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I'M LINDSAY WISEAU, AND THIS IS BRUCE EDWARDS.
UH, WE ARE WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM.
WE'RE GONNA BE FACILITATING THE CONVERSATION TONIGHT.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THIS MANY PEOPLE HERE, UH, ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT.
UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS AT THE CORNERSTONE OF EVERYTHING WE DO, SO THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS AND THE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE ARE GONNA BE DOING HERE IN DUBLIN.
UH, I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HERE IN THE ROOM.
WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, ANDY KEELER AND WENDY JOHNSON.
IF YOU GUYS WANNA WAVE BACK THERE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE FOR THIS MEETING.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, MIKE BARKER AND PUBLIC, UH, WORKS DIRECTOR, PUBLIC SERVICE DIRECTOR, JAY, UH, ANDERSON.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM TONIGHT, AND THEN, UM, AT THE END WE HAVE A PANEL OF EXPERTS WHO ARE GONNA BE HERE TO ANSWER SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS, AND THEN YOURS AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, THANKS, MITCH, FOR ADVANCING THAT SLIDE.
WE'RE GONNA START BY PROVIDING SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW WE GOT HERE, INCLUDING THE RESEARCH, RESIDENT FEEDBACK, COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD THAT HELPED SHAPE THIS DISCUSSION OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM, UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, HOW IT WILL WORK, AND THE SAFEGUARDS THAT'LL BE IN PLACE.
AND AFTER THAT, WE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE TIME FOR DISCUSSION, UM, ON ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
SO FOR NOW, IF YOU CAN HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TILL THE END.
WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND THEN SOME DETAILS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL BRING THE EXPERTS UP.
THIS MEETING IS ALSO BEING BROADCAST LIVE, I GUESS STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AND WILL BE, UM, UH, AVAILABLE LATER AS WELL.
IF YOU ARE WATCHING ONLINE, THERE IS A FORM TO FILL OUT WHERE YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND JACKIE ADLER, UM, ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WILL BE THERE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
UH, WE WILL ASK THAT YOU, UH, JUST BE POLITE, RESPECTFUL, AND KIND TONIGHT IN ANY OF YOUR, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
WE ARE ALL HERE WITH THE GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING, LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND TO HELP ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENING.
WE ARE JOINED BY SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE CITY'S DEER MANAGEMENT TEAM AND OTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
SO WE HAVE OUR OWN BARBARA RAY, WHO WAS STANDING UP EARLIER, OUR NATURE EDUCATION COORDINATOR.
UM, WE HAVE GABE KARINS FROM THE SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES FROM THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND JEFF WESTERFIELD, ASSISTANT WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT SUPERVISOR AT THE OHIO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE.
AND WE WILL HAVE THEM, LIKE LINDSAY SAID ON OUR PANEL UP HERE JUST IN A FEW MINUTES.
BUT FIRST, WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH MITCH AMIT, OUR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, AND HE'S GOING TO WALK THROUGH, UM, THE LAST FEW YEARS OF STUDYING DATA COLLECTION, PUBLIC INPUT.
UM, AND THIS KIND OF WALK US THROUGH, UH, THE ISSUE OF DEAR MANAGEMENT IN DUBLIN.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AS WELL FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING.
WE REALLY VALUE YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
SO I WILL BEGIN, UH, A BRIEF PRESENTATION SO THAT WE CAN, UM, LIKE I SAID, KEEP THINGS BRIEF AND MOVE ON TO THE Q AND A SECTION OF OUR MEETING.
SO BEFORE ELABORATING ON THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND THE CONSIDERATIONS MADE TO ESTABLISH A DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF CITY COUNCIL'S, STAFF DEVELOPED AN ETHICAL STATEMENT, WHICH IS UNIQUE TO DUBLIN.
THIS IS INTENDED TO REINFORCE THAT THE CITY REMAINS COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT A BALANCED ECOSYSTEM WHILE MAINTAINING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SAFETY THAT DEFINES OUR EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER FACTOR TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION IS DOUBLE ECOSYSTEM AND DEER POPULATION WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED IF THE HERD WERE ALLOWED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW INTO A STATE OF OVERPOPULATION.
SPECIFIC ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS INCLUDE REDUCED BIODIVERSITY, UM, THAT CAN LEAD TO A, A PREVENTION OF THE GROWTH OF NATIVE PLANTS, UM, REDUCING HABITATS FOR BIRDS, POLLINATORS, AND OTHER WILDLIFE, WHILE ALSO LEADING TO POOR HEALTH, INCREASED DISEASE, AND MORE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN THOSE DEER.
BASED ON BENCHMARKING AND QUANTITATIVE DATA GATHERED SINCE 2023, THERE'S A MORE PROMINENT PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE OBSERVED IN DUBLIN THAN MIGHT BE FOUND ELSEWHERE.
RESIDENTS HAVE REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, EXCUSE ME, OF INTERACTIONS WITH AGGRESSIVE DEER.
THEY'VE REPORTED DEER ATTACKING, STOMPING, KICKING, UH, CHARGING, OTHERWISE INJURING A PET, STALKING AND CHASING THOSE PETS AS WELL AS THEIR OWNERS OR JUST PASSERSBY, UM, AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
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THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS THAT LED TO CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 28 26, AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT WITH USDA FOR A DEAR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, SPANNED MULTIPLE YEARS AND INCLUDED MANY PUBLIC MEETINGS.STARTING WITH THOSE LISTED ON THE SCREEN NOW, FOLLOWING A RESIDENT SURVEY POSTED ON JANUARY 6TH AND OPEN FOR FEEDBACK FOR A TOTAL OF SEVEN WEEKS, THE CITY CATALOGED RESPONSES, WHICH DETERMINED THAT APPROXIMATELY 59% OF THE 3,656 RESPONSES, UH, WERE IN FAVOR OF MANAGING THE DEER POPULATION IN DUBLIN.
AND OF THOSE SAME NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS, 49%, UM, WERE IN FAVOR OF USING LETHAL METHODS TO MANAGE THE DEER POPULATION.
PUBLIC MEETINGS, CONSIDERING RESIDENT SURVEY RESPONSES WERE HELD AS THE WINDOW FOR SUBMITTING FEEDBACK CAME TO A CLOSE.
AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT SURVEY'S CLOSING DURING THIS THREE MONTH PERIOD, THERE WERE ALSO TWO DEAR POPULATION INDEX SURVEYS THAT WERE COMPLETED.
