Community Example: Ames, Iowa

Key facts

Ames' police department implements its deer management program
Urban hunting part of the Deer Management Zone Hunts in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Community Size: Medium city (10,000 to 50,000 people)

Region: Midwest

Plan established in 2006

Link(s): Urban Deer Management, Ames Hunting Rules

The City of Ames (population approximately 60,000) is in central Iowa and is home to Iowa State University. The city initiated its deer management program in 2006 with assistance from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The overarching goal of deer management in Ames is to bring deer numbers within acceptable limits for the majority of citizens. The City has been advised that 30 deer per square mile is the level where human-deer conflict rises to the level needing intervention. The police department oversees implementation of the city’s Deer Management Program. An Urban Deer Task Force was charged with establishing the program and assesses its effectiveness from year to year by tracking the annual number of resident complaints about conflicts with deer, number of road kill-deer, and by change in deer numbers.

Location

Phase 1. Problem Definition

By the early 2000s, the resident deer herd in the City of Ames reached a level that caused neighborhood complaints. A number of factors led to higher deer numbers. For example, very little natural mortality had occurred within in recent decades, and hunting was expressly prohibited by city ordinance banning the discharge of firearms or projectiles within city limits. In addition, some property owners were feeding and protecting deer. During this time, the City noted a significant uptick in the number of complaints about conflicts with deer. An increasing number of deer-vehicle collisions were being reported. Complaints about damage to property and landscaping (e.g., deer browsing on foundation plants, bucks rubbing young trees with their antlers) became common. An awareness that cases of Lyme disease had begun to occur within the community may also have triggered action on the part of local leaders.

An Urban Deer Task Force was created by city ordinance in 2006. The Task Force was charged with gathering information on deer-vehicle collisions from the police department, obtaining estimates of forest damage from scientists within the community, and researching county health statistics to estimate the prevalence of local Lyme disease cases. The IDNR helped establish baseline population estimates for deer by conducting an aerial survey.

Phase 2. Decision-making

The Urban Deer Task Force consulted experts from wildlife agencies and universities, solicited community opinion from stakeholder groups, and gathered research and deer management reports from other communities. The task force held a formal public comment period to gain feedback from community members. Discussions about deer management goals and alternatives were facilitated by the task force leader. A wide range of action alternatives was considered and a consensus-based deliberation was used to select the actions, including managed hunting on public and private lands. In addition, an ordinance was passed prohibiting feeding of deer within city limits. Non-lethal actions, such as contraception, were passed over as impractical, ineffective and too costly.

Phase 3. Implementation

The Ames Police Department oversees the implementation of the city’s deer hunting program, which is part of the Iowa DNR Deer Management Zone Hunts . The emphasis of Iowa’s Deer Management Zone program is on removal of female deer in an effort to control the local deer population. To be eligible to participate in the hunt, bowhunters must complete a one-time safety certification course and an annual proficiency test. A permit from the City of Ames is required. Costs of administering the hunting program are integrated into police department operations.

Phase 4. Evaluation and Adaptation Phase

Ames established a baseline for its deer population by conducting aerial surveys to estimate the deer, collecting police reports and monitoring and reporting road kills in the community. This work was complemented with some camera-trap monitoring studies. The Urban Deer Task Force is responsible for carrying out the assessment plan and monitoring the success of the deer management program.

Community Survey

Survey completed by a community organizer

Phase 1: Problem Definition

Initial discussion about deer as a community issue

Which parties initiated the original discussion about the possibility of a local deer management program?

Individual residents who were having problems with deer

Issue Drivers

What deer-related concerns were the main drivers of the original discussion about need for local deer management?

Deer damage to gardens and plantings around homes; Deer-related vehicle accidents

Any particular impact/event that was a tipping point for your community’s decision to develop a deer management program?

Increase in deer damage to gardens and plantings around homes; Increase in cases of Lyme or other tick-borne disease; Neighborhood concerns

Gathering Information

What process was used to define the deer management problem(s) in the community?

A local deer committee charged with defining the problem held discussions, but the committee did not have an outside facilitator

Phase 2: Decision-Making

Structure of the decision-making process

In what year did the first decision-making phase begin?

2006

What parties initiated or convened the process?

A deer committee created by formal leaders

What was the mechanism by which action alternative were selected in the community?

Consensus-based deliberation

In what ways did community members have opportunity(s) to provide input during the decision-making process?

Leaders created a formal public comment period before making decisions, Leaders or deer committee held public comment meetings

Did your community use a facilitator to help make decisions about deer management goals and actions?

Discussions about deer management goals and alternatives were facilitated by the chair or leader of the local deer committee

Information Gathering

What information sources were consulted by the community group that made decisions about deer management action alternatives?

Content experts from wildlife agency, Content experts from university, Community opinion presented by stakeholder groups, Research reports or papers, Deer management plans from other communities

How were different types of information used?

Content experts from wildlife agency:

To determine feasibility, To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Content experts from other organizations:

To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Community opinion presented by stakeholder groups:

To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Research reports or papers:

To determine acceptability of action alternatives

Deer management plans from other communities:

To determine feasibility

Program Goals

When were goals for the community-based deer management identified?

Prior to discussion about action alternatives

Selecting Management Actions

Phase 3: Implementation

Key characteristics of the management program

Have any actions already been taken with respect to your deer management program?

yes

Was venison donation a component of the implementation process?

Phase 4: Evaluation and Adaptation

The community's approach to outcome assessment

Did the community develop an assessment plan for measuring progress towards deer management goals?

What kinds of baseline information did your community collect before implementing the deer management program?

Deer population or deer density

Aerial surveys to estimate deer population or deer density

Deer-vehicle collisions

Collecting police reports on number of deer-related vehicle accidents in community, Ask municipal agencies to monitor and report road kills in the community

If an assessment plan was created, what indicators are used for measuring outcomes of management actions?

Deer population or deer density

Aerial surveys to estimate deer population or deer density, Camera-trap monitoring studies to estimate deer population or deer density

Deer-vehicle collisions

Collecting police reports on number of deer-related vehicle accidents in community

Who is responsible for carrying out the assessment plan and monitoring the success of the deer management program?

Deer Committee