,hunterOctober19,2016 MeetingcancelledNovember16,2016 DiscussionwithpropertyownersoflandsurroundingtheCityofGalenato considerapprovalbythosepropertyownersandtheDepartmentof NaturalResourcesofhuntingthosepropertieswithassistancefromlocal hunterswiththegoalofmanagingthedeerpopulationDecember1,2016 CommitteeworkstocompleteFinalReportDecember6,2016 CommitteeworkstocompleteFinalReport
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2.CommitteetotakewhatevertimeneededtodothejobIndiscussionswiththeMayoratthetimethecommitteewasformedbytheCityCouncil,thecommitteewas advised to takewhatever time the committee needed to fulfill the various commitmentsmade inagreeingtoproceedwiththeCouncil’sdirection.TheMayorurgedthecommitteetomeetatCityHallasoften as the committee deemednecessary to do the research and hold public hearings to receive andprocess information regarding the various issues confronted inworking to complete the committee’sassignedtasks.The committeemembers determined that the hearings held to date and the information accumulatedthrough the research done and study completed are sufficient to allow the committee to provide thisFinalReporttotheMayorandCityCouncil. Althoughthecommitteeisnotopposedtofurthereffortsifrequested by the city leaders, the committee feels that this report should provide those leaderswithsufficientinformationtomakedecisionsonhowtoproceedwiththerecommendationsprovidedinthisreport.Thecommitteewishestoexpressitsappreciationtoallpresenterswhocametoourpublichearings,tocitystaff for theirpatientassistance indistributing informationtothegeneralpublicand inouruseofcityfacilitiestocompleteourwork,tothestaffofGalenaGazetteforattendingourhearingsandsharingtheirviewsoftheworkwehavedone,and,especially,tothecitizenswhotookthetimetocometoourmeetingsandcontributetheirinputasweproceeded. WeparticularlywishtothankBillGrosshansforhishelpandassistancewithourworkandforhisassistancetoBethBaranskiintheweeklydeercountsdonetogetussomebasicdataonthedeerpopulationinGalena.
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3.CarefullyreviewinformationpreviouslyaccumulatedbytheCity.Ourcommitteecarefullyreviewedtheinformationandfound:The first committeebeganmeetingon July24,2013andmet4 times. At the firstmeeting theGalenaTerritoryAssociation(GTA)presentedinformationabouttheirdeercullingprogramandthecommitteedecided to inviteMarty Jones from the IllinoisDepartment ofNatural Resources (IDNR) tomeetwiththem. TheydesiredtomoveforwardintimeforthecitytoscheduleahelicopterdeercensuswiththeGTAinDecemberorJanuary.MartyJones,fromtheIDNRcametothesecondmeetingandsuggestedthatasurveybedonetoassessthe extent of the problem. Jones explained that if there is an overpopulation problem and a cullingprogramisestablished, itwouldneedtobea long‐termprogram. MarkMoransuggested that thecitystaffpreparea report for the committee summarizingwhathasbeen learned through research,publicinputandfromtheIDNR.At the thirdmeeting they reviewed the committee progress report and recommendation prepared bystaff. Committee member, Bill Salzman presented four maps showing locations of injured deer anddeer/vehicle accidents. They presented the progress report to the city council at their Septembermeeting.ThelastmeetingwasheldonJanuary14,2014.Theresultsofthecommunitysurveyregardingthedeerpopulationwasdiscussed.Theyweredisappointedthattherewereonly92responses.TheydecidedtomoveforwardwithapermitapplicationtotheIDNRforcullingupto25deerinthewinterof2015.Ourcommitteereviewedtheresultsof thedeersurveyandthemapofdeer locationspresentedtothecitybythecommittee.MarkMoranpreparedanapplicationforaDeerPopulationControlPermitwhichwasgrantedtoGalena.Photographs of deer damage to property and maps of deer/vehicle accidents were included. OnFebruary9,2015thecullingprogramwassuspendedafteronedeerwaskilledbytheCity'ssharpshooterandonewaswoundedandneverfound. Thecostoftheoverallprogramwas$1,264.38(seeAppendixA).Apetition,RethinkDeerCullinginGalena,waspresentedtothecouncil.Much information about Deer Population Control permits were included in the committee reportincluding sharpshooter qualification/testing procedures as well as an article by Doug Dufford, IDNRdistrictwildlifebiologist–NaturalAreaProtection–ACaseforDeerManagement.The 2013 Deer Committee studied what other communities were doing about deer over‐population.IncludedweretheGalenaTerritory, thecityofDubuque, thecityofRockIsland,andthecityofPeoria.The committee presented a list of plants that deer don’t prefer, a deer repellant recipe, and copies ofpetitionsregardingdeer,bothproandconforculling.Anexcellentsummaryoftheissuesthatledthe2013DeerCommitteetoseekadeerpopulationcontrolpermit from the IllinoisDepartment ofNatural Resources can be found on the City of Galenawebsiteunderthetitleof"CommitteeInformationPacketVol.1"
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4.Showfindingsareaccuratewiththe“FactsontheGround.”DeerIncidentReportsThenumber of deer incidents documentedby theGalenaPoliceDepartment has tripled from2010 to2016 (see Figs. 1‐3) A table containing detailed information supporting these graphs is available inAppendixB.
Figure1.TotalDeerIncidents
Figure2.Carvs.DeerIncidents
Figure3.2010to2016DeerCrashIncidents
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ReferendumResultsIntheMarch15thPrimaryElection,Galenavoterswereaskedtovoteonadeermanagementquestion.ThequestionandtheresultsareshowninFigure4.
