Meridian Township (population of approximately 40,000) has conducted its deer management program (link is external)annually—during Michigan’s regular archery season—since 2011. Professional sharpshooters and qualified, experienced volunteer bow hunters participate in the harvest, and venison is donated to a local food pantry(link is external).
Discussions about the need for local deer management were initiated by local residents, community leaders, and the Park Commission. Noticing an increase in deer damage to gardens and landscapes, deer-related vehicle accidents, cases of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, and deer damage to forests and native plants, the community reviewed complaints to leaders and conducted public meetings and surveys to learn the concerns and attitudes of local residents. The local police department was consulted about deer-vehicle accident records and local naturalists and scientists were consulted to ask questions about deer-related forest damage. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provided estimates of the local deer herd population and density. A process facilitator from Michigan DNR was brought in to develop and implement a deer management program.
The Township Board began its first decision-making process in 2011. The Board directed staff to create a deer management plan and be facilitators. Staff did not have any previous background or training on deer or wildlife management. Staff consulted various local sources such as wildlife agencies, stakeholder groups, research reports and papers, other deer management plans, and university faculty to determine the cost, feasibility, and acceptability of action alternatives for management plans in the Township. The community was also involved in the process through unsolicited comments on action alternatives, formal public comment periods, public comment meetings, and resident surveys.
Meridian Township’s long-term management goal was to reduce the number of deer to a healthy population while treating the animals humanely and maintaining safety of the public, safety of hunters, and ecology of parks and land preserves. Community leaders selected lethal actions to manage deer population size including regulations to create and encourage hunting opportunity in the community, managed private and public land hunts, and deer culls with vetted volunteers. They also included some non-lethal management actions in the plan, such as managing roadside vegetation, encouraging use of fencing, deer repellents and scare devices, and information and education to change driving behaviors in areas with high deer-related accidents.
Meridian went on to implement all of the selected lethal and non-lethal management actions described in their management plan. The program has been funded for 5 years with annual budget of $20,000. No new positions have been created for the management plan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources continues to support the Meridian Township’s deer management efforts
The community has not developed an assessment plan for measuring progress toward goals. If an assessment plan were to be created, the community would use deer pellet count studies as an indicator for deer population and density. They would also use parks department, university, or citizen science efforts and partnerships to to monitor deer damage in natural areas and conduct plant damage studies. Using GIS mapping and police report records, assessment would also include measuring the frequency of deer-vehicle collisions before and after management was in place.
At initial implementation, the community only allowed hunters to harvest antlerless deer on Township property. Later, they revised the plan to allow hunters to take bucks as long as they took a doe beforehand. This change ensured an ample supply of venison to the local food bank and kept the hunters active and interested for a longer period of time since many were interested in taking antlered deer. Overall, this change increased the number of deer harvested.
A major challenge was the public’s mixed feelings about allowing hunting in parks and preserves within the Township’s borders. In response, educational efforts and press releases were used to keep residents well-informed about the safety and effectiveness of the program. Another challenge included the need to keep parks open during hunting season. As a result, sights were posted around park areas assuring visitors that hunters were in tree stands shooting down, and that the program is archery only. The community also had difficulty deciding what to do with killed deer. The Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger stepped in to get the processing for venison paid for and the meat distributed to local food banks.