THESE LEVERAGED TECHNIQUES PREVIOUSLY UTILIZED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND JURISDICTIONS IN THE REGION.
SIMILARLY TO THE FORMAT OF THIS MEETING, AN INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF EXPERTS FROM OSU AND ODNR.
THE CITYWIDE DEER POPULATION INDEX SURVEY CONDUCTED, UM, RESULTED IN ACCOUNT OF A TOTAL OF 528 DEER.
AND THE METHODOLOGY FOR COLLECTING THIS DATA INCLUDED THE FLYING OF TWO HIGH RESOLUTION THERMAL IMAGING DRONES.
OVER, OVER THAT WEEKEND ON APRIL 24TH THROUGH 27TH, UM, THE HOTSPOTS IDENTIFIED DID ALIGN WITH ZONES WHERE DUBLIN POLICE FLEW THEIR OWN SURVEY IN FEBRUARY.
AND FINDINGS FROM BOTH OF THESE SURVEYS WERE USED, UM, TO INFORM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S REMOVAL LOCATION DISCUSSIONS.
I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS MERELY A SNAPSHOT OF THE POPULATION AT A PARTICULAR MOMENT IN TIME.
DEER ARE A TRANSIENT SPECIES, AND THEY TEND TO CONSISTENTLY MIGRATE AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE SQUARE MILES COUNCIL DIRECTION AND UNANIMOUS APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH USDA CONCLUDED THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
THE PUBLIC PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDES LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE DEER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
THE CITY IS UTILIZING MANY TOOLS IN THE BROADER DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TOOLKIT OUTSIDE OF TARGETED REMOVAL.
WE'RE LEVERAGING AN OUTDOOR FEED ORDINANCE, A NATURE EDUCATION COORDINATOR IN BARBARA RAY, WHO YOU WILL HEAR FROM SOON, WHO IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING COMMUNITY EDUCATION REGARDING WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE, DEER RESISTANT LANDSCAPING GUIDANCE, AND THE USE OF TRAINED AND LICENSED WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONALS FROM THE USDA TO CONDUCT DEER REMOVAL.
THE CITY'S HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS PROGRAM IS PUBLIC SAFETY, ESPECIALLY ENSURING SAFE REMOVAL OPERATIONS.
LIKE I SAID, THERE WILL BE TRAINED AND LICENSED PROFESSIONALS CONDUCTING THESE OPERATIONS.
THE DUBLIN POLICE WILL PROVIDE AN ESCORT TO ENSURE THE DESIGNATED AREA IS CLEAR.
THERE WILL BE SIGNAGE AT REMOVAL AREAS, AND DEER WILL BE TRANSPORTED OFFSITE AWAY FROM PUBLIC VIEW FOR FIELD DRESSING AND PROCESSING.
THE USDA WILL STRATEGICALLY DETERMINE THE VIABILITY OF REMOVAL SITES PREDOMINANTLY LEVERAGING CITY OWNED LAND BASED ON QUANTITATIVE DATA.
UM, THEY HAVE MADE THESE DETERMINATIONS, OR WILL MAKE THESE DETERMINATIONS IN THE FUTURE, EXCUSE ME, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DUBLIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE COME TO THESE CONCLUSIONS.
TARGETED REMOVAL WILL COMMENCE ON NOVEMBER ONE AND OCCUR ON AN INTERMITTENT AND AS NEEDED BASIS UNTIL MARCH 31ST.
RESIDENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA THE METHODS LISTED ON SCREEN, A CITYWIDE MAILER SIGNS POSTED AT REMOVAL AREAS.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, CITY, WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS HOA OUTREACH SPECIFICALLY.
AND FINALLY, IN FURTHERANCE OF OUR VISION TO BE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT GLOBAL CITY OF CHOICE, EXCESS ORGANIC MATERIAL WILL BE COMPOSTED AND ALL VENISON DONATED TO THE DUBLIN FOOD PANTRY.
I MENTIONED I WILL KEEP IT BRIEF AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO LINDSAY.
AND IF I CAN INVITE THE PANELISTS TO COME FORWARD, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UH, DOES ANYONE STILL NEED A CHAIR? THERE ARE A FEW UP HERE IN THE CORNER.
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BE HAPPY TO ROLL BACK IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE.ALSO, SOME IN THE FRONT ROW JUST OPENED UP, SO HELP YOURSELF.
HOPE EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME ON THIS MICROPHONE.
SEEMS A LITTLE BIT NOT AS LOUD AS THE LAST ONE.
UH, SO WE HAVE, UM, JEFF, GABE, AND BARBARA.
'CAUSE I'M GONNA START OFF WITH A QUESTION FOR JEFF.
WHAT HAPPENS IF DUBLIN DOES NOTHING TO MANAGE THE DEER POPULATION? WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT CONDITIONS TO LOOK LIKE IN 5, 10, 15 YEARS? GOOD QUESTION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERTISE IS PRIMARILY IN NORTHEAST OHIO.
SO I, UH, HAVE, UH, ALMOST 20 YEARS WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES UP THERE, UH, WITH DEER MANAGEMENT.
UH, I HAVE, UH, SOMEWHERE AROUND 25 COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TARGETED DEER REMOVAL PROGRAMS. AND SO, UM, PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT HAPPENS, UM, LEADING UP TO THOSE POINTS AS WELL AS WHAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, UH, AS A RESULT OF DOING THE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, WHAT WE SEE GENERALLY IS IF YOU DON'T DO DEER MANAGEMENT, THE NUMBERS INCREASE, RIGHT? SO AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY THINK BACK 15, 20, 25 YEARS AGO, UH, YOU DIDN'T SEE NEAR THE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF DEER WALKING AROUND DUBLIN THAT YOU DO NOW.
SO THE POPULATIONS, YOU KNOW, UNCHECKED WHEN YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN DEER VEHICLE ACCIDENTS, UM, AND OLD AGE, UH, TAKING THE DEER OUT, UH, TENDS TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN THAT DEER POPULATION.
SO IF DUBLIN DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, THE EXPECTATION WOULD BE IS THAT THE POPULATION WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW.
UM, WHEN I DO POPULATION MODELING FOR, UH, CITIES THAT, UH, ARE LIKE DUBLIN AND THE PROGRAM KIND OF OUTLINED, UM, TYPICALLY I LOOK AT A, WHAT I CALL RECRUITMENT FACTOR OF 1.3 EVERY YEAR.
