HOWARD (NBC 26) — Howard officials say the village deer population is larger than normal. They are now considering ways to address the issue.
- See where the Howard Village Board is considering allowing expanded deer bow hunting
- Village Administrator Paul Evert says the board will not consider bringing in sharpshooters to reduce the deer population
- Village President Burt McIntyre says the board wants to first focus on educating residents about how to keep deer away
- Humane Officer Matt Atkinson says planting things like mint, blackberries and blueberries should also discourage deer from eating out of a garden
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with edits for the web.)
Howard's village board is considering ways to reduce the deer population.
"I don't think we can do nothing," said Howard Village President Burt McIntyre. "I think we have to do something."
McIntyre has been on the board since 2008. He said he's never seen this many deer around Howard.
One of the options the village is considering: expanded hunting.
Gun hunting is legal by permit throughout much of the east and west portions of the village. Bow hunting is already allowed by state law. But, the board is now looking at decreasing how far a bow hunter needs to be from an occupied building, which would allow bow hunting in about two dozen more green spaces or parks.
"We want to meet the complaints that have been there, because they're real," McIntyre said. He and Village Administrator Paul Evert said they hear deer are ruining people's gardens. Evert said mild winters have caused a boom in population.
"We all realize it's an emotional issue for people," Evert said. "The people that have put all this time and effort into their gardens to see them ruined, and there's people that love to see the animals."
Howard resident Sharie Kind shared a photo of deer in her backyard, a sight she said her grandson looks forward to. In an email, she wrote "[I] love watching the wildlife come and go from my backyard ... We keep taking away their homes for our homes and think nothing about it."
"I've had a lot more people not necessarily complaining, but just saying they're seeing a lot more deer lately," said Village Humane Officer Matt Atkinson.
He encourages people to not feed the deer if they don't want them around, or plant things deer don't like, like mint, blackberries or blueberries.
The village board is meeting to discuss possible policy changes Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m.
