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Cleveland Guys... might want to get involved here

Curran

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Central Ohio
Saw this article in the paper today and figured I'd pass it along...

I haven't read the full 15 page report, but noticed that a hunting option was listed last, after the use of sharp shooters. It may be my biast opinion but it seems that controlled archery hunting would be at a much great cost savings to the tax payers, plus it opens more opportunities for resident hunters.


http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2012/02/01/news/nh5043082.txt

Mentor officials came to Tuesday's deer management discussion armed with more than eyewitness testimony.

Along with more experts in the park and wildlife fields, city administrators presented City Council parts of a 15-page report detailing the city's situation and research gathered on area management programs.



If council agrees to proceed with plans to curb the herds, the administration recommends that the strategy incorporate the following:

-- Public information education.

-- Establish baseline data of herd size citywide.

-- Implement traffic safety program focused on avoiding deer collisions.

-- Initiate a sharpshooter deer culling program.

-- Consider regulated hunting as an ongoing method for managing the herd.

For the culling program, City Manager Ken Filipiak said the city could save money by using sharpshooters from within the Mentor Police Department. Continued...


123See Full Story
"Our primary cost would be some additional training and manpower," he said.

Council would need to adopt legislation approving a deer management plan supporting a Deer Damage Control Permit — issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division — and lift the ban on hunting and discharging firearms within the city for police personnel.

Filipiak said the permitting process to allow culling is an arduous one and, at earliest, such an option could be implemented in the fall.

An ordinance prohibiting deer feeding also is proposed.

Earl Lauridsen, who lives behind Blackbrook Golf Course, complained of neighbors who feed deer.

"I've spent thousands of dollars replacing landscaping," he said, adding another neighbor has hit deer twice — once totaling his vehicle.

One resident referred to them as "rats on hooves."

Wildlife experts provided plenty of anecdotal evidence that deer are having a detrimental effect on the area's biodiversity.

Jim Bissell of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, owner of Mentor Marsh Nature Preserve, talked of the native plants, birds and butterflies that are gone because hungry deer are competing for food.

"It's as bad as I see anywhere," he said. "Quite frankly, this city's in disaster mode." Continued...


123See Full Story
The city is pursuing funding via the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to pilot roadside deer-deterrent technology on portions of Lake Shore Boulevard and Hopkins Road, both accident-prone areas.

Mentor had the highest number of vehicle-animal collisions between 2007 and 2009 out of all the communities in the region, according to NOACA statistics.

The technology being considered hasn't been used in Ohio but has proven effective elsewhere, Mentor Grants Coordinator Abe Bruckman said.

An infrared flyover count conducted in March indicated the city's northeast corner contained 33 deer per square mile, and statistics from Lake Metroparks' flyovers reveal an average of 120 deer per square mile at Veterans Park over the last decade. Experts say the recommended number in urban areas is up to 15 deer per square mile for a healthy herd and environment.
 
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hickslawns

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Lovely. Poor Ryan can't buy a deer outside of Cleveland, but in the city they are calling them "rats on hooves."
 

jagermeister

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Lovely. Poor Ryan can't buy a deer outside of Cleveland, but in the city they are calling them "rats on hooves."

Yea it's ridiculous... Especially the fact that hunting is always the last option that's considered in these situations. Granted, hiring sharpshooters would probably be more effective, but come on... at least give some bowhunters a chance at them. All they need to do is hold a brief "accuracy tryout" like they do down at Daws Aboretum. If you can't hit the bullseye, you don't get to hunt... plain and simple.
 

Curran

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Central Ohio
There are plenty of controlled archery hunting examples from across the country that could be used in this case. In the report, they cited some of the costs associated with using sharp shooters. While sharp shooters would certainly have the quickest impact, and in all liklihood will be a part of the solution, it also comes with a very heavy price tag ranging from $500 - $3000 per deer. On the other hand, implementing a controlled archery hunt (complete with equipment testing, hunt planning, lotteries, etc) would be able to reduce the herd over a longer period of time. All the while, allowing local sportsmen new and ample opportunities, in addition to benefiting the community, habitat, and ecosystem.
 

