No Deer Management Now, But Solon Is Preparing

Solon officials will gather quotes to conduct an aerial deer survey and ask the finance committee to insert funding in the annual budget to pay for the city's upcoming comprehensive deer management program.

The items were added at the last minute to the safety and public property committee's Wednesday meeting. The items were added because Solon officials met Tuesday with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to discuss deer culling and management.

It was the USDA that recommended Solon conduct an aerial survey of the deer, something Solon hasn't done in about four or five years. And because now is the best time of year to do the survey, Solon officials want to get quotes and get the survey done as quickly as possible.

Ward 7 Councilman William Russo, chairman of the safety committee, said the aerial study will be crucial in the development of a comprehensive deer management plan, which Public Works Commissioner James Stanek will deliver to the safety committee by May 1. Officials have said that the comprehensive plan will likely feature both lethal and nonlethal methods for controlling the deer population.

"I think an aerial study is necessary to be able to come up with the right plan for the situation that we have currently," said Ward 6 Councilman Ed Kraus.

The safety committee also has recommended that the finance committee should prepare a line item in the annual budget to pay for the first year of deer culling.

"The city is going to have a deer management program this year, and it’s going to have to be funded," Kraus said.

Mayor Susan Drucker said the cost will be based on how many deer are culled in the first year. Drucker said as many as 300 to 400 deer may be culled in the first year of the program, based on past experience and estimates that the deer population will reach more than 1,000 by the end of the year.

Deer culling is a big issue in Solon with . Officials say it's a public safety issue: deer have caused hundreds of traffic accidents over the last several years. But some residents and animal rights advocates argue that culling is inhumane and cruel.

Solon officials have been discussing deer culling again during the last few months because the deer population has exploded since the city ended its culling program – which involved contracting sharpshooters to shoot the deer – because of budget reasons.

In December, Stanek proposed a crossbow-only pilot program to explore the efficacy of that method of hunting, but the program . Many residents and some council members had concerns about the program.

Stanek said he plans to have USDA and state wildlife officials at the next safety committee meeting in March to discuss deer culling issues with the committee.