SO YOU CAN EXPECT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, YOU HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE LATE WINTER FOR THE NEXT WINTER, YOU'LL HAVE 1.3 TIMES WHAT YOU HAD THERE THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, AND THAT'S BASED ON BIRTHS AND DEER COMING AND GOING.
AS, AS MITCH POINTED OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, DEER DO ARE TRANSIENT, THEY DO MOVE AROUND.
SO YOU'LL GET DEER THAT ARE BREEDING OUTSIDE OF DUBLIN AS WELL, THAT WILL, WILL SLIDE INTO THIS AREA.
ALL RIGHT, GABE, I THINK THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.
HOW DO WILDLIFE PROFESSIONALS DETERMINE WHEN A DEER POPULATION HAS BECOME TOO LARGE FOR A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY OR ECOSYSTEM? YEAH, SO THERE'S TWO MAIN WAYS THAT WE THINK ABOUT K, WHICH IS, LIKE JEFF MENTIONED, POPULATION MODELING.
K STANDS FOR CARRYING CAPACITY, ALL RIGHT? ONE IS BIOLOGICAL, UM, BIOLOGICAL CARRYING CAPACITY IS WHEN A POPULATION, UM, THINK OF BACTERIA, RIGHT? THERE'S ONE IN A PETRI DISH, THERE'S TWO, THERE'S FOUR, THERE'S EIGHT, THERE'S 16, THERE'S 32, THEY RAMP UP EXPONENTIALLY.
EVENTUALLY THAT POPULATION STARTS CONSUMING RESOURCES AND INHERENTLY STARTS TO SLOW DOWN AS THEY AP APPROACH THIS BREAKING POINT.
AS THAT POPULATION NEARS CARRYING CAPACITY, SOMETIMES NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS TO THE ECOSYSTEM.
OTHER TIMES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A DEER, WHICH E IN ECOLOGY IS ONE OF THE SPECIES NEAR THE TOP OF THE LIST THAT WE REFER TO AS ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS.
THEY CHANGE, MODIFY RADICALLY THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO THEY'RE TOTALLY CAPABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE BROWSERS, THEY'RE VERY CHOOSY ABOUT WHAT THEY EAT, OF ELIMINATING RARE SENSITIVE OF SPECIES.
WHEN THEY'RE REALLY ABUNDANT, THEY'RE CAPABLE OF ELIMINATING OR ADVERSELY IMPACTING RELATIVELY COMMON SPECIES THAT JUST HAPPEN TO BE ON THEIR, WE REALLY LIKE TO EAT THEM LIST.
SO IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT A FOREST 50 TO A HUNDRED YEARS AGO OR IN THE FUTURE, THOSE ARE SEEDLINGS AND SAPLINGS TODAY, RIGHT? UM, AS WE KNOW, DEER LINKED UP INTO, UM, UM, HUMAN DISEASE VECTOR SITUATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S A DENSITY DEPENDENT THING THAT TYPICALLY HOVERS IN A, NOT A PROBLEM.
BUT WHEN WE GET UP TO THOSE PROBLEMATIC LEVELS, THERE'S CONTACT RATES WITH THE VECTORS, THERE'S CONTACT RATES WITH EACH OTHER, THERE'S CONTACT RATES WITH HUMAN, ALL THOSE THINGS BEGIN TO COMPOUND.
SO AS QUICKLY AS THAT POPULATION GROWS, WHEN IT'S GETTING OFF THE GROUND, AGAIN, BACK TO THAT PETRI DISH, THOSE IMPACTS BEGIN TO COMPOUND AT THE EXACT SAME
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REALLY SCARY RATE ON THE UPPER END OF THAT SITUATION.WHEN A POPULATION IS LEFT TO OVERSHOOT CARRYING CAPACITY, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS LOTS OF DEER SHOW UP AT THE DINNER TABLE, AND THERE ARE HARD DECISIONS ABOUT WHO GETS TO EAT AND WHO DOES NOT, RIGHT? SO WHAT WE SEE IN THOSE SITUATIONS IS A, THE ECOSYSTEM REALLY SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAR AND TEAR, BUT THOSE DEER THEMSELVES SHOWING REALLY BAD SIGNS OF CONDITION AND, AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S BIOLOGICAL CARING CAPACITY.
THE OTHER CARING CAPACITY THAT WE, WE TALK ABOUT IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IS SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY, WHICH REDEFINE AS OUR HUMAN'S WILLINGNESS TO TOLERATE, SAID WILDLIFE.
TYPICALLY, THAT IS MUCH LOWER THAN BIOLOGICAL.
I'M NOT GONNA TRY AND THINK ABOUT THE, THE METRICS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF SURVEYS, WHETHER IT'S HERE IN DUBLIN OR NEIGHBORING WORTHINGTON OR OTHER PLACES.
UM, BUT HUMANS, AS WE KNOW, THANKFULLY, ARE INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, AND WE'RE INVITED, UM, IN A TRANSPARENT DECISION MAKING PROCESS LIKE THIS TO SHARE THEM.
UM, AND WHEN SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY REACHES A CERTAIN POINT, THAT IS WHEN SORT OF THE HARD DECISION OF, OKAY, WHAT NEXT? UM, SO LONG STORY SHORT, WE'RE NOT TO BIOLOGICAL CARING CAPACITY, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL, AND I THINK WISELY HAS DECIDED WE ARE AT THE PLACE OF SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY THAT, TO JEFF'S POINT, WHEREVER THAT IS NOW, WE'RE GONNA ERODE FURTHER AS THAT HERD MULTIPLIES BY 1.3 THIS YEAR AND HOWEVER MANY NEXT YEAR, ANOTHER 1.3, THE NEXT, THIS WAS THE DECISION POINT.
UM, AND, AND IT, AND IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FROM THAT, THAT KIND OF, UH, PERSPECTIVE.
AND I WANNA HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM BARBARA RAY BECAUSE YOU TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY, AND WE KNOW THAT WE'RE AT A TIPPING POINT BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THE CITY.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU STARTED HEARING ABOUT THIS STARTING BACK IN 2016, BARBARA, SO CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, UPTICK IN, UM, RESIDENT INTERACTIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH DEERE AND YOUR EXPERIENCE THERE? SURE.
WE'VE HAD, UM, JUST REALLY ONE OR TWO COMPLAINTS THE INITIAL YEAR IN ONE OF OUR PARKS.
AND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DID NOT WANT US TO DO ANYTHING TO THAT DEER WHO WAS AGGRESSIVELY GOING AFTER SOME DOGS AND DOG WALKERS.