Figure4.ReferendumResults
TheNumberofDeerIt seems tobegenerallyaccepted that theactualnumberofdeer in theCity is an important referencepointforthedevelopmentofadeermanagementplan.Anaerialcountisneeded.Doug Dufford, Wildlife Disease Program Manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,suggests that 20‐40 deer per square mile is generally considered a reasonable biological carryingcapacityinaruralsettingwithgoodhabitat.HehasprovidedamapshowingdeerhabitatareasinGalenabased on criteria established by researchers at Southern Illinois University‐Carbondale that includeswoodland acreage plus potential forage habitat. Thismap indicates that there are approximately 1.96squaremilesofdeerhabitatwithinthecitylimits(fig.9onpage10).TheCityofGalenaisabout4squaremiles,andtherefore,usingthelowerendoftherecommendedrange(20deerpersquaremile)becauseGalena is a developed area, a reasonable initial reference point for considering biological carryingcapacitywouldbe40‐80deer.Theculturalcarryingcapacitybasedonhumantoleranceforthedeeratanygivenpopulationlevelisadifferentmatter,mayfluctuateovertime,andhasyettobeestablishedfortheCityofGalena.Inorder toprovideareferencepoint for trying toanswer thequestion ‐ “Howmanydeerare there inGalena?” theCommitteerecommendedandtheCityCouncilagreedtoobtainawinterhelicopteraerialcountworkinginconjunctionwiththeGalenaTerritory'sannualaerialcount.Insufficientsnowfall(4"isdesired) in the winter of 2015/2016 precluded this count from taking place. A drone count wasconsidered,butthedronedoesn'tmakeenoughnoisetostartlethedeerintomotion.
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Inattempttoprovideanalternativereference,aprogramfordrivingaroundtownandcountingthedeer(similar to the approach used at Apple Canyon Lake)was created. Amethodologywas established toeliminateasmanyvariablesaspossible(seeAppendixC),andthisregularcountwasconductedwiththethoughtthatitmighthelpframethegeneralnumberofdeerintown,couldhelpusunderstandseasonalchanges,andalsomighthelpidentifyspecificlocationsthattendtohavemoredeerthanothers.Itwillbeinterestingtoseehowthedrivingcountsdoneaswinterapproachescomparewithawinteraerialcount(ifoneisconducted).LeonardLeeRueIII'sbook,TheDeerofNorthAmerica,recommendedbyRichMattasduringtheGalenaTerritory Association's presentation to our committee, contains an Appendix with information about"DeerActivityCycles"describingtheseasonalchangesthatplayaroleinthenumberofdeerthatmaybeseenatanygiventime.Someofthatinformationisparaphrasedhereforreference:
January‐mostbuckshavelosttheirantlersandareindistinguishablefromdoes
February‐hardestmonthondeerandtheycanbeseenfeedingmoreinthedaytime.Theymayholeupinareasshelteredfromthewindwheresnowisnotasdeep.
March‐deermaystayinfieldsandopenareasmiddaybecauseofreducedhumanpressure.
Becausefoodisstillscarcetheycanbeseenanytimeofday.
April‐thedeerareveryhungryandfeedintomidmorningandstartagainatabout3p.m.
Mid‐MaythroughtheendofJune‐doescanbeseenalmostanytimeofday
June‐poortimetoseedeerasdoesthathavegivenbirtharesecretiveandbucksarestillinseclusion
July‐deerobservationpicksupwithfawnsfollowingdoesaroundandyearlingfemalesrejoining
theirmothers,andbucksbecomemoreactive
August‐deertendtofeedwhenitiscooler
September‐deerareactiveindaylighthoursuntilbowhuntingseasonopens
LastweekofSeptemberandthefirsttwoweeksofOctober,allofthedeerseemtovirtuallydisappear.Theyabandontheirregularhauntsandtrails,stopfeedingoncorn,soybeans,alfalfaandorchardsbecauseacornsareavailable.Gunhuntingseasonmakesthemmoresecretive.
November‐thelastweekandahalfofOctober,allofNovemberandfirsttwoorthreeweeksof
Decembermakeuptheruttingseasonwhenthebucksaremostactive.Theyexpandtheirrange,throwcautiontothewind,andcanbeseenatanytimeoftheday.Huntingkeepsthedoesandtheiryoungoutofsightduringmostofthedaylighthours.
December‐usuallyapoormonthtoseedeerasalmostalldeeractivitytakesplaceundercoverof
darknessThetablebelow(Fig.5)showsthenumberofdeerseeninthedrivingcountsconductedfromApril18ththroughNovember28th,2016‐atotalof23counts,rangingfromindividualcounttotalsof6to30(with
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the highs and lows in each precinct highlighted), and documents notable conditions and recordedidentificationoffawnsandbucks.
Figure5.2016DrivingDeerCount
Thegraphbelow(Fig.6)depictsthedrivingcounttotalsfromApril18ththroughDecember5th,2016.Asamatterofreference,agoalof20deerpersquaremileisusedbytheCityofDubuque,20deerpersquaremileisthehighrangegoaloftheGalenaTerritory(12‐20deerpersquaremile),andthelowrangegoaloftheAppleCanyonLakePropertyOwnersAssociation(20‐30deerpersquaremile).InDubuque,theGalenaTerritory,andAppleCanyonLake,theentiresquaremileareaisusedtodeterminethecarryingcapacityoftheareaintermsofnumberofdeerpersquaremile.
2016DeerCountTotalsbyDate
April May June July August September October November December January
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Num
ber o
f Dee
r
Date of Count
Count Taken at DawnCount Taken at Dusk
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Figure6.2016DeerCountTotalsbyDate
Themapbelow(Fig.7)showstherangeofdeertotalspercountseenineachprecinctoftheCityfromApril18ththroughNovember14th,2016.
Figure7.RangeofDeerTotalsbyPrecinct
Themapbelow(Fig.8)showstherangeofdeertotalspercountseenineachprecinctoftheCityfromApril18ththroughNovember28th,2016relativetowoodedareasinandaroundthecommunity.
0-9
0-18
0-4
0-12
0-3
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Figure8.RangeofDeerTotalsRelativetoWoodedAreas
Figure9.DeerHabitatAreaswithintheCityofGalenaandgenerallocationsofdeernumberspercount.
