Cornell UniversityThe Nature Conservancy

Community Example: Leavenworth, Kansas

Key facts
  • Community Size: Medium city (10,000 to 50,000 people)
  • Region: Midwest
    • Plan established in 2004
    Link(s): Leavenworth Urban Deer Management, Leavenworth Deer Hunter Information Packet

    The Urban Deer Management Program in Leavenworth, Kansas (approximate population 36,000) was initiated in 2004 in an effort to reduce the scope and frequency of deer-related problems, including deer-vehicle collisions and damage to landscaping, flowers and gardens. Leavenworth’s is an archery-only program, occurs on both private and public lands and is overseen by a 7-member Deer Management Advisory Committee.

    Location

    Phase 1. Problem Definition

    A discussion about the need for local deer management in Leavenworth, Kansas was initiated by a Deer Management Advisory Committee. After noticing an increase in deer damage to gardens and plantings around homes, the committee held public meetings to learn more about citizen’s concerns and attitudes toward the issue. The committee consulted with local police for deer-related vehicle accident records and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for data on local deer population and density.

    Phase 2. Decision-making

    In 2004, The Urban Deer Management Program was started by the Deer Management Advisory Committee. The Committee deliberated over lethal actions to manage deer population size. They considered regulation changes to create and encourage hunting opportunities in the community, managed private land hunts, and deer culls with trained volunteer hunters. However, the challenge of establishing parameters for the ordinance led the community to only allow bow and arrow hunting on certain properties within city limits.

    Phase 3. Implementation

    Leavenworth’s deer management program is currently in effect. Volunteer positions have been created to assist in executing the plan. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is still engaged to help with the programs efforts. The process does not include any venison donation.

    Phase 4. Evaluation and Adaptation Phase

    The Deer Management Advisory Committee has developed an assessment plan for measuring progress toward their deer management goals. They use police report data on deer-related vehicle collisions to measure outcomes of management actions. Municipal agencies are responsible for carrying out the assessment plan and monitoring the success of the program overall.

    Community Survey
    Survey completed by a local government representative
    Initial discussion about deer as a community issue
    Which parties initiated the original discussion about the possibility of a local deer management program?

    Formal (elected or appointed) community leaders (e.g., town supervisor, town council)

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

    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

    Gathering Information
    How did community members and/or leaders gather information to understand the deer-related problems?
    Information about concerns, interests, attitudes of local residents

    Public meetings

    Information about problem levels (e.g., number of deer-related vehicle accidents, amount of plant damage or crop damage)

    Contacted local police department for deer-related vehicle accident records

    Information about local deer population size or deer density

    Consulted state wildlife agency to provide estimates

    Special challenges
    Describe any challenges the community faced in defining the deer and deer management problem.

    Challenge: 
    Establishing parameters for the ordinance that was to govern the program.
    Community Response: 
    The community wanted it limited to bow and arrow and only on certain properties within the city limits.

    Given how your community identified your deer management problem, what would you or your community have done differently?

    Nothing at this point, it seems to be working well.

    Selecting Management Actions
    What actions were selected to meet your community’s goals related to managing deer-related impacts?
    Lethal Actions to manage deer population size

    Regulation changes to create or encourage additional hunting opportunity in the community (using regular licensed hunters), Managed private lands hunt (e.g., vetted group or individuals matched to willing private landowners), Deer cull over bait with trained and vetted volunteer hunters

    Key characteristics of the management program
    Have any actions already been taken with respect to your deer management program?

    Yes

    Did your community create any new positions to assist in implementing the deer management program?

    Volunteer

    What partners, if any, has the community engaged in to help implement the effort?

    State wildlife management agency

    Was venison donation a component of the implementation process?

    No

    The community's approach to outcome assessment
    Did the community develop an assessment plan for measuring progress towards deer management goals?

    Yes

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

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

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

    Municipal agencies