Required acreage size lowered for deer nuisance abatement program
Application fees to drop from $150 to $35
A change in the required acreage for a deer nuisance abatement program has been lowered from five to three for the second year of the initiative. File photo by TERRY BRLAS
STRONGSVILLE – Year one of a nuisance abatement initiative to control the white-tailed deer population in a number of area municipalities came to a close this past February.
Voters in six communities (Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Parma, Parma Heights, Seven Hills, Strongsville) passed the deer nuisance initiative by overwhelming margins in March 2016.
As with all first-time endeavors a review of the initial program was conducted to see what could be improved. Some adjustments are being made in the city of Strongsville before the hunting season begins Sept. 30.
The main change is the number of contiguous acres necessary to hunt. The land to be hunted upon must have included at least five contiguous acres in year one. This requirement has been lowered to three contiguous acres during the 2017-18 program, which mirrors the state hunting season (Sept. 30 through Feb. 4, 2018).
“We found that these acreage sizes were arbitrarily chosen,” said Strongsville Safety Director Charles Goss. “We think there are some 3-acre parcels that would be quite safe to hunt. Conversely, there might be some 5-acre parcels that are not safe.
“We turned people away last year that might have had a 3-acre parcel that was bordered on all sides by the Metroparks or an industrial area or railroad tracks. It was quite safe, but because it was under five acres we turned them down.”
Goss added that inspections are the key to determine whether a parcel is safe or not for the program.
“No parcel will be approved until it’s inspected and deemed to be safe by the police department,” he said.
Another change to the program is the fee paid. Last year a fee of $150 was charged. The fee for the 2017-18 program has been reduced dramatically to $35.
“The program is not meant to generate money, it’s meant to reduce the deer herd,” Goss said. “We feel that $35 will cover our administrative costs. Last year we charged $150 because that’s what all the cities agreed upon. Now that we have some experience we realize it doesn’t cost near that much to administer the program.”
Individuals have to reapply each year for the program. The special authorization permit for the city of Strongsville via the ODNR allows hunters to take six deer that will not count against the bag limit of four. However, those six must all be does.
Should a deer wander off the properties designated for hunting, the animal is off limits. If a deer is hit and ends up in a neighboring property, the hunter must knock on that property owner’s door and receive permission to take the animal.
Voters in six communities (Broadview Heights, North Royalton, Parma, Parma Heights, Seven Hills, Strongsville) passed the deer nuisance initiative by overwhelming margins in March 2016.
As with all first-time endeavors a review of the initial program was conducted to see what could be improved. Some adjustments are being made in the city of Strongsville before the hunting season begins Sept. 30.
The main change is the number of contiguous acres necessary to hunt. The land to be hunted upon must have included at least five contiguous acres in year one. This requirement has been lowered to three contiguous acres during the 2017-18 program, which mirrors the state hunting season (Sept. 30 through Feb. 4, 2018).
“We found that these acreage sizes were arbitrarily chosen,” said Strongsville Safety Director Charles Goss. “We think there are some 3-acre parcels that would be quite safe to hunt. Conversely, there might be some 5-acre parcels that are not safe.
“We turned people away last year that might have had a 3-acre parcel that was bordered on all sides by the Metroparks or an industrial area or railroad tracks. It was quite safe, but because it was under five acres we turned them down.”
Goss added that inspections are the key to determine whether a parcel is safe or not for the program.
“No parcel will be approved until it’s inspected and deemed to be safe by the police department,” he said.
Another change to the program is the fee paid. Last year a fee of $150 was charged. The fee for the 2017-18 program has been reduced dramatically to $35.
“The program is not meant to generate money, it’s meant to reduce the deer herd,” Goss said. “We feel that $35 will cover our administrative costs. Last year we charged $150 because that’s what all the cities agreed upon. Now that we have some experience we realize it doesn’t cost near that much to administer the program.”
Individuals have to reapply each year for the program. The special authorization permit for the city of Strongsville via the ODNR allows hunters to take six deer that will not count against the bag limit of four. However, those six must all be does.
Should a deer wander off the properties designated for hunting, the animal is off limits. If a deer is hit and ends up in a neighboring property, the hunter must knock on that property owner’s door and receive permission to take the animal.