SO THEY PUT UP SOME SIGNAGE AND PEOPLE PRETTY MUCH AVOIDED THAT AREA.
UM, EACH YEAR WE HAD INCREASING NUMBERS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY, OF THOSE SAME TYPES OF PROBLEMS. AND FAWNS, WHEN THEY'RE GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, THEY LEARN BEHAVIORS FROM THEIR MOTHER
SO THIS 1.3 INCREASE, THERE'S A LOT OF BABIES OUT THERE OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE LEARNED, UH, KIND OF A PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A DOG INTERACTING WITH THEM AT ALL.
MAYBE NOT EVEN VERY CLOSE TO THEIR FAWN.
AND SOME OF THESE DOZE OVER THE YEARS HAVE STARTED GOING INTO A YARD.
YOU LET YOUR PUP OUT TO POTTY, HE'S MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS.
THE FAWN IS IN THE WOODS SOMEWHERE, AND THE DEER IS PROACTIVELY, UM, GOING AFTER THAT POTENTIAL PREDATOR.
SOME OF THE DEER MAY HAVE HAD INTERACTIONS WITH DOGS THAT WERE LOOSE AND THERE ARE MORE SENSITIVE.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY THEY MIGHT DEFEND A FAWN, BUT AS THEY GROW UP AND LEARN THAT, UH, BEST DEFENSES AND OFFENSE BEHAVIOR, IT BECOMES EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
AND MY FEAR WAY BACK IN 20 18, 20 19, AS THESE CASES AROSE, WAS, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S PET WAS GONNA GET SEVERELY INJURED AND POSSIBLY A HUMAN.
AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THEN.
UM, AND, AND REALLY ONE IS ALMOST TOO MUCH.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T PROTECT OURSELVES A HUNDRED PERCENT FROM EVERY WILD ANIMAL WE ENCOUNTER ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THAT, THAT DANGER OR THAT SAFETY ISSUE IN THE CITY.
AND IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THE MOST RESPONSIBLE THING TO, UM, PURSUE SOME KIND OF MANAGEMENT THAT DOES THAT.
SO, JUST TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, UH, GABE, IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THEY, THERE'S A BIG MISCONCEPTION THAT THE DEER WERE HERE, WE MOVED IN, AND NOW WE'RE DISPLACING THEM BY THE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM YOU ALL IN, IN THE WILDLIFE, UM, UH, FIELD IS THAT'S KIND OF THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
YEAH, UM, DEER HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE,
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UM, BUT WE'RE CURRENTLY SITTING AT, AS FAR AS HUMANS HAVE BEEN KEEPING TRACK AT THE SECOND ALL TIME PEAK OF WHITE-TAILED DEER, HYPER ABUNDANCE.UM, AND THAT'S JUST TALKING FROM AN OHIO STATEWIDE PERSPECTIVE.
SO, 18 TO 20 YEARS AGO, WE HIT OUR FIRST POPULATION, HIGH DIVISIONAL WILDLIFE LIBERALIZED, UH, HARVEST REGULATIONS.
UM, 15 TO 20 YEARS AGO, URBAN AND SUBURBAN DEER POPULATIONS WEREN'T QUITE WHAT THEY ARE TODAY, BUT AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL, MORE DEER THAN EVER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED HUNTERS TOOK ACTION, REDUCED LEVELS AND GOT THINGS BACK TO A MANAGEABLE SPOT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S A SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY THAT'S DRIVEN A LOT BY, UM, TOLERANCE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND SATISFACTION OF SOME OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
SO WE HIT A MOUNTAIN, WE GO DOWN IN A VALLEY, WE'RE HEADING BACK UP, AND WE'RE BACK ON THAT SAME MOUNTAIN THE SECOND TIME WE'VE HIT THE MOST DEER EVER IN THE STATE OF OHIO.
UM, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE MEANTIME, THOUGH, IS AS THESE URBAN CENTERS, RIGHT, HAVE PROLIFERATED, AND THEIR TENTACLES HAVE EXTENDED OUT INTO SUBURBIA EX-URBAN SPRAWL, WE'RE CREATING THE VERY HABITAT THAT DEER AS AN EDGE SPECIES CONSIDERS OPTIMIZED.
SO DEER ARE THE QUINTESSENTIAL EDGE SPECIES.
THE MORE YOU HACK UP A CONTIGUOUS FOREST, THE MORE YOU ADD MORE EDGES, THE MORE YOU TAKE A FOREST CANOPY THAT MOST OF THE YEAR IS OUT OF REACH OF DEER, RIGHT? EXCEPT WHEN ACORNS DROP TO THE FOURTH FLOOR, YOU TAKE ALL THAT VEGETATION, YOU PUT IT ON THE GROUND, RIGHT? GRASS AND ORNAMENTALS AND SHRUBS AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, YOU REALLY CREATE THE PRIME CONDITIONS FOR DEER HERDS TO SHOOT INTO VERY UNNATURAL TERRITORIES.
UM, SOMETIMES IN SCIENCE, AS A WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST, I HAVE TO LOOK PRETTY FAR AWAY, RIGHT? IN OHIO, I MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK TO THE STATE UP NORTH FOR A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A PUBLISHED PAPER TO MAKE MY POINT.
UM, IRONICALLY ENOUGH, CENTRAL OHIO ACTUALLY HOLDS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AN OFFICIAL RECORD, BUT CERTAINLY IN MY MIND, THE UNOFFICIAL RECORD OF ALL TIME MOST DENSE DEER POPULATIONS.
AND THAT'S JUST ACROSS TOWN ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER IN SHARON WOODS METRO PARK, RIGHT? SO, AGAIN, SORT OF A SITUATION WHERE IN A CLOSED POPULATION, YOU DON'T EVEN GET FORD, CHEVY AND DODGE MORTALITY.
WE SAW DEER POPULATIONS REACH OFF THE CHARTS, LIKE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A Y AXIS TALL ENOUGH TO HOST THAT NUMBER.
AND GETTING BACK TO BIOLOGICAL CARRYING CAPACITY, WE SAW THAT UNRAVELING OF THE ECOSYSTEM.
WE SAW SYSTEMIC COLLAPSE IN BIODIVERSITY.