0-9
0-18
0-4
0-12
0-3
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5.RelevanceofLymediseaseissue.LymeDisease isan issue in JoDaviessCounty,andwhiledeerplayarole in the lifecycleof theBlack‐leggedtickthatcarriesthedisease‐causingbacteriumBorreliaburgdorferi,reducingdeerpopulationsisnottheapproachrecommendedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention,theHumaneSocietyof the United States, scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey, or the Jo Daviess County HealthDepartment. A vigorous educational program to inform citizens on how to protect themselves isconsidered the best way to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease. Therefore, while Lyme disease iscertainlyaconcern,forthepurposesofthisreport,itisnotseenasaconsiderationinthedevelopmentofadeermanagementplanfortheCityofGalena.TheJoDaviessCountyHealthDepartmentrecordsthenumberofJoDaviessCountyresidentsthathavebeen diagnosedwith Lyme disease. Recorded incidence over the past 10 years is as follows: 2006‐1,2007‐9, 2008‐7, 2009‐1, 2010‐0, 2011‐0, 2012‐4, 2013‐14, 2014‐8, 2015‐14. It is likely that there areadditional resident cases that go undiagnosed and also that visitors to the countymay contract Lymedisease (cases are recorded in the infected person's county of residence). However, the HealthDepartmentrecordsprovideareferencepoint.Therecordsarekeptbycountyonly,soabreakdownfortheCityofGalenaisnotavailable.TheBlack‐leggedtickhasaninterestinglifecycle,transformingfromalarvaetoanymphandthentoanadultovera two‐yearperiod.The tick feedson thebloodof ahost animalat each stage, startingwithsmall creatures (e.g. mice and other rodents, birds, and even lizards), moving to mid‐size hosts (e.g.raccoons,possum,skunks),andfinallytolargehosts(e.g.deerandhumans).Deerarethepreferredlargehostforthetick,howeverthetickshavebeenfoundtobeveryadaptableintheirquestforasuitablehost,andwith the exceptionof the eliminationofdeeronan island, studiesdonot support the theory thatreducingthedeerpopulationreducesthenumberofblack‐leggedticks.Thefollowingservedasreferencesforthisreport,andmaybehelpfulshouldtheCityCouncilchoosetoproceedwiththedevelopmentofaneducationalprogramtopreventLymedisease:
TheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/toolkit/index.html)
LauraSimon(whopresentedtoourcommittee)nolongerworkswithTheHumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStates,butMarcAyers,IllinoisStateDirector‐HSUShasofferedtobeofassistance.
([email protected]) NohraE.Mateus‐Pinilla,VeterinaryEpidemiologistandDirectoroftheVeterinaryEpidemiology
LaboratoryattheUniversityofIllinois,PrairieResearchInstitute,IllinoisNaturalHistorySurvey.(217/333‐6856,[email protected])
LoriStangl,RN,BSN,DirectorofClinicalServices,JoDaviessCountyHealthDepartment(815/777‐
0263,[email protected])
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6.RelevanceofDeerChronicWastingDisease.Doug Dufford, of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provided the committee with hiscommentaryonChronicWastingDisease(CWD)includinghowitisspreadandhowclosethediseaseistoGalenaanditssurroundings.TheIllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResourcesisworkinghardtoslowthespreadofthisdiseasethatcandevastatedeerherdsuntilacurecanbefound.Therearepotentialdiseaseconcernsaboutthebait(andfeedingdeeringeneral),sincethismaycauseunnatural congregation of deer feeding at the same source. This results in increased risk of diseasetransmission throughdirect (animal to animal) contact, and through salivaorwastesdeposited at thebaitsite.DougadvisedthatChronicWastingDiseaseisaneurologicaldisease.Itiscausedbyaninfectiousproteincalledprionand isalways fatal. He toldus that there isno current treatment for thediseasebut thatthereisresearchprogressingandonedeerhassurvivedtodate.Onceinfected,adeerwilldiewithin18monthsto2½years. Thediseasecanonlybeconfirmedthroughtesting.Infecteddeerappearhealthyuntilthefinalstagesofthedisease.Overtime,theprionsbecomeintegratedwiththeneuraltissueandnormalneuronfunctionbreaksdown,resulting inweight loss,salivation,and lossofcoordination.Theprionsbuildupandcanbe shed in fluids: saliva, feces, andurine.Thedisease is transferredprimarilythroughsaliva.Deeraresocialanimals.Theynuzzleandlickeachother.Thediseasecanquicklyspread,infectingentirefamilygroups.Sofar,therehasbeennoknownaffectonhumans.Managementinvolvestryingtolowerthedeerdensitythroughlocalizedpopulationreduction.Thegoalsarelowereddensities,ayoungeragestructureinthepopulation,ahigherpopulationturnoverrate,andalowemigrationrate.
ThediseaseenteredIllinoisnortheastofRockfordandhasbeenspreadingwestintoJoDaviessCounty.Adeerhasbeenidentifiedwiththediseaseaboutthree(3)milessouthofElizabeth.AtsometimeCWDmayverywell reachGalena. If it arrives, thehealthof theentireGalenaherd is at risk.Once thedisease isconfirmedinGalena,theIDNRwilltakeactionasitseesfit.Weneedtobevigilanttoprotectthehealthoftheherd,andtocooperatefullywiththeIDNR'seffortstoslowthespreadofthedisease.
