Jamestown Deer Management: Trained Hunts Likely Best Option Forward

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JAMESTOWN – Jamestown lawmakers are slated to vote next month on permitting trained hunters to target the city’s urban deer population. 

For the past year, the City Council’s Deer Management Committee have discussed ways to fight the growing herds. 

The committee presented their ideas Wednesday night during a public hearing at City Hall.

The main plan going forward, according to Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, will be to have trained hunters maintain the deer population through bow hunting from early November to late December.

“The Deer Management Committee has been meeting for quite a long time and they researched and gone through a whole bunch of options from sterilization, to relocation, to using a bait and shoot versus an archery method.” explained Mayor Sundquist. “So far in our conversations with biologists and our conversations with DEC of New York State, the most effective option that provides the cleanest way to do it, as well as the easiest way to reduce the population is the archery hunting option.”

15 hunters will likely receive four doe tags for the season, and will be sticking to remote parts of the city, says Councilman Thomas Nelson.

“There’s not going to be Hunters in your backyard. They’re going to be very remote in areas of the city. There are only going to be 15 and they will have special tags, so this is not going to be open season for anyone. Only those 15 will be allowed to do this,” said Nelson. 

While Nelson explains there will be hunters in the city, the safety of residents is top priority.

“I understand their concerns.” stated Nelson “I would say that I think it’s worked in other municipalities, it has been safe and I think it can work here.”

At least half of the meat harvested will be donated to local food pantries as well. 

The council will be presented with the plan on Sept. 20th and if all goes well, lawmakers could approve the resolution during their Monday, Sept. 27 voting session. The council failed to pass a similar measure last year that would have permitted trained hunters to target urban areas.