WE DON'T WANT TO GET BACK THERE AGAIN, BUT AGAIN, IN THIS SUBURBAN CONTEXT, WE HAVE SET THE TABLE WHERE THOSE SORTS OF SITUATIONS ARE SORT OF THE FUTURE, WHETHER THAT'S THREE OR FIVE OR 10 YEARS OUT.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEALING PRIMARILY WITH THAT SOCIAL CARING CAPACITY AS WE STARE AT THE IMPENDING BIOLOGICAL CARING CAPACITY.
AND JEFF, THIS ONE, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.
UM, WHY IS TARGETED REMOVAL CONSIDERED AN APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR A SUBURBAN COMMUNITY LIKE DUBLIN? YOU GUYS SHUT ME OFF.
SO, UH, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO NOTHING, DEER NUMBERS GO UP, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE LOOK AT DEER MANAGEMENT, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING TO PULL THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
AND SO REALLY, THERE'S TWO BASIC PRIMARY METHODS TO DO THAT.
AND ONE'S THROUGH HUNTING AND ONE'S THROUGH TARGETED DEER REMOVAL, WHICH, YOU KNOW, A LOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CALL SHARPSHOOTING A LOT TIME, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IT, IT'S A, A TARGETED WAY.
SO WITH OF, OF DOING THE DEER REMOVAL WITH, WITH HUNTING, UM, YOU HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS, RIGHT? YOU GOTTA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MORE LAND.
UM, YOU, UH, DON'T HAVE MAYBE AS CONTROLLED SITUATIONS OF SHOOTING, UH, THE DEER.
UM, SO IT, AND IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE HUNTER TAKES SOME TIME TO SHOOT THE DEER WITH TARGETED DEER REMOVAL.
THE WHOLE POINT IS TO GET IN AND OUT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UH, THE GOAL IS TO GET IN THERE AND GET THOSE NUMBERS SHOT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE AND GET DONE WITH OPERATIONS AND GET OUT OF THERE.
UM, SO YOU'RE USING TRAIN MARKSMEN TO, UH, GET INTO SOME VERY TIGHT AREAS.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON IN, IN THE CITIES THAT I WORK WITH TO HAVE SHOOTING FROM BACKYARDS EVEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO I KNOW DUBLIN IS, IS NOT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT.
BUT, BUT POINT IS, IS THAT WE CAN DO IT IN VERY, VERY TIGHT, HEAVILY URBANIZED AREAS.
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UM, SO THAT'S WHY IN A SITUATION LIKE DUBLIN WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF HOMES, A LOT OF HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, SOME DENSER HOUSING AREAS, THE TARGETED DEER REMOVAL AND IS, IS KIND OF THE TECHNIQUE WE LOOK AT.BUT, AND, AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE MORE IMPORTANT THING, IS THAT, UM, IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AGAIN, 15, 20 YEARS AGO, AND THE NUMBERS ARE LOWER, THE HUNTERS CAN, CAN HELP CONTROL THOSE NUMBERS AND KEEP 'EM IN, IN, IN CHECK, UM, WHEN WE GET TO THE NUMBERS GROWING QUICKLY.
SO IT'S LIKE THE, UH, IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER FROM MATH IN, IN THE OLD, YOU KNOW, AT AT SCHOOL, YOU HAVE EXPONENTIAL CURVES.
UM, SO WHEN THE, YOU GET THOSE NUMBERS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY, UM, YOU'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING TO, TO STOP THAT, THAT BLEEDING RIGHT, TO STOP THE NUMBERS GROWING QUICKLY.
AND THAT TARGETED DEER REMOVAL IS THE ABILITY TO TAKE A LOT OF DEER IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO KIND OF PULL THAT NUMBER BACK DOWN AND TO WORK TOWARDS GETTING IT TO TOWARDS THAT, UM, MORE TOLERABLE LEVEL CITYWIDE.
WE'RE GONNA STICK WITH YOU, JEFF, AND THIS IS MAYBE KIND OF A BIG QUESTION, UM, BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT STEPS ARE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT TARGETED REMOVAL IS CONDUCTED AS HUMANELY, RESPECTFULLY, AND ETHICALLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE? YEAH, I MEAN, SAFETY IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE CITY'S DOING.
I MEAN, THE SAFETY IS ALWAYS AT THEIR FOREFRONT WHEN THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, WHEN WE DO TARGETED DEER REMOVALS, THE THE WHOLE POINT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT IS DONE IS, IS DONE SAFELY.
SO, UM, IN THE CASE OF, OF USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES, UH, GENERALLY, THAT INCLUDES THE, THEM, THEIR STAFF ARE EXTREMELY HIGHLY TRAINED FOR DOING, UH, SHOOTING OPERATIONS.
THAT'S THEIR JOB NATIONALLY, IS TO DO WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND, AND THEY DO LOTS OF THESE PROGRAMS, UM, NOT ONLY IN OHIO, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN SOME REGARDS EVEN IN THE TERRITORY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY THAT, THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT, AND IS TRAINED TO DO IT RIGHT.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HIRE POLICE OFFICERS THAT, UM, UH, DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, RIGHT? WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TRAINED AND, AND CONTINUE TRAINING.
AND SO, EVEN, EVEN, YOU KNOW, WITH WILDLIFE SERVICES, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, DO REGULAR TRAININGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR STAFF ARE, ARE, ARE PROFICIENT IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, OFTENTIMES THEY'RE USING, UH, THERMAL CAMERAS, UM, WHICH GIVES 'EM THE ABILITY TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UH, EVEN IN PARK SETTINGS, YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE BE WHERE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, RIGHT? SO, UH, BUT THAT'S, BUT THROUGH THE USE OF THERMAL, UH, CAMERAS AND THAT KIND OF THING, THEY CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE AREAS WHERE THEY'RE SHOOTING ARE, ARE DONE SAFELY.
BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S RULE NUMBER ONE OF USING A, A GUN, RIGHT? HUNTING, WHETHER IT BE HUNTING, TARGET, SHOOTING, DOESN'T MATTER, IS KNOW WHAT IS, UH, KNOW YOUR TARGET AND BEYOND, RIGHT? AND SO THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THOSE SHOTS THAT THEY'RE DOING ARE SAFE SHOTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY OFTENTIMES WITH THESE PROGRAMS, YOU'LL SEE THEM UTILIZE PILES OF CORN TO NOT, NOT TO LURE DEER IN FROM WORTHINGTON AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL FROM DELAWARE.
YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE POINT IS TO GET THOSE DEER IN A SPECIFIC SPOT THAT THEY KNOW IS A SAFE SHOT.