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7.Answerthequestion,“IsThereaProblem?”and,ifso,whatisit?ThereisaprobleminGalenarelatedtothedeerandotherwildlifepopulationsinsidethecitylimits.basedonthefollowingfindings:1.Therearecitizenswhoareexperiencingdeerdamagetotheirpropertylocatedinsidethecitylimits.2.ThereareaccidentsalongSpringStreetthatarerelatedtothepresenceofdeerinsidethecitylimits.3.Therearemultipleincidentsofdeerbeingimpaledonfencesinsidethecitylimits.4.Therearecitizensillegallyfeedingthedeer.Thecommitteehasidentifiedthefollowingitemsofdisagreementinthecommunity:1.Therearemixedopinionsonhowserioustheproblemis.2.Therearedisputesonhowbesttoresolvetheproblem.3.ThereisdisagreementonwhetherornottheCityCouncilshouldexpendpublicfundstoattempttodealwiththeproblem.Thecommitteehaslearnedthat:1.NotallareasofGalenaarebeingaffectedinthesamewaybytheincreaseindeerpopulation.2.Thereisalimittothenumberofdeerthatcanlivehealthilyinanygivenarea.3.Ifthenumberofdeerwithinthecitylimitsisnotdetrimentaltodeerhealth,thenproblemsregardingthedeerpopulationmustbeevaluatedinconsiderationofquantifiedhumantolerance.4.Withoutanaccurateandacceptedmeansofcountingthedeerinsidethecitylimits,itremainsadifficulttasktodefinetheproblemandidentifyfact‐basedsolutions.Basedonanadvisoryreferendumquestionsubmittedtothepublicinthespringelectionof2016,themajorityofvoterswhoparticipatedintheelectionvotedtodiscouragetheCityCouncilfromexpendingpublicfundstodealwithwildlifepopulationsinsidethecitylimits.Attached,asAppendixBistheupdatedreportfromtheChiefofPoliceondeerissues,whichcontinuetoariseinsidethecitylimits.
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8.Investigatehowothercommunitieshavehandledtheissue.The2015DeerCommitteeresearchedeffortsinthefollowingcommunitiestodealwithdeerpopulationissues:1.GalenaTerritoryAssociation(GTA)DeerManagementProgrampresentedbyJoeMattingly,GTACEO,DaveOldenburg,andEmilyLubke. TheGTAbegananinvestigationin1988whenthedeerpopulationexploded after hunting was prohibited. There was extensive damage to landscapes, golf course, andwoodland.Therewasapeakof31vehicular/deeraccidentsin1992.TheGTAexploredoptionsfordeercontrol including regulated hunting, bow and gun. Live capture and euthanasia as well as trap andrelocate were looked at. Sharpshooting was examined and considered to be the best solution. TheIllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResources(IDNR)recommendedadensityof12‐20deerpersquaremilebasedonknowledgeofdeerhealthandfitness,andtheirimpactonplants,wildlife,andhealthyecologicalsystems.Therewasanestimated1,000deerinthe10.265squaremilesoftheTerritory.In 1991 a sharp shooter program was begun. Safety was the top priority when considering cullingmethods. The use of a riflewas selected because of its accuracy and range. The IDNR identified theshooting zones.They lookedat the coverdensity and selectedareaswith adjacentopenareas safe forshooting. Theyavoidrentalareas. Therewere600deerculled the firstyear. Thecostperdeerwasestimatedtobe$150.Themeatisdonatedtolocalfoodpantries.Inareviewoftheprogramin2012itwasdeterminedthatthesharpshooterbemorevisiblebywearingan orange vest and having a flashing strobe light on the vehicle. Property owners are asked forpermission to shoot on their property and to access their property to pick up dead deer. They havemaintainedthesameprogramsince1991,cullingeveryyearforconsistency. Thereare50to100deerculledannually.Everyyearanaerialcountisdonewhenthereisatleast4”ofsnowontheground.Theprogramobjectivesaretomaintainthenumberofdeer/vehicleaccidentsat less than20peryear,maintain deer browsing of native plants at less than 20%, andmaintain deer damage to ornamentalplantings such that 75% of residents are satisfied, and promote an understanding of the need formanagement.Everythreeyearsabrowsestudyofthewoodlandareasisdone.Ongoingeffortscontinuetoeducatethecommunityabouttheprogram,emphasizingnotfeedingthedeerorputtingoutsaltlicks.Overall,theGTAbelievesthattheirmanagementprogramhasbeenasuccess.More info about their program can be found on our deer committeewebsite dated 12/7/2015whichincludes:GTAdeercullingcosts,browsingdata,andcullingmaps.2.AppleCanyonLake(ACL)‐ JimPetelleandJohnSchereson,membersof theAppleCanyonPropertyOwnersAssociation,gaveourcommitteeareportontheirdeermanagementprogramaswellascopiesof the ACL Property Owners’ Association Rules and Regulations regarding deer archery hunting inspecifiedresortcommonareas.In response to complaints about property damage and vehicular accidents, a deer managementcommitteewas formed. Theymet2 to3yearsbefore theirdeermanagementprogramwasstarted in2010. Theyworkedwith Doug Dufford, wildlife biologist, with the IDNR. They discovered that theyshould have 20‐30 deer per squaremile. Their territory is comprised of 3.4 squaremilewhose deercarryingcapacitywas80‐90deer.Theyhadfourtimesthatmanydeer.They chose archery over rifle because they felt the proximity to houseswas an issue. Their archeryprogram culls 50‐60 deer per year in designated areas from elevated stands during regular hunting
