With 2023 deer harvest down, W. MI cities weigh options
NORTON SHORES, Mich. (WOOD) — The deer hunting season is over for most of the state, and with total harvest numbers down, the issues caused by deer herds in urban areas are only expected to increase. Local governments across West Michigan are weighing their options to deal with the problem.
Norton Shores officials say the city’s deer management program, which ended on Jan. 1, was a success, with hunters harvesting an additional 45 deer.
“We didn’t know what kind of response we were going to get,” Norton Shores Parks and Recreation Superintendent Brian Clarke said. “We got an overwhelming response, actually, for volunteers to come in and do the deer hunt with us.”
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Clarke says the archery hunt was completed by the most experienced 30 volunteers to ensure parks would remain open during the hunt. Archery hunting requires individuals to be much closer to the deer in question, which ensures public safety.
“The deer aren’t afraid of you. They have no fear,” Clarke said. “I mean, they’ll stand in the street or whatever and it’s a danger to pedestrians. It’s a danger to cars.”
According to Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, there has been a decrease of nearly 30,000 kills in the deer harvest for the 2023 season.
While Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties have extended their urban archery season, the rest of the 80 counties across the state have ended their season.
Kent Co. leads state in deer-involved crashes: MSP data
Meanwhile, incidents of car-deer crashes or near-crashes continue to rise across the state — something Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley knows all too well.
A “beautiful white truck was parked in the middle lane,” Kepley said during a public safety committee meeting for the city of Grand Rapids. “I said, ‘Are you okay?’ And he said ‘Yeah, I hit a deer.'”
Kentwood, Grand Rapids and several other neighboring communities are working together with the DNR to come up with a regional response to the deer herd problem.
“I don’t want to put drivers at risk for the huge population of deer,” Kepley said. “And how do we do this? How do we handle this? I think the best thing is information, information, information.”
The Kent County cities previously said they expected to meet with a DNR official at the end of 2023. Their findings will likely be presented during this month’s committee meeting. At this time, a cull isn’t out of the question for the area.
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