Warsaw Deer Task Force is proposing another effort to reduce the deer herd.
The task force also wants to expand the deer-reduction area.
The task force met Tuesday night at city hall to discuss another deer-reduction effort and proposed nuisance zones for trained archers to hunt in the city limits.The mission of the task force is to reduce and maintain the population of deer in designated nuisance zones in Warsaw.
Task force member Matt Dick Tuesday showed the task force maps of proposed nuisance zones he put together for the task force to review. The areas were selected from complaints from residents the city has received from deer on their property and from task force recommendations.
The new proposed nuisance zones include north of the Warsaw Street Department, 794 W. Center St.; northeast of Rozella Golf Course; and the west side of Country Club Road.
Dick said the proposed reduction efforts would be in wooded and timbered areas. Trained bow hunters would be required to have stand sites at least 70 yards away from a residential property line.
In addition to the new proposed zones, the task force again is proposing nuisance zones where trained archers have hunted for the past two years, including the entire area around Spring Hill, Oakwood Cemetery, Kosciusko Community Hospital and U.S. 30.
Warsaw City Council will need to approve the proposed effort and nuisance zones the task force chooses. If the council approves the efforts, it will be the third year for the hunt.
The city council first approved an ordinance and resolution in November 2006 for a deer-reduction effort and declared nuisance zones. There were 18 deer harvested during the first year's three-week hunt from Dec. 18, 2005, through Jan. 8, 2006.
There were 39 deer harvested during last year's efforts that went from Oct. 1 through Jan. 6.
The task force is being overseen by a management committee including Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins and Warsaw Police Chief Perry Hunter.
Jeff Grose, who has served as the task force chairman for the past two years, will again serve in the position.
"The task force believes bow hunting is the most safe, practical and cost-efficient program," Grose said.
An archer holding a buck tag will be required to hunt and legally tag one doe or antlerless deer before filling their buck tag.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the city has received many complaints from residents who live on Country Club Road regarding deer on their properties.
"We need to make sure we notify adjacent property owners of the proposed nuisance areas," Wiggins said.
The task force set Sept. 13 as a mandatory date where archers interested in participating in the deer-reduction effort will be required to complete a training session at the Warsaw Police Department. The training session will include bow hunting safety, reduction zones and bow hunting guidelines and rules and regulations for the reduction effort.
The trained archers will be selected by the management committee.
Applications for archers interested in participating in this year's proposed reduction effort will be available Monday at the Warsaw Police Department, 2191 E. Fort Wayne St.
Grose said the management committee will review the proposed nuisance zones and the task force will meet again before making a recommendation to the city council for a reduction effort
Task force members are Wiggins, Dick, Hunter, Grose, Joe Thallemer, George Clemens, Steve Foster, Dan Smith, Randy Denney and Larry Downs.
