The City of Eden Prairie�s Deer Management Program for 2003-04 that is normally conducted in the fall got underway this past week. A wildlife management company using professional sharpshooters will again be used to reduce the City�s deer population by about 135.
The Deer Management Program was instituted nine years ago on the recommendation of a citizen/city staff taskforce that extensively studied deer overpopulation in Eden Prairie and presented their study to the City Council. Before the program was instituted in 1994, there were up to 280 deer/vehicle collisions per year in Eden Prairie. That number has fallen to below 100 per year.
The goal of the Deer Management Program is to manage white tail deer population at 25 deer per square mile. This is in line with Minnesota DNR guidelines that one square-mile of good habitat can reasonably support 25 deer. As the City has been developed, the amount of deer habitat has decreased markedly. In addition, in suburban areas like Eden Prairie, deer have no natural predators to help control the population and sport hunting is severely restricted due to residential development. The early aerial census revealed that there were nearly 700 deer were in Eden Prairie before the management program began with some habitat areas having a deer population density of 60 to 80 deer per square mile. The current population is between 300 and 350 deer.
An aerial helicopter survey of the deer population is conducted each winter when there is total snow cover. Based on this count and the deer population densities based on habitat size, the City staff contact the DNR and apply for a permit to reduce the deer population. The City contracts with a professional firm to conduct the reduction work. The program is conducted under special permit from the DNR over the course of 7 to 10 days, typically in mid-November. Last years fall program is being conducted during March.
A police officer is posted at each site to ensure safety and answer citizen questions. The sharp shooting typically takes place around dusk when deer are most active. Each site is chosen with safety as the most important consideration. The shooting is done from elevated stands with excellent site lines, mostly on public lands.
The City�s Manager of Parks and Natural Resources, Stuart Fox, calls the city�s current contract sharpshooter a �consummate professional.� He has an advanced degree in deer biology, and is known for his �one shot/one deer� marksmanship. Fox stresses that the City�s deer management program is not intended to eliminate the deer from Eden Prairie, but rather to maintain the deer population in balance with available natural habitat.
Residents with questions about the deer management program can call Stuart Fox at 952.949.8445. Safety concerns can be directed to the police department at 952.949.6200.
