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