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season.ParticipatingarchersadheretostrictrequirementsaboveandbeyondwhatthestateofIllinoisrequires. In addition to their archery program they offer a youth archery program every summer inconjunctionwiththeboyscouts.In their second year, theydid an aerial count, and since then theydo an annual roadway countwhenthere is snowon theground. Peopledrivearound4quadrants in theeveningduringaoneandahalfhourperiodtocountdeer.TheystillhavetwicethenumberofdeertheyshouldhaveaccordingtoIDNRrecommendations.Theyofferapublicpresentationabouttheirdeermanagementprogrameveryyeartoeducatethepublicandtogettheirbuy–infortheirprogram.Theybelievethatacullingprogrammustbemaintainedeveryyeartobeeffective.Therearefewervehicularaccidentsandlesspropertydamage.Basedoncommentsreceivedat theirmeetingsand in theirpaper,TheAppleCore, theprogramseemstobegenerallywellreceived.Theycollected$2,500‐$3,000inhunterfees,andtheprogramcostwas$1,200.Moredetailedinformationcanbefoundonourdeercommitteewebsite:minutesfromour12/16/2015meeting,ACLRulesandRegulationsforHuntingwerelistedasACLManagementProgram.Alsolistedonourdeercommitteewebsiteisinformationfromothercommunitiesthatweinvestigated:3.Austin,TexasIn2009AustinbecamethelargestcityintheU.S.tobecomeacertified,wildlifehabitatbytheNationalWildlifeFederation. In2011 theyenacteda “no‐kill”policydeclaring “TheCityofAustinwill practicetolerance and co‐existence with deer andwill promote this policy through amulti‐tiered program ofeducation,awarenessandhumane,non‐lethalconflictmanagement.”Educationonmethodsofexclusion,deterrentsandconflictmanagementwithwhite‐taildeerandotherwildlifeisprovided.Austin has 931,830 residents so it does not compare to Galena, but the Austin Animal AdvisoryCommissionmadeanumberofrecommendationsthatcouldbeveryusefulinhelpingGalenadealwithourdeerpopulation.Thatinformationisalsoonthedeercommitteewebsite.4.Lincolnshire,IllinoisLincolnshireisanorthernsuburbofChicagowithapopulationof7,275.Theypreviouslyculleddeer,butdiscontinuedin2011sincetheirdatasuggestedtheydidn’tneedtocull. Before2011theycompiledanannualreportofresidentialcomplaints,plantdata(browsingnumbers),deer/vehicleaccidents,andtheypaidanaturalareasmaintenancecontractortocollectbrowsingdata.5.Clifton,OhioClifton is part of Cincinnati. They are engaged in a 5 year pilot study on a non‐lethal fertility controlprogramthatbeganin2014.Intheirfirstyear41doesweresterilizedandtagged(anestimated90%oftheirtotalherd)and3malefawnsweretagged.Theirhopeistocontroltheirdeerpopulationthroughsterilization. They set up bait stations, and performed field surgery. Many people including wildlifebiologists,veterinarians,andvolunteerswereinvolvedinthefirstevent. Thisyearfortwoweeksaftertheeventstrategicallylocatedcameraswilltakethousandsofphotoswhichwillbeexaminedbywildlifebiologiststoestimatewithhighreliabilitythenumberofdeer.Thecostswerenotclearlyshown,butthisyear they expected the costs to be $15,000 more than last year and they were seeking grants anddonationstocovertheexpense.
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Their 2014 deer estimate was 60‐65 deer, but they felt they had double that amount. Again, thiscommunityisnotveryrelativetoGalena,buttheirresearchisworthfollowingeventhoughtheyareinthebeginningstages.6.RochesterHills,MichiganRochester Hills created a program to reduce deer‐car collisions including highly‐visible deerwarningsigns at collision hot spots, removal of sightline barriers, and a "Don't Veer for Deer" educationalcampaign.Overseveralyears,theyachieveda25%reductionindeer‐vehiclecollisionsinspiteofa34%increaseinthedeerpopulation.Theprogramcosts$2,000peryear.
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9.Optionstoreducethenumberofdeerinherdifdeterminedappropriate.Iftheherdneedstobereducedthereareseveraloptions.Somearemorepracticalthanothers.Weheardfrommanysources.Thesearesomeofthethingsthathavebeentried:1.Attempts tocaptureandrelocatedeerhavebeenshowntobedeadly to thedeer.Theystruggleandinjurethemselvesandneedtobeputdown.2.Capturingandsterilizingorneuteringdeerismuchtooexpensiveandis ineffectiveinreducingdeerpopulation.3.SharpshootershavebeenusedintheGalenaTerritory.Theyhavebeensuccessfulinreducingtheherd.TheTerritoryherdisnowhealthyandsustainable.Onlyprovenmarksmencanbeused,inspecifiedfiringzones.Duetoalackofnaturalpredators,thecullingneedstobealong‐termprogramtocontroltheherd.AlsobecauseofIDNRrulessharpshootercullingisexpensive.4.BowHuntersareusedinmanycommunities.Theyutilizenormalhuntingseasons.AppleCanyonLakeactuallymakesmoneythroughbowhunting.Eachhunterhastopasssafetyandaccuracytests,thenpayfordeerpermits.Theycankeepandprocessthedeertheyshoot.Forseparationeachhunterisassignedaspecificarea.FollowingtherulesimplementedbyAppleCanyonLakehasresultedinasafeandeffectivedeermanagementprogram.5.Re‐introducingnaturalpredatorstoGalenacanalsoreducethedeerpopulation.Thisdoesnotrequirebringingpredators toGalena.They are alreadybeing attracted to the area. It only involves not takingstepstostopthem.6. TheGalena herd is already being reduced involuntarily. Deer are killed in vehicle accidents and bybeingimpaledonfences.7. Plants that deer like to eat are getting scarcer in Galena. Some people are actively planting deerresistantplants.Othersarenotreplacingplantsthathavebeenoverbrowsedbydeer.Eitherwaythereislessfordeertoeat.Reducingthefoodsupplycouldresultinsomedeerleavingthecity.Additionalbenefitwill be derived from plantings that do not attract deer and are not a useful food source for the deerpopulation.8.Strictermunicipalordinanceprohibitingthefeedingofdeerwithinthecitylimits.
20
10.CommitteeRecommendedDeerManagementProgramBasedontheabove‐itemizedfindings,thecommitteerecommendsthefollowingoptionstotheCityCouncilandurgesadoptionofasmanyasthecouncildeemsappropriatetoassistinmanagingdeerandotherwildlifeinthecitylimits:1.CountthedeerTheCityshould:
Conductanaerialdeercount,workinginconjunctionwiththeGalenaTerritoryAssociation'sdeercount.
