Tega Cay halts deer culling operation
TEGA CAY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Leaders say their efforts to cull deer within the Tega Cay are over, and they’re ready to explore other population control options.
The city’s contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture was already slated to expire on March 1. In a post on the city’s website Thursday, officials stated there would not be any additional cullings beyond that date.
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City leaders say they will put together a report in coming days on the number of deer killed during the culling, costs incurred, and other details from the operation. City council members will also consider different deer management options at they’re Feb. 20 meeting.
Sharpshooters with the USDA began operations to reduce the deer population on Jan. 22. They worked in the evening hours until midnight, targeting the animals at Tega Cay Golf Club with night-vision sights from stands in the trees. Shooting was limited to fairways, with no trespassing signs around the club to keep neighbors out of the line of fire.
Leaders chose culling due to a deer population topping 3,000 within city limits, with the animals causing damage to properties. There were calls from some residents to avoid killing the animals and instead use methods like birth control darts.
At a Jan. 22 meeting, City Council members voted to go ahead with culling operations yet promised to consider other population control methods in the future.
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