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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.d. Deer ManagementAgenda Item: Deer Management Agenda Section: Prepared By: Gary Kalstabakken Chief of Police' Agenda No: f Attachments: Memorandum, Map Approved By: COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE August 14, 2002 City of Rosemount Executive Summary for Action This issue was first discussed at the June 12, 2002 Work Session The City ordinance on Firearms and Bows and Arrows contains a provision to allow the Council to declare a "special hunting season" for the purpose of wildlife management There have been an increasing number of complaints regarding the deer population in the community This issue is being brought to Council for direction on whether to proceed with an archery deer hunting plan for the area of the City in which hunting is restncted Discussion at the June Work Session did narrow the scope of this issue to the following areas Should an aerial deer count be conducted in the winter of 2002 -2003 to establish a baseline of the deer population in Rosemount? Counts are conducted by the DNR at a cost of $260 per hour If an archery season is permitted as a method to maintain the deer population at its current level, what size parcel should hunting be permitted on in non -urban residential areas? There seemed to be consensus that the minimum for consideration is five acres, some Council members preferred ten (10) acre minimums If archery hunting is permitted, should permitting of landowners be used to track hunters and success rates to assist in determining the hunts effectiveness? Should restnctions such as signage and limited hours be placed on landowners whom permit hunting? In order to communicate and coordinate any archery deer season in the restricted area this season, direction is needed from Council RECOMMENDED ACTION NOTES: No action necessary, discussion only TO Mayor and Council Members City Administrator Burt MEMORANDUM FROM Gary Kalstabakken, Chief of Police DATE June 4, 2002 SUBJECT Deer Management and Request for Permitted Hunting The City's Bows and Firearms ordinance includes a provision to allow special hunting seasons for the purpose of wildlife management Seasons must be established by the City Council and be based upon professional advice, such as from a conservation officer, that a season is needed to reduce an animal population Any such season must not conflict with state law The whitetail deer population is a growing concern in the community Although there has not been a systematic study of the deer population, anecdotal evidence does exist to support the concern expressed by some residents 1) Residents in several areas have reported observing numerous deer (herds of 10 -20) in their yards Areas of these reports include Bacardi Avenue near 128 Street 135 Street east of Bacardi Residences along Carroll's Woods South side of Berger Pond to the 13700 block of Danube Lane University of Minnesota Property 2) Approximately 30 state accident reports were written in 2001 involving deer Accidents involving motonsts versus deer are most common in certain areas including Highway 3 from the Community Center to 120 Street McAndrews Road between Highway 3 and the western border Rich Valley Blvd north of County Rd 42 Highways 55 and 52 3) Other incidents that are deer related are also reported to the police department on a regular basis These involve cases when the motonst may not stop after hitting a deer because there is either no damage to the car or because the damage is minor and a report is not wntten Calls of this nature are more difficult to track because they may be coded in different ways by the dispatchers handling the call Based on preliminary findings, it appears that there are about as many "injured deer" calls in a year as there are deer/MV accidents reported This indicates there were approximately 35 deer related calls on roadways during 2001 Research conducted by or reviewed by DNR personnel has found that regulated hunting has been recognized as the fundamental basis of successful deer management Based on the information currently available regarding the deer population and the ability to safely hunt in certain areas in which firearms and bows are prohibited, it is recommended that archery hunting be permitted west of Akron Avenue in accordance with the following recommendations Option #1 Permit Archery Hunting on Land Zoned Rural Residential or Agricultural Allow archery hunting on all land zoned RR or AG Require all hunting to be a minimum of 300 feet from all buildings in addition to other regulations contained in state laws Option #2 Parcels of Five (5) or More Acres Archery hunting on private property in the areas zoned rural residential and agricultural be allowed on all parcels larger than five (5) acres in size Landowners must obtain a permit, issued through the police department, before hunting is authorized on the property The purpose of the permit is to venfy the size of the landowner's parcel and to track the areas being hunted Pnvate landowners are responsible for managing all hunting on the owner's property Hunters other than the property owner must obtain written permission from the owner and carry the written permission on their person when hunting on the property Hunters are encouraged (required to take anterless deer pnor to taking any antlered deer Landowners will be required to report to the police department the total number of deer and the sex of each deer taken at the conclusion of the season In addition to the regular archery deer hunting permit required, all hunters will be encouraged to purchase intensive harvest permit and a deer management permit to allow them to take more than one deer Landowners whom do not hunt but do wish to have hunting on their property will be referred to the Metro Bowhunters Resource Base (MBRB) MBRB members will work in cooperation with the landowner to provide hunters Parcels of 2 5 4 99 Acres Archery hunting on private property in the areas zoned rural residential and agricultural on all parcels between 2 5 and 5 0 acres with additional restnctions Landowners must provide written notification to all adjacent property owners that archery hunting will be occurring on the owner's property Copies of the notification must be provided when the owner applies for a permit to hunt Minnesota Hunting Regulations and Seasons The archery season in Minnesota for whitetail deer is from September 1 December 31 Intensive harvest permits are available to hunters within Rosemount This permit allows hunters to harvest up to three (3) anterless deer in addition to deer taken under regular licenses Discharge on, over or across roadways and wittun right -of -ways is prohibited Controlled Hunt in Carroll's Woods It is recommended that a controlled hunt not be conducted in Carroll's Woods at this time because there is only anecdotal evidence of an over abundant deer population Also, it is believed that the deer in Carroll's Woods range into the wooded areas to the north If hunting is permitted in the area along Dodd Road, the population of deer in Carroll's Woods will be impacted In addition, the opening of Connemara Trail from Shannon Parkway to Highway 3 may alter the travel patterns of the deer and will most likely result in at least some deer /motor vehicle accidents along the new stretch of roadway Deer Count Surveys The DNR will conduct aerial surveys to count deer for cities Surveys are only done during the winter months when there is snow cover to allow for more accurate counts In order to gather more accurate and consistent data, Council may want to authorize an aerial survey in 2003 to establish a baseline of the deer population Specific areas, such as Carroll's Woods and the entire area north of Connemara Trail west of Highway 3 is an area to consider for the survey This is a budgetary issue as the cost of a survey is $260 per hour