City OKs Resolution To Reduce Deer Herd

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Jennifer [email protected]

Measures will be taken again this year to reduce the deer herd in Warsaw and adjacent areas in the county.

The Warsaw City Council approved a resolution and declared nuisance zones at its meeting Monday night.

The resolution will allow trained archers to hunt in declared nuisance zones within the city limits.

The resolution is effective until Jan. 15, 2008.

The vote was 5-0 with city council members Bob Morrison, Bill Rhoades, Charlie Smith, George Clemens and Jeff Grose supporting the resolution.

Councilmen Jerry Patterson and Joe Thallemer were absent.

The council previously passed a resolution and ordinance at its meeting Nov. 6 to allow hunting in declared nuisance zones within the city limits for the first time.

There were 15 people who hunted in declared nuisance zones from Dec. 18 through Jan. 8.

The hunters harvested 18 deer during last year's reduction effort.

Deer Task Force Chair Grose said changes to this year's hunt are the length of the hunt and the number of hunters participating in the deer reduction effort.

"Safety will again be a top priority and we hope to have a longer hunting period with additional hunters for a more effective reduction effort," Grose said.

Grose said the focus again will be on reducing the doe population within the city limits.

The DTF will again be overseen by a management committee consisting of Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Grose, Police Chief Steve Foster, Deer Task Force member Matt Dick and Thallemer.

The reduction effort will begin Oct. 1 and run through Jan. 6.

The identified deer nuisance zones that were approved for this year's hunt were the same as last year's.

They include the entire area around Spring Hill, Oakwood Cemetery, Kosciusko Community Hospital and U.S. 30.

Training sessions for DTF members are planned for August and September, Grose said.

Smith said although he was one of three councilmen who voted against last year's deer reduction efforts, he supports the efforts this year.

Clemens and Patterson voted against last year's reduction efforts.

"I still have questions with the safety and effectiveness of the hunt, but I appreciate the efforts and steps taken to protect people who could have nonchalantly walked in the woods," Smith said.

Police Chief Steve Foster said safety was taken seriously during last year's reduction effort and will be taken with the same precaution this year.

"The hunters were professional and represented the city well," Foster said.

Wiggins said he was pleased with last year's deer reduction efforts and looks forward to this year's efforts.

"This is a project that other communities across Indiana and in other states are looking at and we need to make sure it is done correctly again," Wiggins said.

Also during the meeting the council reviewed information on an annual fly-in that will be Saturday at Warsaw Municipal Airport.

The council also approved a Warsaw Fire Department activity report for May with 134 responses.[[In-content Ad]]

Measures will be taken again this year to reduce the deer herd in Warsaw and adjacent areas in the county.

The Warsaw City Council approved a resolution and declared nuisance zones at its meeting Monday night.

The resolution will allow trained archers to hunt in declared nuisance zones within the city limits.

The resolution is effective until Jan. 15, 2008.

The vote was 5-0 with city council members Bob Morrison, Bill Rhoades, Charlie Smith, George Clemens and Jeff Grose supporting the resolution.

Councilmen Jerry Patterson and Joe Thallemer were absent.

The council previously passed a resolution and ordinance at its meeting Nov. 6 to allow hunting in declared nuisance zones within the city limits for the first time.

There were 15 people who hunted in declared nuisance zones from Dec. 18 through Jan. 8.

The hunters harvested 18 deer during last year's reduction effort.

Deer Task Force Chair Grose said changes to this year's hunt are the length of the hunt and the number of hunters participating in the deer reduction effort.

"Safety will again be a top priority and we hope to have a longer hunting period with additional hunters for a more effective reduction effort," Grose said.

Grose said the focus again will be on reducing the doe population within the city limits.

The DTF will again be overseen by a management committee consisting of Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Grose, Police Chief Steve Foster, Deer Task Force member Matt Dick and Thallemer.

The reduction effort will begin Oct. 1 and run through Jan. 6.

The identified deer nuisance zones that were approved for this year's hunt were the same as last year's.

They include the entire area around Spring Hill, Oakwood Cemetery, Kosciusko Community Hospital and U.S. 30.

Training sessions for DTF members are planned for August and September, Grose said.

Smith said although he was one of three councilmen who voted against last year's deer reduction efforts, he supports the efforts this year.

Clemens and Patterson voted against last year's reduction efforts.

"I still have questions with the safety and effectiveness of the hunt, but I appreciate the efforts and steps taken to protect people who could have nonchalantly walked in the woods," Smith said.

Police Chief Steve Foster said safety was taken seriously during last year's reduction effort and will be taken with the same precaution this year.

"The hunters were professional and represented the city well," Foster said.

Wiggins said he was pleased with last year's deer reduction efforts and looks forward to this year's efforts.

"This is a project that other communities across Indiana and in other states are looking at and we need to make sure it is done correctly again," Wiggins said.

Also during the meeting the council reviewed information on an annual fly-in that will be Saturday at Warsaw Municipal Airport.

The council also approved a Warsaw Fire Department activity report for May with 134 responses.[[In-content Ad]]
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