Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw's Deer Task Force met for the first time Monday since its creation to address the city's problems with deer overpopulation in local neighborhoods.
Jeff Grose began the meeting by stressing the importance of collecting data from the Department of Natural Resources and conducting research on various areas with the alleged deer problem.
"We have to decide whether any action or not will be taken," Grose said. "We need to decide whether or not there is a problem, which many of us have been told by residents that there is a problem."
With the recent hunting season closed to recreational gaming, members of the task force will have time to decide if and when a possible remedy can occur without outside factors coming into play.
"We can't have a quick solution, because we need to have a thorough solution. I ask everyone to do as much background on this situation as they can," member Joe Thallemer said. "If it turns out we can't do anything efficiently, then, unfortunately, that's what we'll come up with."
Both Grose, a Warsaw council member, and Mentone resident John Cook were named co-chairmen of the task force, and both plan to meet with the state biologist to report the city's conditions and seek a means of addressing the issue. Cook reported being involved in three herd management operations in Indiana, all of which were effective on deer populations after a three-year span.
"I have a lot of respect for this animal," Cook said. "What we're seeing now is an ill-managed (situation), and I don't want this animal labeled as a rat."
Members looked into troubled neighborhoods, and debated an effective area to research that would be the least bothersome on surrounding citizens. Animal counts are planned to be taken, as well as considering the safest, most effective operations.
"The goal of this group is to investigate solutions that we may or may not be comfortable with," Grose said. "But we need that information so we can move on and make the best decision."
The group's efforts stem from numerous complaints from residents during city council meetings and conversions outside city hall. Indiana ranks eighth in the nation in terms of deer-related accidents, with Warsaw reporting 94 car-deer incidents in 2005.
Member Bob Morrison expressed concerns of a potential deer-motorcycle accident, which he hopes the task force can prevent.
"We've created this habitat," member Mike Spiegel said. "Now we have to find a way to manage the herds."
Areas in question consist of Spring Hills, Hodges Addition, Rolling Hills, Logan Street, Country Club and Kelly Park.
Though not all areas will be addressed in the initial collection of information, all are currently being considered for a future solution.
Members include Grose, Cook, Thallemer, Morrison, Spiegel, Dan Smith, Matt Disk, Randy Denney and Bill Dalton.
The force will meet again at a date to be determined after members discuss the issue with the state biologist.
Any decision to be made on the matter will first have to be approved by Warsaw's city council.