Evaluatethenumberofdeercountedagainstthe20deerpersquaremilereferencepoint. Estimatethedegreeofaccuracyofthedrivingcountforfuturecounts. Conductannualdrivingcountsonaregularbasis. Conductanaerialcountagainin2years(winter2018‐19)ifthenumberofdeer‐vehicleaccidents
inthe2018calendaryearexceeds20.2.EducateCitizensTheCityshould:
ContractwiththeUniversityofIllinoisExtensiontoprovidenaturalresourceeducationpresentationsatCityHalleachwinterthatarefreetothepublic.TopicsmightbedrawnfromthoseintheExtension'sMasterNaturalistprogram,suchas"UrbanAreasandWildlife,"AgriculturalLandsandWildlife,""UnderstandingtheNaturalWorld,"and"UnderstandingPrairieinthePrairieState."TheMasterGardenersprogramonDeerResistantPlantingsshouldberepeatedonaregularbasis.Includeeducationalongthelinesofthe"VeerforDeer"programusedsuccessfullyinRochester,MI.
InvitetheformationofacitizenadvisorycommitteetomakeongoingrecommendationstotheCity
Councilonnaturalresourceissues(includingwildlifemanagement),andtoassistineducatingthepubliconnaturalresourcematters.
Offerasurveytothecitizenseachyear(seerecommendedsurveyinAppendixD).Evaluatethe
numberofresponsestothequestion,"Arelevelsofdeerdamagetolerable?"3.InstallDeerWarningSignageTheIllinoisDepartmentofTransportationwillnotinstalldeerwarningsigns,buttheCitymaydosoinconsultationwiththedepartment.TheCityshouldinstalldeer‐warningsignsalongroadwayswithhighdeer‐vehicleincidentrates(e.g.GearSt.,U.S.20,FranklinSt.,andStagecoachTrail‐seeFig.3,p.7).4.MaintainDeerHealthTheCityshould:
FollowtheprogressionofChronicWastingDiseaseindeerinJoDaviessCountyandcooperatewiththeIllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResourcesshouldinfectedanimalsbedocumentedinorneartheCity.
Managethedeerpopulationbyencouragingincreasedhuntingonprivatepropertiessurrounding
theCityofGalena,andopenCitypropertiesontheperipheryoftheCity(e.g.GatewayPark,theacreagenorthofIndianRidgesubdivision)tohuntingduringtheregularhuntingseason.
21
Determinethenumberofdeerwithinthecitylimits(throughaerialordrivingcounts,orboth)persquaremileeachyear.Ifthenumberisfoundtoexceed20deerpersquaremile,considerspecialCitypermissionworkingwiththeIDNRtoimplementabow‐huntingprograminselectareaswithinthecity.Neitherthehuntersinterviewednorthecommitteerecommendsusingfirearmswithinthecitylimitstoreducethedeerpopulation.TheAppleCanyonLakeprogramfortestingandcertifyingbowhuntersisagoodreference.TheCityofDubuque'sprogramforidentifyingareaswithintheCitylimitssuitablefordeerhuntingisagoodreference.
5.ImprovetheAbilitytoEnforcetheProhibitionofDeerFeedingTheCityofGalenashouldpassanordinancethatwillassistlawenforcementinstoppingthefeedingofdeerinsidetheCitylimits.RecommendedsampleordinancelanguageisprovidedinAppendixE.6.MonitorOverallSituationTheCityshouldannuallyreviewinformationaboutthenumberofdeer,numberandnatureofdeerincidents,statusofChronicWastingDiseaseinthearea,andcitizenopinion.AsampleannualreportisprovidedasAppendixF.7.EvaluatetheGalenaDeerManagementPlanIn3years(December2019)evaluatetheeffectivenessoftheGalenaDeerManagementPlanaswrittenandmodifyasappropriate.
22
11.CostImplicationsandstafftimefordeerpopulationmanagementCosts:1.CountthedeerThecostofadrivingcountwouldbeminimalifconductedbyvolunteers(similartotheannualbirdcountconductedbytheJoDaviessConservationFoundation).Thecostoftheaerialcount=$1,500.Ifanaerialcountisconductedonceeverytwoyears,themaximumannualexpenseatcurrentrateswouldbe$750peryear.2.EducateCitizensTheUniversityofIllinoisExtensionwillprovide2‐hourprogramsthatarefreetocitizensasdesiredbytheCity,willpromotethoseprograms,andwillhandleonlineregistrationsfortheprograms.TheywouldasktheCitytohosttheprogramsandhelppromotethem.Thecostperprogrameventwouldbeintherangeof$150‐$250.Assumingthreeprogramsatthehighercost,theannualexpensewouldbe$750.ThereareminimalanticipatedcostsfortheformationofacitizenadvisorycommitteetomakeongoingrecommendationstotheCityCouncilonnaturalresourceissues.Anonlinesurvey(e.g.SurveyMonkey)wouldbefree.Therewouldbesomeadditionalexpenseforcitystafftoanalyzethedata.Thecostforanannualmailingofthesurveyincludinganaddressedreturnenvelopeto1900householdsisapproximately$2,000.Therewouldbeadditionalexpenseforthecitystafftocompileandanalyzethesurveydata.3.InstallDeerWarningSignageThepurchaseandinstallationpriceforastandardsignisapproximately$300persign,andthePoliceDepartmentshouldidentifyappropriatelocations.4.MaintainDeerHealthThereisnocostinvolvedinfollowingtheprogressionofChronicWastingDiseaseindeerinJoDaviessCountyandcooperatingwiththeIllinoisDepartmentofNaturalResourcesshouldinfectedanimalsbedocumentedinorneartheCitybeyondtheminimalstafftimerequiredtoaccomplishthis.5.ImprovetheAbilitytoEnforcetheProhibitionofDeerFeedingTheordinanceshouldallowforclearenforcementoftheprohibitiononfeedingdeer.Revenuemaybegeneratedthroughthecollectionoffines.6.MonitorOverallSituationAsampleannualreportisprovidedasAppendixF.Thereisnocostinvolvedinputtingtogethertheannualreportbeyondtheminimalstafftimerequiredtoaccomplishthis.7.EvaluatetheGalenaDeerManagementPlanThereisnocostinvolvedinevaluatingtheGalenaDeerManagementPlanbeyondtheminimalstafftimerequiredtoaccomplishthis.