Huckleberry Finn

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Yea it's ridiculous... Especially the fact that hunting is always the last option that's considered in these situations. Granted, hiring sharpshooters would probably be more effective, but come on... at least give some bowhunters a chance at them. All they need to do is hold a brief "accuracy tryout" like they do down at Daws Aboretum. If you can't hit the bullseye, you don't get to hunt... plain and simple.

Ryan might still miss that, but hey, maybe he'd get to see some deer...

(I kid. It's retarded how many deer are around those suburbs. Why pay someone to snipe 'em when you have hunters that will do it for free...)
 

huntn2

Senior Member
6,090
157
Hudson, OH
Interesting stuff Sean. There have been a few similar stories from Cleveland suburbs recently. Actually it happens every year. Some city boards will vote to allow bow hunting. Then residents will circulate petitions and bring the decision to a vote. Ultimately then overturn the elected officlas decisions...

It never fails that introducing bow hunting is often barely on the radar as an option. I know of prime "non-huntable" areas that are off limits to all except for a few select law enforcement folks. Jealous, hell yeah I am cause it is so close to my house. To be able to hunt some of these communitiies would really assist with my family/hunting balance. Additionally, with the deer densities, the sheer amount of activity would be rather enjoyable.

I can only hope that Mentor and other communities pass to allow bow hunting. Additionally, I really hope they open some type of system in some of the Cleveland and Lake Metro Parks. As the article mentions, when deer densities are >100/sq mile, it is unreal. Funny we want to reduce the herd across the state where rural areas have a fraction of the deer density as the urban areas. Though the DOW has tried to make a dent in urban populations with the urban units, access is a huge problem. Landowner access is a tremendous struggle in NE OH (not saying it isn't elsewhere) just what I have experienced. Additionally, public land isn't abundent and so it seems everyone flocks to the same properties which happen to be in Amish communities. The Amish hunt the hell out of these places. Meanwhile, we have the Cleveland and Lake Metro Parks at just shy of 30,000 acres and the CVNP which I think is about 36,000 acres with rediculously high deer densities and no opportunities. They could take the proven controlled hunt methodolgy and make it a buy in lottery and turn the damn thing into a revenue generator as opposed to an expense. What type of OT would the Mentor cops be recieving to hunt their local deer herd?

The non hunting community has no problem with the deer displaced and killed when their mcmansion cookie-cutter neighborhoods, country clubs and new upscale shopping centers are built but if you want to discharge a bow they go crazy. That is until they smear a deer across the front of their lexus, bmw, mercedes or range rover...ok ok, I just profiled everyone in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland and I shouldn't have...:smiley_arrogant:

In all seriousness, the deer in my burbs are unreal. My wife and I get pictures every year just driving to and from where ever of amazing deer (qualtiy and quantity). I have taken our famous huck for a drive and told Redcloud some spots to checkout while he has been in town training. I have posted pics in the past. Just yesterday I saw am absolute stud. The real kick in the junk is to be skunked in 14 of 25 hunts this season in OH and to have only seen 28 deer total. I can see that many running a couple errands within a few miles of home in one afternoon/evening.
 
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Curran

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Them sharp shooters charge something like 500 a deer......thats insane...How about a TOO spring clean up?

Right... good waste of tax payer dollars when you have an excess supply of hunters that could be a big part of a long term and sustainable solution. Hell, you could actually turn the thing into a revenue generating system by charging a few dollars per ticket to enter into a lottery system. Imagine that.
 

rgecko23

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Massillon, Ohio
Right... good waste of tax payer dollars when you have an excess supply of hunters that could be a big part of a long term and sustainable solution. Hell, you could actually turn the thing into a revenue generating system by charging a few dollars per ticket to enter into a lottery system. Imagine that.

I know right...i would actually be pretty upset if my tax money went to this when they could surely put something else together
 

Shoulder Blade

Junior Member
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0
Unfortunately there are few places of substantial acreage to bowhunt them. Most of mentor is busted up into 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots. The places that are large enough are probably being hunted, legal or not.