AND SO THAT WAY, UH, EVERYTHING IS CONTROLLED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, IS, IS I'M SURE ANYBODY IN HERE CAN, CAN APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LEAVE HERE AND WE'RE GONNA DRIVE HOME.
I GUARANTEE THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PERSON IN HERE THAT'S LIKE, HEY, I'M GONNA GO GET INTO A WRECK AND HURT SOMEBODY.
RIGHT? OUR GOAL IS TO GET HOME SAFELY.
AND SO ANYBODY THAT'S USING A FIREARM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THEY, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE THAT SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE HARMING SOMEBODY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE EXTREME MEASURES TO MAKE SURE EVERY SHOT THAT THEY'RE TAKING IS IN A CONTROLLED SETTING AS CONTROLLED AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SHOTS ARE DONE IN A SAFE WAY, UM, AND IN A SAFE AREA.
SO, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY NOT JUST DRIVING AROUND AND, AND JUST FLINGING BULLETS ALL AROUND.
THIS IS NOT A JUST GO OUT THERE AND THE OLD DAYS OF, YOU KNOW, UH, HUNTERS RUNNING THROUGH THE WOODS AND SHOOTING AT DEER, RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE, THERE'S VERY CONTROLLED OPERATIONS, AND THEY'RE TAKING VERY PRECISE SHOTS WHEN THEY, THEY'RE DOING THAT.
AND WHEN THEY'RE DOING THAT, MOST CASES, THESE, THESE DEER ARE SHOT IN THE HEAD.
AND SO IT'S A VERY INSTANT DEATH.
THOSE DEER DO NOT TAKE A STEP, UH, ONCE THEY'RE HIT THEY DROP STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND, AND THAT'S IT.
SO, UH, FROM AN ETHICAL, HUMANE STANDPOINT, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY QUICK KILL.
UM, AND THAT DEER'S ON THE, ON THE GROUND QUICKLY, AND IT'S NOT RUNNING AROUND, THAT KIND
[00:30:01]
OF THING.DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
BARBARA, THIS IS, UH, FOR YOU, THE, HOW DOES THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT DEERE MOVE ACROSS CITY BOUNDARIES AND BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY DEERE ARE, THEY HAVE A VERY HIGH FIDELITY TO THEIR ROUTES.
SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE MOVING IN AND OUT ACROSS CITY LINES, CITY BOUNDARIES, AT SOME POINT, IF THEY'RE IN DUBLIN, THEY'RE IN DUBLIN.
UM, I THINK EVENTUALLY WE ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING TO LOOK AT, UH, REGIONAL WIDE MANAGEMENT, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THAT COOPERATION HAS BEEN GOING ON IN, UM, GLACIER RIDGE METRO PARK HAS HAD A TARGETED REMOVAL PROGRAM FOR AT LEAST SIX YEARS NOW, AND THAT'S PROBABLY HELPED A LITTLE BIT, OUR NORTHWEST LITTLE CORNER, BUT THEY HAVE TO REMOVE THOSE DEER EVERY YEAR FROM THAT PARK TO MANAGE SOME OF THAT MIGRATION.
SO IT'S A PROGRAM THAT HAS TO BE ONGOING.
AND OF COURSE, WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN DEER TRAFFIC IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS BY JUST STOPPING FEEDING OF THEM.
AND SOMETIMES THAT INCLUDES, UH, TAKING DOWN BIRD FEEDERS FOR A TIME IF THEY'RE REALLY RAIDING BIRD FEEDERS, OR MAKING SURE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, REALLY USING KINDS OF SEED THAT THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN, LIKE THISTLE OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UM, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE DECKS, THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR FEEDERS OUT ON DECK ARMS WHERE THE DEER CAN'T STAND UP AND REACH THEM, BUT SPECIFICALLY PUTTING OUT FEET ON THE GROUND FOR THEM, WHICH WERE, UH, THE NO FEED ORDINANCE WAS PASSED IN 2024 TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SAY THEIR NEIGHBORS ARE FEEDING OR WHATEVER.
AND WE'VE, UH, HAD GOOD COOPERATION WITH RESIDENTS WHO MOST OF THEM JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
AND IT IS A PROBLEM FOR THE DEER TOO.
IT MAKES SOME OF THESE DEER BEHAVE MORE AGGRESSIVELY BECAUSE WE'RE TEACHING THEM TO COME CLOSE TO US AND OUR PETS.
UM, IN SOME CASES, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER, UH, IF YOU PUT A BUNCH OF CORN OUT, THEIR DIGESTIVE TRACT ACTUALLY CHANGES IN THE WINTER AND THEY DON'T HANDLE HIGH STARCH, HIGH SUGAR FOODS VERY WELL.
AND SOME OF THOSE DEER WILL EVENTUALLY SUCCUMB TO, UH, BASICALLY WHAT IS BLOAT.
AND IT MAY NOT HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
IT MIGHT BE THAT THEY WANDER OFF AND A COUPLE WEEKS LATER THEY SUCCUMB.
SO NO DOUBT SOME OF THESE DEER IN THE CITY THAT WE'VE PICKED UP, UM, MAYBE HAVE DIED FROM, FROM ACTUALLY EATING THE THINGS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE EATING.
JEFF, LEMME ASK YOU, COULD REMOVING DEER FROM ONE AREA SIMPLY CAUSE DEER FROM SURROUNDING AREAS TO MOVE, MOVE IN? AND HOW IS THAT ADDRESSED? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, RIGHT,
UM, YEAH, AND THIS IS A QUESTION THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY YEARS I KIND OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WAS MINDFUL OF AND, AND KIND OF WATCHING IN SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WE HAD IN THE EARLY YEARS TO SEE ARE WE SEEING THAT OCCUR? UM, BUT I HAD A, A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH A COLLEAGUE ONE TIME AND, AND IT REALLY DROVE HOME THE POINT, UM, NICELY.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF, IF YOU REMEMBER FROM SCIENCE CLASS IN SCHOOL OF THE TERM HOME RANGE.
SO AN ANIMAL HAS A HOME RANGE, RIGHT? IT LEARNS WHERE IT'S GONNA SURVIVE, RIGHT? AND THAT'S DICTATED BY, UM, THE, THE OTHER DEER AROUND IT, RIGHT? THE OLDER DO THE OLDER BOX, THEY'RE THE MORE, YOU KNOW, ALPHA ANIMALS THEY'RE GONNA TAKE OVER.
AS GABE KIND OF POINTED OUT, RIGHT? THE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S NOT GONNA EAT RIGHT.