23
TheCommitteerecommendsthefollowingACTIONPLAN:
Winter2016‐17
‐ConductaerialcountinconjunctionwithGalenaTerritoryAssociation
‐ContractwithUniversityofIllinoisExtensiontoprovidethreeeducationalprograms
‐Adoptordinancelanguageregardingprohibitionoffeedingdeer
‐OfferCitizenSurvey
Summer2017
‐Installdeer‐crossingsignsinstrategiclocations
Winter2017‐18
‐Conductdrivingcount
‐Workwithlandownersjustoutsidethecitylimitstoincreasehuntingontheirproperties.
‐OpenCitypropertiesontheperipheryofthecommunitytohunting(e.g.GatewayPark,theareanorthofSprouleLane)
‐ContractwithUniversityofIllinoisExtensiontoprovidethreeeducationalprograms
‐OfferCitizenSurvey
Winter2018‐19
‐Evaluatenumberofdeer‐vehiclecollisions
‐Ifdeer‐vehiclecollisionsareover20,conductaerialcount
‐Ifdeer‐vehiclecollisionsareunder20,conductdrivingcount
‐Workwithlandownersjustoutsidethecitylimitstoincreasehuntingontheirproperties.
‐OpenCitypropertiesontheperipheryofthecommunitytohunting(e.g.GatewayPark,theareanorthofSprouleLane)
‐ContractwithUniversityofIllinoisExtensiontoprovidethreeeducationalprograms.
‐OfferCitizenSurvey
CITY
OF GALEN
A, ILLINOIS
DEER
POPU
LATION CONTR
OL AC
TIVITY
REPORT
: Feb
ruary 9, 201
5
Date
Time Out
Time In
Total H
ours
Employee
Departmen
tVe
hicle
Mileage
Tempe
rature
Weather
Locatio
nShots F
ired
Doe
Buck
Tag #
Notes
1‐1‐‐1‐13‐15
2.00
Bill Salzm
ann
#510
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Met with
prope
rty ow
ners in
sho
oting areas
1‐1‐‐1‐13‐15
2.00
Bill Salzmann
Police
#58
NA
NA
1‐4
NA
NA
NA
NA
Baiting
1‐14
‐15
4:15
PM
5:00
PM
0.45
Bill Salzmann
Police
#24.9
24Clear
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Met with
Hoo
gerw
erf o
f DNR regarding feed
ing
law. Ch
ecked locatio
ns whe
re re
siden
ts re
ported
to be feed
ing.
1‐20
‐15
8:00
AM
10:30 AM
2.50
Bill Salzmann
Police
#5/PW pickup
27.5
30Clear
1‐4
0Saw deer a
t feeding
locatio
ns, did not ta
ke sh
ots
1‐26
‐15
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
1.00
Mark Moran
Ad
ministratio
nNA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Prep
are activ
ity re
port te
mplate
1‐28
‐15
8:00
AM
12:00 PM
4.00
Bill Salzmann
Police
#58.3
25Clear
41
Deer wou
nded
but not re
covered. Tracked
un
successfully.
1‐28
‐15
8:00
AM
12:00 PM
Bill Salzm
ann
Police
#525
Clear
21
Doe(F)
NA
134867
Field dress a
nd transported to Territory
refrigerated
storage
1‐28
‐15
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
0.50
Kevin Sinagra
Public W
orks
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Met with
Bill Salzm
ann to give him access to
Gator.
1‐28
‐15
8:00
AM
11:00 AM
3.00
Mark Moran
Ad
ministratio
nNA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Field em
ails and
calls re
garding culling
1‐29
‐15
8:00
AM
4:30
PM
1.00
Mark Moran
Ad
ministratio
nNA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Field em
ails, calls, and
office visits re
garding
culling
1‐29
‐15
8:00
AM
4:30
PM
1.00
Mark Moran
Ad
ministratio
nNA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Field em
ails, calls, and
office visits re
garding
culling
2‐2‐‐2‐9‐15
8:00
AM
4:30
PM
6.00
Mark Moran
Ad
ministratio
nNA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Field em
ails, calls, and
office visits re
garding
culling
TOTA
L23.45
58.7
21
0
DEER
POPU
LATION CONTR
OL CO
STS
Employee
Rate
Employee
Cost
Vehicle Co
stAm
mun
ition
Co
stProcessin
g Co
stTo
tal Cost
$37.04
$74.08
$5.60
$79.68
$37.04
$74.08
$4.48
$78.56
$37.04
$16.67
$2.74
$19.41
$37.04
$92.60
$15.40
$108.00
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$37.04
$148.16
$4.65
$120.00
$272.81
$25.99
$13.00
$13.00
$57.72
$173.16
$173.16
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$57.72
$346.32
$346.32
TOTA
L$1,111.22
$32.87
$120.00
$0.00
$1,264.10
Notes:
2. $0.56
per m
ile fo
r veh
icle cost.
1. Employee
Rate includ
es: b
ase wage, Social Security
, Med
icare, re
tirem
ent, he
alth insurance and de
ntal
25
AppendixB:GalenaPoliceDepartmentDeerIncidentReportTables
26
27
AppendixC:DrivingDeerCountMethodologyAttheJanuary2016DeerCommitteemeeting,representativesfromtheAppleCanyonLakePropertyOwnersAssociationexplainedthatafterhavingcompletedaninitialaerialcountofthedeerintheresort,theyhaveadoptedanongoingdrivingcountsystem.Inordertoprovideareferencepointfortryingtoanswerthequestion‐“HowmanydeerarethereinGalena?”‐aprogramfordrivingaroundtownandcountingthedeerhasbeencreated.Thefollowingmethodologyhasbeenestablishedtoeliminateasmanyvariablesaspossible:
BethBaranskiandBillGrosshanshaveagreedtoconductthedrivingcountstogetherinordertoensureconsistencyandtoconfirmeachother’sdeersightings.BethisamemberoftheDeerCommittee,andBillisaregularaudiencememberatDeerCommitteemeetingsandfollowstheproceedingsclosely.
