67 Archers Attend Deer Training Saturday At WPDThere were 67 archers who participated in Warsaw Deer Task Force training Saturday.
The training was at Warsaw Police Department for archers interested in participating in this year's proposed deer-reduction efforts in the city limits.There were 74 archers who applied for this year's proposed efforts. Out of the 74 archers, five archers did not attend the mandatory training, and two archers were disqualified due to lack of qualifications, according to Warsaw Police Chief Perry Hunter.
Hunter said those who participated in the training need to undergo criminal background checks. Task force member Jon Cook will run checks to make sure the archers do not have game violations.
Out of the 67 archers who attended the training, there were 28 archers returning from last year, and 39 new applicants.
Archers who attended the training Saturday were required to complete a proficiency test by aiming at a target with a bow and arrow. Archers also learned about public safety, and rules and regulations for the proposed reduction effort.
Jeff Grose, Deer Task Force chair, said he was pleased with Saturday's turnout.
"I was excited and happy at the turnout and didn't know what to expect," Grose said. "We are closer this year than ever before to getting additional reduction zones approved, and the city council will make that decision."
Warsaw Deer Task Force met July 23 at WPD to identify possible nuisance and reduction zones.
The task force is again recommending to Warsaw City Council reduction efforts take place in Spring Hill Addition and the area around Kosciusko Community Hospital.
The task force also approved submitting a recommendation to the council to review the possibility of investigating additional possible nuisance zones and possible reduction zones.
The proposed nuisance zones, if approved, are divided up into three districts.
Proposed district one is Boggs Industrial Park, west of the Warsaw Street Department on West Market Street, and property west of Madison Elementary School.
Proposed district four is the area west of Logan Street, north of Rozella Ford Golf Course, and south of Winona Avenue.
Proposed district five is the area west of Country Club Road.
Warsaw City Council will review the proposed reduction zones and nuisance zones at its Sept. 8 meeting. The council must approve an ordinance and resolution to allow trained archers to hunt in proposed reduction zones.
If the council approves the hunt, it will be the fourth year for the effort.
The first year for the effort was in 2006 when 15 archers harvested 18 deer.
In 2008 there were 44 archers who qualified to participate in the reduction efforts, but only 41 participated with 22 archers being successful in harvesting deer.
There were 38 deer taken by the 16 archers who participated in the efforts in 2007.
The proposed reduction effort is being overseen by an animal nuisance management committee consisting of Mayor Ernie Wiggins, Hunter, Grose, and task force members Matt Dick, Cook and Steve Foster.
The task force committee will determine the number of archers needed and notify archers of their selection choices.
Deer season opens Sept. 15 and runs through Jan. 30.
Warsaw was classified as an urban zone in the 2009-10 Indiana State Hunting Regulations. The city council will decide where the urban zones will be.
Urban status allows for the harvest of an additional four antlerless deer (one buck and three doe).
Kosciusko antlerless quota will be up to eight antlerless deer for the 2009-10 season. A deer task force hunter can harvest up to 14 deer (up to two bucks) this season.