THEY'RE GONNA TAKE OVER THE AREAS THAT, THAT THEY REALLY LIKE, BUT THAT ESTABLISHES HOME RANGES.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A DEER THAT HAS A HOME RANGE, IT KIND OF LEARNS, THIS IS MY AREA WHERE I'M GONNA BE.
AND SO, UM, AND WE DEAL WITH THIS, THIS QUESTION A LOT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE CORN PILES, RIGHT? AND I SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA PULL DEER FROM, FROM DELAWARE, RIGHT? A DEER ISN'T GONNA FIND THAT CORN PILE IF IT DOESN'T KNOW, IF IT DOESN'T TRAVEL THROUGH THAT AREA TO FIND THE CORN PILE.
THEY, THEY CAN SMELL PRETTY GOOD, BUT THEY CAN'T SMELL, YOU KNOW, STUFF OFTEN THROUGH THE AIR MILES AND MILES AWAY.
SO, UM, YOU HAVE A DEER THAT HAS A CORE AREA, AND THAT'S WHERE IT LIVES.
THOSE, THOSE THAT HAVE FAWNS, THOSE DO FAWNS.
THE FEMALES GENERALLY STAY PRETTY CLOSE TO THE MOM IN MOST CASES.
THE MALES GENERALLY WILL LEAVE.
SO WE DO SEE, UM, WHAT WE CALL BUTTON BUCKS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, UH, UH, A MALE
[00:35:01]
DEER THAT WAS BORN IN THE SPRING.WHEN WE GET TO, UH, THE NEXT SPRING, MOM'S GONNA SAY, HEY, I'M GETTING READY TO HAVE MORE YOUNG, RIGHT? SHE HAS HER HOME RANGE, SHE'S STILL KIND OF TAKING CARE OF THAT.
SHE'S GONNA KICK HER, UH, FEMALE DEER OUT, BUT THEY'RE GONNA STAY FAIRLY CLOSE AND TRY TO FIND A HOME RANGE, WHAT, WHERE THEY CAN SURVIVE, WHERE THEY'RE NOT GETTING BEAT UP ALL THE TIME BY THE OTHER OLDER DO.
SO WE WILL SEE SOME MOVEMENT OF THOSE, OF THOSE MALE DEER.
UM, AND SO THAT PLAYS INTO A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE LOOK AT AT MANAGEMENT, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT POPULATION MANAGEMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF GIRLS IN HERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S THE GIRLS THAT MAKE THE DRIVE THE SYSTEM.
SO, UH, WE HAVE TO MANAGE AT THE FEMALE SIDE OF THINGS TO, TO PUT THE CHECK ON THE POPULATION.
UM, BUT AT TIMES, IN SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I HAVE THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY YEARS, WHAT WE SEE IS KIND OF LIKE A, UH, SKEWED SEX RATIO WHERE WE'LL HAVE MORE BUCKS IN THE POPULATION THAN THOSE.
'CAUSE WE PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THOSE DO OVER TIME.
SO WE WILL, A, AS WE GET KIND OF THINGS KIND OF STARTING TO BE IN CHECKS, START TO KIND OF DO SOME EFFORT ON THOSE MALES AS WELL.
AND KIND OF, UH, FROM OUR PERMITTING SIDE, WE'LL USUALLY EXPAND OUT ON SOME OF THOSE BUCKS THAT, THAT THE, THE PROGRAMS WILL SHOOT AT THAT POINT.
BUT THE WHOLE GOAL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, IS TO GET THAT NUMBER DOWN.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN BE AT A MANAGEMENT LEVEL WHERE WE CAN KIND OF MAINTAIN, UH, AT THAT, AT A, AT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, UH, AND THE RESIDENTS FEEL IS A KIND OF TOLERABLE LEVEL.
STICKING WITH THIS KIND OF SAME CONCEPT, AND I KNOW MITCH MENTIONED THIS, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE LOCATIONS.
THE USDA IS, UH, SELECTING THE LOCATIONS FOR THE TARGETED REMOVAL, UM, WORKING WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY.
AND, UM, BUT FOR, FOR THIS YEAR ANYWAY, WE'RE LOOKING AT PRIMARILY CITY PROPERTY, UH, CITY PARKS THAT'LL BE CONDUCTED AFTER PARKS ARE CLOSED AFTER DUSK.
UM, NOT IN PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS.
SO, UM, MAYBE JUST OPEN THIS UP TO THE PANEL IF ANYONE CAN ADDRESS THIS QUESTION OF ARE, ARE YOU JUST GONNA PUSH THE DEER OUT OF THE PARKS INTO, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS? 'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN THAT'S KIND OF, UH, COME UP THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO DEER ARE NATURALLY A PREYED SPECIES, RIGHT? UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO PREY EVOLVED TO CERTAIN PREDATORS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE TRAINED MARKSMEN WITH INFRARED EQUIPMENT AT NIGHT.
UM, THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, UM, KNOW THE, THE CONTRACT HAS, WHAT WOULD IT BE FIVE MONTHS POSSIBLE TO PLAY OUT? UM, BUT IN REALITY, THOSE DEER ARE ONLY BEING TARGETED A SMALL FRACTION OF THOSE OVER ALL NIGHTS, RIGHT? THERE'S NOT REPEATED STIMULUS TO CONVINCE THOSE DEER.
WOW, THE BEST GREEN SPACE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS REALLY AN UNSAFE PLACE TO HANG OUT.
UM, THERE'S ONE HEAVY EFFORT CONCENTRATED NIGHT, AND THEN THERE'S TYPICALLY A LAPSE PERIOD, AND THAT'S DONE BY DESIGN.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TARGETED REMOVAL.
UM, AND THE, THE NATURE OF TARGETED REMOVAL IS THAT IT DOES, AS JEFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING, REMOVES A LOT OF DEER QUICKLY, WHAT IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY INSTILL.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE'S, UM, UH, MINDS ARE, ARE COMING AT THIS, WELL, WON'T THE DEER JUST FIGURE IT OUT AND LEAVE? AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAUNT
UM, TARGETED REMOVAL DOES NOT INSTILL WHAT ECOLOGISTS REFER TO AS AN ECOLOGY OF FEAR.