ThesamerouteisdriventhroughGalenaeachtime.Theroutetakesaboutanhourand30
minutes.
Asdeerarespotted,thenumberofdeerismarkedontheappropriatemaplocationandcircled.If
Bethand/orBillfeelthereisanyquestionthatdeermayhavemovedandmightbedouble‐counted,theyarenotincludedinthetotal.
ThecountisconductedonlywhenbothBethandBillareavailable,eitherduringthemorningor
eveningtwilight.Themorningcountsarebegunabout5‐10minutesaftermorningciviltwilightandtheeveningcountsarestartedaboutonehourandthirty‐to‐thirty‐fiveminutesbeforetheendofeveningciviltwilight(referencingtimesatsunrisesunset.com).
Thedate,timeofstartandfinish,deercount,andanycommentsarerecordedonthemapand
signedbybothBillandBeth.Thisregularcountisbeingconductedwiththethoughtthatitmayhelpframethegeneralnumberofdeerintown,couldhelpusunderstandseasonalchanges,andalsomayhelpidentifyspecificlocationsthattendtohavemoredeerthanothers.Itwillbeinterestingtoseehowthedrivingcountsdoneaswinterapproachescomparewithawinteraerialcount(ifoneisconducted).
28
AppendixD:SurveyRegardingWildlifeinGalena
1.Doyouseedeerinyouryard?____Yes____No
2.Dothedeercausedamagetothelandscapingand/orgardensonyourproperty?____Yes ____No
3.Arecurrentlevelsofdeerdamagetolerable? ____Yes ____No
4.Whatmeasureshaveyoutakento“deer‐proof”yourproperty? a.Fencing b.Deer‐resistantplants c.Repellents/sprays d.Visualrepellents e.Motion‐detectionsprinklers f.OtherDescribe________________________________________________________________________________ g.None
5.Wouldyousupportcontrolled,safe,bowandarrowcullingofdeerinsideGalenacitylimits?___Yes___No
6.Whatotherwildlifedoyouseeonyourproperty?Types_________________________________________
7.Dosuchwildlifecausedamagetoyourproperty?Describe_______________________________________
8.WhichGalenaPrecinctdoyouvotein?____EastGalena ____Rawlins____WestGalenaI____WestGalenaII____WestGalenaIII
9.Othercomments?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
29
AppendixE:OrdinancetoDealWithFeedingDeerInsidetheCityLimits
The2015DeerCommittee(committee)hasdiscussedtheissueofthedifficultyofenforcinganordinanceonfeedingdeerwiththepolicedepartmentandtheCityAttorney.Itisclearthattherearedifficultiesinenforcement of the statute of the State of Illinois related to illegally feeding deer. It seems that theproblemisproofofintenttofeedthedeer.ThecommitteeherebyrecommendsthattheCityCouncildiscusswiththeCityAttorneyunderitspolicepower authority usingChapter 95 of the City Code ofOrdinances entitledNuisances. Specifically, thecommittee recommends that Section 95.01 of the code be amended to add the following paragraphthereto:
(K)Toknowingly,purposefullyor intentionallydisburse foodon theground,atanyfeedingstation, inafeedingdevice,or inacontainerofanykind,orprovideasaltorminerallick,orbyanyothermeansprovidefoodtodeeronanypublicorprivateproperty.Aperson shallbedeemed tohaveknowingly,purposelyor intentionally feddeer, causedeertobefedorprovidedfoodtodeer,ifthepersonplaces,orallowstobeplaced,wheat,pellets,livestockfeed,corninanyform,fruit,vegetables,hayoralfalfa,humanfoodscraps,anyformofwildlifeseed,birdseedorlivestockfeed,oranyotherediblematterthatdeerwillconsumeonthegroundorwithinthereachofdeer.“Withinthereachofdeer”shallbedefinedashavingbeen located lessthan five(5) feetabovethegroundunlesssuch itemsare screened orprotected in amanner thatpreventsdeer from feeding on them.. Thisprohibitionshallincludeallowingresiduethatdeerwillconsumetoremainunderneathabirdfeeder. This prohibition shall not include live vegetation such as ornamentallandscaping, flowers, trees, vines, vegetable gardens, ediblematter located either in anenclosed building or stored in a securely sealed package, or unmodified commerciallypurchasedbirdfeedersortheirequivalentwhenplacedoutofthereachofthedeer.
The committee further recommends that the Council amend Section 95.99 (A) to add the followinglanguagefollowingtheword“misdemeanor”therein:“except that Section (K) thereof shall be punished as provided in Section 10.99.” (This sectionauthorizesafineofupto$750).ItistheviewofthecommitteethatpublicationofthesuggestedamendmentstotheNuisanceordinancewillleadtostoppinganyfeedingofdeerwithinthecitylimits.
30
AppendixF:SampleAnnualReportforGalenaDeerManagementPlan
UpdatedinformationshouldbeprovidedtotheGalenaCityCouncileachyearasareferencefordeermanagementdecision‐making.NumberofDeer(Date:_________)AerialDeerCount:___________________________DrivingDeerCounts,April18‐December5,2016:6‐30deercounted.Numberofdeerpersquaremile=1.5to7.5(6deer/4sq.milesand30deer/4sq.miles)
DeerIncidents
31
ChronicWastingDiseaseUpdate
CitizenSurvey
Numberofsurveysreceived:______
Numberof"Yesand"No"responsestothefollowingquestion:
Are current levels of deer damage tolerable? ____ Yes ____No
