Mentor park temporarily closing for deer culling using sharpshooters: Area under 'strict security'

MENTOR, Ohio — The City of Mentor will close a local park temporarily to deal with "overabundant deer populations," according to Lake Metroparks.

Veterans Park will be closed from Monday, Feb. 19, to about midday on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The area will be under strict security, the park system said.

"In conjunction with its controlled archery hunting within city limits, the City of Mentor has determined that culling deer by sharpshooters is the best option for areas that are not suitable for controlled hunting," Lake Metroparks said in a Facebook post.

3News reached out to a spokesperson from the city of Mentor to ask a number of questions about the culling. The questions and the responses from the city can be seen below.

• Why is the deer population a problem in Mentor?
  • "First and foremost as it relates to public safety. The number of deer/vehicle accidents in 2013 was 98 – the highest in Ohio. Since then, that rate is down about 60% since the program began.
    
    

    "Impact on other ecosystem in Mentor. It was estimated that the population in Mentor was 10 larger than it should have been in terms of sustainability. The herds overgrazed their food source. We’re not just talking about your neighbor’s hostas, we’re talking about eating shoots and saplings down to the dirt which serve as important sources of food and shelter for other species including insects, birds (both migratory and local), amphibians, and other mammals. Since the program was implemented, biodiversity in many of our wild spaces has bounced back in a big way.

    Smaller herds lead to healthier deer. It was commonplace to see underweight and scraggly looking deer. Deer today are 20% heavier than they were in 2013."

• The post from Lake Metroparks says the city is managing an “overabundant deer population.” What does the city consider overabundant?

  • "According to the National Park Service, deer begin to adversely affect their environment when populations are 10 to 20 per square mile. We had upwards of 30 per square mile in 2013. Herd sizes are audited annually by the USDA through an aerial survey and permit numbers are adjusted annually."

• What problems are the deer causing?

  • "Mentioned above. We are in the management phase of this program so the what you see today is nowhere near what it was a decade ago. Car accidents are down. The underbrush has rebounded. The deer look healthy."

• How is the operation being handled (i.e., using bow and arrow, using guns to shoot the deer, etc.)?

  • "Citizens by permit w/ bows and arrows on private land that meets the criteria. Citizens are tested in proficiency. Mentor Police sharpshooters on public lands."

• What plans are in place to keep people and other animals safe?

  • "Signs will be posted and staff will be in place to keep people out. Without sharing too much, the personnel are placed in a position to ensure public safety and to dispatch the animals as humanely as possible."

• How does the city respond to residents who say deer culling is inhumane?

  • "It is not pleasant work but it necessary to maintain a healthy and diverse environment – not just for people or for the deer – but for all species which inhabit our natural areas. The eye test shows that the results have been successful. The program is monitored and endorsed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as well as the Unites States Department of Agriculture. Our program has been used as a model by other communities throughout the state."

• Will the city donate the deer meat? If so, how?

  • "The meat is donated to the Cleveland Food Bank. Over 50,000 lbs of meat have been donated to area food banks over the past decade."

When asked what time the park would be closing, the spokesperson said, "We don't share that information with the public."

3News also reached out to the National Deer Association and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for reaction to the announcement by the city of Mentor:

Here is the statement from PETA:

“If so-called "wildlife management" groups stopped killing animals, perhaps they'd realize that it's us, not deer, who are the source of the problem. Nature equipped deer to control their own numbers: they can have twins when food is abundant or even reabsorb a fetus if food is scarce. It's human activity that disrupts their natural population control—and that's what needs to be tackled, not the animals whose homes have been invaded by humans with guns. Killing off deer will only cause their population to rebound, as lethal initiatives result in a spike in the food supply that accelerates the breeding of survivors. If killing actually reduced animal populations, lethal methods wouldn't be proposed year after year, as if deer were tree branches to be trimmed rather than individuals with thoughts, feelings, interests, and relationships. If deer numbers are to be reduced, humane methods must be employed—the key being to target their food sources by trimming back low-hanging branches, keeping grass cut short, and shrouding saplings with corrugated plastic tubes or sleeves, deer netting, or mesh. Humans owe it to these gentle animals, whose habitat has been taken from them, to use humane, sustainable methods of population control—because we will never achieve ecological harmony through the barrel of a gun.”

National Deer Association Chief Communications Officer Lindsay Thomas Jr. provided this statement:

"Lethal control options are the only options that have proven effective and practical for dealing with deer overabundance. We’d prefer to see local hunters given the opportunity to acquire venison through managed archery hunts, but we understand that controlled hunting may not be practical in the most sensitive urban locations. In those areas where archery hunting is not feasible, we support professional sharpshooting as an effective and safe method for lowering problematic deer densities."

Some other cities who have implemented deer culling programs in the area include Parma, Lyndhurst and Avon Lake.

Anyone who wishes to find more information about the culling in Mentor is encouraged to call Kenn Kaminski at the City of Mentor at 440-974-5720.

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