Top Stories of 2011: Deer Culling Debate

Editor's Note: Between Dec. 27 and New Year's Eve, Solon Patch will count down the top five stories of 2011. We compiled this list in two ways: Feedback from our users and our own editorial judgment. Want to comment on our choices? Head down to the comments section!

Top Stories of the Year, No. 2: Deer Culling Debate

The debate over deer culling in Solon consumed nearly the entire year, and was clearly the most hot-button issue at .

It began in early January, when city officials proposed a crossbow hunting pilot program as a test to see if it would help control the city's surging deer population.

The problem, as city officials saw it, was deer versus car accidents, which would increase as the deer population grew.

According to the city, Solon should have about 10-15 deer per square mile, or about 200 to 300 deer. In 2010, Solon had 34 deer per square mile, or 694 deer. And that number is expected to increase before any culling can occur later this year.

The problem was that many Solon residents don't want hunting or are against the idea of killing deer to reduce the population. So they protested the crossbow program, and the way they thought it was being pushed through.

That forced the city to scrap the program, but they still moved forward with designing a comprehensive plan to manage Solon's deer population.

The city eventually hired the U.S. Department of Agriculture to handle deer culling, and the city expects to move forward with a crossbow program sometime in 2012.

But they didn't move forward without opposition. A group of residents collected enough signatures to put on the November ballot an ordinance that, if approved, would have banned deer hunting in Solon.

That ordinance was defeated at the ballot box, and Solon moved forward.

What's Next? Hunting is expected to begin in 2012. The city is expected to being sharpshooting on selected properties early in 2012 and begin the crossbow program later in the year.

The controversy over the hunting is likely to flair up again next year, so stay tuned for more as it does.

Read the Stories:

• Grab Your Crossbow? Solon Considers Hunting Program to Manage Deer
• Contentious Deer Culling Proposal Heads for Solon Council Showdown
• Deer Culling Has Long, Controversial History in Solon
• Crossbow Plan Scrapped, but Comprehensive Deer Program Coming
• No Deer Management Now, But Solon Is Preparing
• Councilman Russo: Deer Culling 'Misstatements' Won't be Tolerated at Safety Meetings
• USDA, Ohio Wildlife Officials Brief Solon on Deer Issues
• Will Solon Use White Buffalo Again for Deer Sharpshooting?
• $150,000 Budgeted for Deer Management in Solon
• Take Our Poll: Deer Hunting in Solon
• Deer Park Innovator to Brief Solon Officials on Potential Deer Solution
• Deer Hunting Foes Seeking to Ban Killing Through Ballot Measure
• Deer Plan Passed to Solon Council
• With Deer Population Surging, Solon Officials Will Decide How Many to Kill
• Solon May Enlist USDA to Run Deer Culling Program
• Deer Crashes into Woman's Living Room
• Russo: No Deer Culling or Hunting Before Election
• Solon City Council Approves Deer Plan; Hunting On Hold Until Election
• Upcoming Vote on Deer Hunting Looms Over Solon's Deer Plans
• Contract: Solon Could Pay USDA $128,000 to Cull 400 to 500 Deer
• Solon Deer Preservation Act Defeated
• With Deer Law Defeated, Solon Prepares to Hunt

Previous Top Stories:

• Top Stories of 2011, No. 5: Nestle Expansion
• Top Stories of 2011, No. 4: Rest In Peace
• Top Stories of 2011, No. 3: Former Secretary Sues Mayor Drucker