PHOTO: Courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
VILLAGE OF HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Like many other communities have done before, the Village of Howard is hoping to humanely and effectively curb the growing number of deer in busy, residential parts of the community.
Deer in and around Howard isn’t a new problem, according to Village President Burt McIntyre.
“Last couple of years, though, it seems like the deer population is getting more prevalent, the numbers are getting bigger,” he says.
McIntyre says a recent booming deer population has led to more and more complaints from community members about deer in the higher-density areas of town, decimating trees and gardens.
“It’s a problem that the village has created for itself, simply by the fact that in the last 10 years, we’ve had significant growth, so it’s moving that deer population around,” McIntyre adds.
But upon request from the community, the village created the Deer Control Committee, of which McIntyre is the chair.
He says the village will do whatever it can to address the issue, but, “It’s an interesting problem, because there’s really only so much the village can do,” he admits.
Several potential options include new ordinances, such as ordinances banning the feeding of deer or the expansion of the bow hunting season. McIntyre says he’s been in touch with the DNR and is looking at what works in other areas, too.
“We’re kind of looking at our surrounding neighbors, not afraid to plagiarize,” he says. “But a lot of the things that need to be done to get the deer to go elsewhere, or at least not be as damaging as they are, really is going to be a cooperation between the village and the community itself.”
This week, the Village of Howard posted a reminder to community members not to feed the deer.
Other ways to mitigate the issue are to use topical sprays or repellants on your gardens and plants, or to simply put up fencing to deter deer. But for some, trying to stop the problem seems silly.
“If you don’t like deer, stay in the city,” says Kaye Forystek, who lives on the Howard-Pittsfield line. “If you buy in the country, and all this building that’s going on out here, you’re taking all the habitat, and where are the deer supposed to go?”
McIntyre understands it’s a double-edged sword, as he and his family enjoy watching deer in their yard, too.
“We’ve counted up to 17 deer roaming around the backyard, and we had five fawns that actually grew up in the backyard,” he says.
But he says community members have spoken. He wants to make sure whatever the solution is, it’s humane and effective. The problem likely won’t be going away any time soon though, so long as the community keeps growing.
“There’s not going to be any fields and forest left. It’s going to be all neighborhoods. You can’t kill all the deer. I guess you can, but I wish you wouldn’t,” Forystek adds.
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