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Deer Herd Reduction Program Q&A
Deer Herd Reduction Program on Certain Town-owned parcels
Greenwich, CT
Questions and Answers
1)Q. What is the deer herd reduction program?
A. The Town is conducting a program to reduce the white-tailed deer population on three Town-owned properties by conducting a sharp shoot cull over bait. The three properties are: 1) Pomerance- Pinetum, 2) Babcock Preserve, and 3) the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course. This is being done as an initial culling of the herd size. The need for long-term maintenance of the herd size will be determined based on results of this program.
A separate study is planned on fertility control at the Pomerance-Pinetum. This is to assess the feasibility of the use of birth control to maintain the herd size once culled and will include an economic analysis. This research is dependent upon a different permit from DEP that is still being reviewed.
2)Q. Why is the Town considering this now?
A. The Conservation Commission issued its final report on deer management. The First Selectman requested this study in 2000. Corrected figures from an aerial survey completed in 2001 estimates that the Town has an over-population deer with up to 68 deer/sq mi in back country and 52 deer/sq mile between the Merritt Parkway and Post Road. Wildlife biologists estimate that normal deer populations average between 10-15/sq mi. The over-abundant deer population is taking its toll on the biodiversity of our forest because of the heavy deer browse. This is having a negative impact on many species of plants and animals that thrive in the forest under story and the integrity of our open space parks.
In addition, overpopulation of deer is directly correlated to incidences of Lyme Disease and deer/vehicular accidents. According to Greenwich Police Department, for the last three years, the average number of deer/vehicular accidents/yr in Greenwich is 48, almost 1 per week. In 2001 and 2002, the State Department of Public Health reported that the total number of Lyme disease cases reported in Connecticut were 3597 and 4631 respectively. The average for the 169 towns in Connecticut was 21.2 and 27.4 for those same years. In Greenwich, the reported cases were 57 and 62 respectively, well above the average. In addition, the Greenwich Department of Health reported that, in 2004, 38% of the ticks brought into the lab tested positive for Lyme.
To protect the health and safety of its residents and the maintain its ecological heritage, the Commission recommended that Greenwich's deer herd size be reduced to less than 26 deer/sq mi within 3-5 years. The Commission further recommended that the Town take the lead by actively reducing the herd size on Town properties and promoting hunting on private lands.
3)Q. How will the Town conduct this herd reduction program?
A. The Town is hiring White Buffalo, Inc., a non-profit wildlife management organization, to conduct the cull and assist with developing a long-term maintenance plan for the Town. The principal staff working with the Town is Anthony DiNicola, PhD. The project is being coordinated by the Conservation Director working closely with the First Selectman's office, Department of Parks and Recreation, the Police Department and Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection.
4)Does the Town have permission to conduct this activity?
A. The deer herd in Connecticut is under the jurisdiction of the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The Town has received authorization to conduct the sharp shoot in accordance with the plan it submitted to DEP. With the approval, the Town is authorized to conduct activities between February 10, 2005 and March 31, 2005 upon notification of abutting property owners. No activity will take place before February 18, 2005. The exact locations and dates will be determined by weather conditions, wind speed and direction. Specific information will be available on the Town website and or by calling the hotline number beginning on February 18, 2005. (see contact info below)
5)Q. Why use a sharp shooting program?
A. Safety - The number one priority of everyone involved in reducing the deer herd size in Greenwich is public health and safety. The use of sharp shooting in a controlled cull is one of the safest ways to do this on public properties in a residential community like Greenwich. Only staff provided by White Buffalo, who will use strict protocol and work closely with our law enforcement and park personnel, will perform the cull. All personnel involved have been tested for firearms proficiency and approved by the DEP. Activity will take place at dusk or after dark allowing the parks to remain open during the day. The program will use suppressed firearms and shoot only over bait in selected areas that have been specifically chosen with appropriate backdrops (such as a hillside). These cull zones have been reviewed and approved by local law enforcement to ensure that they meet all public safety concerns. No discharging of firearms will take place outside of the designated baited cull zones. Police will be stationed at the entrances to each park at the time that the program is being conducted. Parks will be posted with the opening and closing times beginning February 18, 2005. Specific time and location will be posted on the Town's website and on a hotline. These will be updated each work day during the program.
Humane treatment - The decision to cull a deer herd is not made easily. The removal of natural predators from the ecosystem, however, has created a void that a predation cull fills to ensure proper wildlife management. Sharp shooting over bait allows the wildlife professional to kill deer quickly and efficiently without prolonged duress to the animal.
Efficiency - The Town is engaging in a deer management program that has established significant reduction in herd size as a goal. Although bow hunting is an important management tool, an initial cull will reduce levels immediately. The deer management study recognized that bow hunters might not be able to achieve herd reduction goals in our Town.
6)What will happen to the deer carcasses?
All deer harvested will be brought to a meat processing facility and the meat will then be donated to local soup kitchens.
7)Where do I get additional information on the herd reduction program?
For a copy of the Conservation Commission report and up-to-date information on the herd reduction program go the Town website at:
http://www.greenwichct.org/ConservationCommission/ConservationCommission.asp
A special hotline number has also been set up for this program to give day-to-day information. It will be active February 18, 2005 through March 31, 2005.
Hotline Number - 203-618-3080
For additional information on the deer management program or other wildlife issues contact: Denise Savageau - 203-622-6461
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