Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Eugene Friedman's $20,000 fence-building effort to protect vegetation in his yard ended up turning his property into a corral for the herd of deer living nearby.
"The deer come in right in my driveway and then eat whatever they want to eat," he said this week as he addressed members of the Provo City Council about the population of mule deer in Provo.
Members of the council granted up to $35,000 in funding for deer removal after hearing from residents about the deer population, which has grown significantly. More than 500 calls were made to police regarding deer problems between January 2013 and June 2015.
The council passed an ordinance last June that outlawed feeding deer. Later in the year, the council requested a certificate of registration from the Division of Wildlife Resources asking permission to begin a mitigation plan.
Since then, the certificate has been approved, allowing the city to remove up to 300 deer in three years. But exactly how the deer will be removed — through hunting or relocation — remained unresolved.
Friedman said his neighborhood is "very much in favor of harvesting the deer."
Several fawns, that he assumes lost their mothers in automobile accidents, recently died on Friedman's property. "It's a serious problem, not only for us, but for all of our neighbors," he said.
Police estimate overall property damage caused by local deer to be about $300,000 annually. Vehicle damage and personal injury costs are estimated at $450,000 per year.
"Far too many deer are already dying on our streets," Cliff Strachan, the council's executive director, said, adding they are posing a public hazard for local residents.
Harvesting and relocation plans have been employed in other cities, such as Highland and Bountiful, where deer are damaging private property or threatening public safety.
A lethal removal, or harvesting, plan could remove about 100 deer per year by archers within city limits for $21,900. The harvesting period would last from Aug. 1 through Dec. 31, and the venison would be donated to families in need.
However, residents at Tuesday's meeting pointed out concerns for the lethal elimination methods based on safety risks for people in high-density residential areas.
The nonlethal translocation plan estimates the removal of around 70 deer for approximately $17,500, and will require volunteer assistance from the community.
The council acknowledged that removal plans may need to vary by neighborhood, depending on the preferences and safety of residents.
Creating a plan that balances relocation and harvesting is now in the hands of city administrators and will be carried out later in the year.
