PHOTO: Courtesy of Wisconsin DNR
HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Village of Howard is considering how to control the deer population in residential areas.
It comes after the village adopted an ordinance earlier this month to ban wildlife feeding.
“I don’t bait. I put out about four cups a day, and now you’re telling me I can’t do that,” said Sharie Kind of Howard. “I don’t understand because a few people got their little undies in a bundle about some flowers being eaten.”
“It does impact people that have hobbies other than feeding deer,” said Fred Stieg of Howard. “I almost got knocked off my bike by a couple deer that just came right out because I must have frightened them.”
Residents are also mixed hearing the village’s recently formed deer control committee is considering hunting changes. Those include expanding archery opportunities on village land.
“To me, it’s not about killing the deer,” said Dean Pallex of Howard. “I’d like to see the imposed ordinance run its course for a while to see what happens.”
“We should be looking for pedophiles and drug dealers… Not sitting here worried about a damn deer that’s eating somebody’s tree,” said Mike Hill of Howard.
The committee brought in Austin Larsen to hear about Green Bay’s archery-only deer management program.
“That program is very successful, minimal complaints,” said Larsen, who is the park ranger at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
Larsen has run Green Bay’s deer management program since 2018 and says in Baird Creek more than 80 deer have been harvested each of the last three years.
“We want people to see deer,” said Larsen. “We want the deer to be healthy. Overpopulation can lead to unhealthy deer herd.”
“If we could do that every year, we’d have a chance at reducing our deer herd,” said Mike Kelnhofer, a member of Howard’s deer control committee.
The committee plans to look at village properties for hunting opportunities and discuss them at its meeting next month.
The committee also discussed changing seeking permission for archery hunting on private land from within 100 yards to within 40 yards, but ultimately decided to keep things as they are.
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