Cornell UniversityThe Nature Conservancy

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

    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.