Background
The City of Montgomery has received several comments from citizens through the years concerning the local deer population. While sympathizing with residents over problems associated with the deer population, Montgomery City Council adopted a policy in 2002 to not utilize a “controlled kill” program and instead focus on education efforts on urban wildlife management. Over the years, the City has hosted an urban wildlife management presentation with a naturalist employed by Great Parks of Hamilton County, publishing articles in the Montgomery Bulletin and website about wildlife prevention options. These options include controlled hunt programs for deer using bows in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, not feeding wild animals, landscaping, property upkeep, and the care and removal of injured wildlife.
Similarly, our local coyote population has prompted concerns with their distinctive yelping (often heard at night with passing emergency vehicle sirens) and occasional neighborhood sightings. City staff have attended numerous trainings by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Great Parks of Hamilton County concerning coyote behavior and interactions in urban areas. Of particular interest is a long-term study conducted in the Chicago, Illinois area, which has been ongoing for more than 20 years utilizing radio tracking collars on hundreds of coyotes. This study examined diet, breeding, DNA, relocation attempts, hunting and trapping population impacts, migration, territorial range, and interaction with the public.
Issues
While the City of Montgomery understands the value of biodiversity and protecting native habitats, these issues must be balanced with maintaining the City of Montgomery as a safe community while offering a blend of developed and managed natural areas. Residents are regularly informed about how not to approach or interact with wildlife in City parks and the jurisdiction. While observing wildlife is enjoyable, few things are as cute as a baby rabbit or a fawn. It is essential to remember that they are well adapted to their environment, and it is always best to look but not to touch. This education is done with respect to both the residents’ safety and the safety and care of wildlife.
Deer movement increases around October and November, the peak of the “Rut” or the breeding season. The male deer will expand its area in search of a receptive female to breed. Many dart across busy streets at the most inappropriate times. This creates a real and present danger for vehicular traffic. While Lyme Disease and the black-legged tick are found in Ohio, the link between the disease and deer herd size has not been made. Deer are only one of thirty mammals upon which the tick feed. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Lyme Disease in Ohio is still relatively low, especially in southwest Ohio.
Coyotes can differ from most other wild animals in an urban environment in that they are often considered a nuisance despite a lack of physical evidence of damage. Simply, the sighting can be perceived as a threat. People are sensitive to the potential threat to pets and children. Coyotes are known to take small dogs and on occasion, attack larger dogs during breeding season. While possible, this behavior has been uncommon in our community. Coyote attacks on people are extremely rare, and most attacks occur in the southwestern portion of the United States.
One of the conclusions from the Chicago study found that attempts to control the population through trapping and hunting tended to have a biological response where female coyotes produced significantly larger litters and created a spike in the population. The study recommended the practice of co-existence, with selected targeting of coyotes that exhibited nuisance behaviors, such as being fearless of humans and aggressive towards pets. It should be noted that the nuisance coyotes were often linked to situations where people intentionally or unintentionally fed them. Dietary analysis commonly found human-related foods in their digestive system, with the conclusion that they were being intentionally fed or fed in household refuse.
City Position
The City has a mandate to maintain a safe environment for all residents. Controlled deer hunt programs, such as those practiced by the Great Parks of Hamilton County, generally are not considered a safe option in the City of Montgomery because open space is limited, and the community is too densely populated for hunting to be considered viable. Under the City’s hunting ordinance, the only exception to this is the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. With restrictions, bow hunting by qualified hunters with a permit has been allowed due to its large size and restricted access after operating hours.
In addition, the City of Montgomery has found that sterilization of the local deer population is not viable. The migratory nature of the herd and the high cost to sterilize either a male or female are not practical. Any effort the City would take would be ineffective without regional cooperation and partnerships. Montgomery residents must be aware that while trapping is permitted within the City of Montgomery under specific circumstances, relocating many types of wildlife is prohibited by the State of Ohio. In Ohio, the translocation of deer, raccoons, opossums, skunk, coyotes, and red and gray foxes is prohibited to reduce the incidence or spread of rabies and distemper (ORC 1501:31-15-03).
The City of Montgomery encourages residents to utilize alternative means for controlling deer. These strategies may include, but are not limited to, using chemical and mechanical repellants, repelling vegetation, and eliminating the use of plants and vegetation that encourage deer feeding. Some residents view wildlife in an urban setting to be an asset. They love to see and feed the animals; however, feeding encourages them to see people, landscaping, and gardens as a food resource. This can bring them within close range of residential traffic, facilitate the spread of diseases and parasites among the deer population, and create a dependence on the human population that can kill deer and other animals due to inconsistent food supply. Residents are encouraged not to feed deer or wild animals. Homeowners can deter deer and other wildlife from entering the yard by using commercial or homemade repellant, creating natural barriers or fencing, or using scare tactics (dogs). Finally, residents are encouraged to keep basements, chimneys, porches, and screens in good repair and sealed to limit access to animals looking for dens. Remove unnecessary piles of debris on property that can offer cozy hiding places for animals. Trim back tree branches, which provide access to the rooftop and ground cover for nesting deer.
For coyotes, many of the same issues apply to controlling the general population. Hunting and trapping programs tend to have extremely limited gains or cause actual increases in the population in the long run. Based on best practices recommended by the Chicago Urban Coyote study, the following steps are suggested:
- Do not feed coyotes
- Do not let pets run loose
- Do not run from a coyote
- Do not seek conflict
- Employ repellants and fencing when possible
- Report aggressive or fearless coyotes.
Under very specific circumstances, an aggressive or fearless coyote could be culled.