Killing Deer for Cuyahoga County Communities Not Feasible, State Wildlife Official Says

A state wildlife official told a city council in Cuyahoga County Monday evening that it’s not practical for the Ohio Division of Wildlife to reduce the thriving deer population in Cuyahoga County, despite pleas from community leaders.

The Northeast Ohio Media Group (Cleveland.com) reported that Geoff Westerfield, assistant wildlife management supervisor for the DOW, told the Bay Village City Council, “I don’t really think it’s our role to jump in and kill deer.”

The campaign to persuade the DOW to take more aggressive steps to address deer overpopulation reportedly was started by North Royalton’s mayor.

The DOW’s Westerfield didn’t leave the communities concerned about deer without options, however. The Northeast Ohio Media Group reported that he offered to help municipalities develop deer management strategies, as well as help individuals protect their properties from deer damage.

While Bay Village banned purposefully feeding deer several years ago, killing deer isn’t allowed in the community. Westerfield told the City Council that bow hunting, the type of lethal control that’s envisioned, is possible, but added that a strategy that stops short of killing the deer is preferable.

According to the Northeast Ohio Media Group report, the DOW official has helped another area community develop effective ways to manage the deer population. However, in that case – in Avon Lake – in addition to non-lethal methods, controlled (and permitted) bow-hunting was included as an option to reduce the deer population. Westerfield stressed that this would not involve hunters roaming neighborhoods looking for deer, but rather firing from a fixed spot.

The wildlife official said that in addition to the lethal option, communities can take other actions, such as posting warning signs on roads that see a lot of deer-car accidents and allowing higher fencing around gardens.

However, the Cleveland.com report quoted him as conceding, “Sometimes, the right tool is killing deer.”