UM, AND THIS CONVERSATION ISN'T ABOUT BOW HUNTING, BUT THE REASON THAT YOU SEE SOME MUNICIPALITIES OFTEN COUPLE THE TWO APPROACHES IS YOU GET MAXIMUM EFFICACY WITH THE TARGETED REMOVAL, BUT YOU ALSO GET DEER BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION BECAUSE THERE'S BOW HUNTERS PRESENT AND THROUGHOUT THE LANDSCAPE.
UM, SO IN ORDER, AGAIN, TO ALLEVIATE THE ROLLER COASTERS STILL GOING UP THE HILL, TARGETED REMOVAL.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT, IT'S JUST REALLY NOT A CONCERN.
AND THEY STRUCTURE THE CALENDAR AND THE, AND THE NATURE AND STYLE OF THE REMOVALS IN A WAY THAT MINIMIZES ANY OF THAT, ANY OF THAT DEAR BEHAVIOR RESPONSE, WHICH I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE THINK THAT, OH, THEY'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE NOT REALLY THE WAY THEY'RE HARDWIRED IN TERMS OF THEIR NATURAL PREDATOR PREY DYNAMICS.
YEAH, AND I MEAN, DUBLIN IS A BIG CITY, RIGHT? SO GOTTA KEEP IN MIND IN WORTHINGTON,
[00:40:01]
YOU KNOW, KIND OF IS DOING SOME DEER MANAGEMENT NOW, BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXTERIOR CALL PRESSURE, RIGHT? WE HAVE A LOT OF DEER ON THE EXTERIOR AS WELL.SO WE, THE DEER, LET'S SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE OPERATIONS, WE START PUSHING 'EM OUT, RIGHT? THEY'RE PUTTING THEMSELVES INTO A LITTLE BIT OF HARM'S WAY, UM, BY BEING INTO OTHER DEER'S TERRITORIES AND, RIGHT, AND, AND MAYBE SOME OF THEM, I'M SURE AT SOME LEVEL, SOME YOU GET A BIG DOUGH THAT WHATEVER DECIDES TO LEAVE, AND SHE'S HEAD HONCHO AND MAYBE SHE CAN, YOU KNOW, STOMP OUT THE, THE OTHER DOUGH IN THAT AREA.
SO THIS ISN'T A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS AND NO OTHER SCENARIO PLAYS OUT, BUT YOU, YOU HAVE THIS EXTERIOR PRESSURE THAT EXISTS.
UM, BUT I, I'LL I'LL ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PUBLIC HUNTING AREAS THROUGHOUT OHIO AND IF WE, IF, IF, IF THE IDEA WAS, IF WE ALL OF A SUDDEN START SHOOTING 'EM, THEY'RE JUST GONNA LEAVE, RIGHT? WE'D BE OUT OF BUSINESS, RIGHT? WE MIGHT AS WELL SELL THE LAND 'CAUSE THERE'S NO MORE DEER THERE.
'CAUSE THE HUNTERS ARE THERE HUNTING.
BUT WHAT WE'LL SEE IS THAT, UM, IF YOU PUT HEAVY PRESSURE ON THAT AREA, THOSE DEER WILL SLIDE.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL TAKE THE RISK, RIGHT? THEY, THE PREDATOR PREY RELATIONSHIP, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THAT RISK.
THEY REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PREDATOR'S ON THE LANDSCAPE, THE HUNTER'S OUT THERE, RIGHT? THE SHOOTER, THE TARGETED DEER REMOVAL, THE RIGHT, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TAKE THE RISK AND TAKE THE LICKINGS FROM THE OTHER DEER THAT ARE OUT THERE, BUT AS FAST AS THEY CAN, THEY WANNA GET BACK TO THAT HOME RANGE AND BACK IN THERE.
SO THEY'RE GONNA KEEP TESTING, HEY, EVERYTHING LOOK GOOD OVER THERE, OKAY, I DON'T HEAR STUFF GOING ON.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
LET'S START MOSEYING BACK OVER OUR WAY.
SO THAT'S WHY EVEN ON, ON PUBLIC WILDLIFE AREAS AND THROUGH OUR HUNTING REGULATIONS, WE, WE USE THAT WHEN WE DICTATE REGULATIONS BECAUSE WE DON'T PUT CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THEM ALL THROUGH IS IF WE DID THAT, UM, IT, IT, IT WOULD BE NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE HUNTER.
'CAUSE THE DEER ARE GONNA BE OUTSIDE THE REACH OF, OF THOSE HUNTERS OFF OF, OFF OF THE PUBLIC HUNTING LAND.
SO WE INTERSPERSE A HUNTING SEASON, THEN WE, WE LAY OFF FOR THE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS, THEN WE GO ANOTHER HUNTING SEASON IN, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH GUN HUNTERS.
AND THEN WE, WE LAY IT OFF AGAIN A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN WE ADDED IT IN AGAIN AND WE KIND OF SPRINKLED IN THERE TO LET THOSE DEER KIND OF MIGRATE BACK AND FORTH, UM, TO NOT ONLY MAKE IT FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, A SUCCESS STANDPOINT FOR, FOR THE PERSON SHOOTING, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GIVE TIME FOR THOSE DEER TO, TO MOVE BACK INTO THOSE AREAS.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, AND I KNOW BRUCE HAS ONE MORE QUESTION AND THEN WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP TO ALL OF YOU.
DOES ANYONE NEED A COMMENT CARD OUT THERE? UH, IF YOU DO RAISE YOUR HAND, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET ONE NEED A COMMENT CARD OVER THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO, TO YOU GUYS.
I, AND, UM, JUST A REMINDER THAT IF YOU ARE WATCHING THIS STREAMING LIVE, YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS ONLINE AS WELL.
UH, SO STICKING WITH THE TARGETED REMOVAL PROGRAM, AND I THINK I'LL DIRECT THIS ONE TO GABE.
UM, WE DON'T EXPECT TARGETED REMOVAL TO WORK OVERNIGHT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'LL PROBABLY BE, UM, A SUSTAINED EFFORT, UM, THAT WILL UN UM, UNDERTAKE A LOT OF DATA GATHERING AND, UM, MONITORING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I GUESS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN IT'S WORKING OR IF IT'S WORKING, WHAT TYPE OF, UH, INDICATORS SHOULD THE CITY BE TRACKING, UH, AS THE OPERATIONS BEGIN? UH, THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION.
UM, I'LL START WITH ONE THING THAT YOU SAW ON THE SLIDE.
UM, AND THE, THE TEAM DID A NICE JOB OF NOT USING THE WORD POPULATION ESTIMATE FOR 528 DEER.
AN INDEX IS NOT AN ESTIMATE, IT IS AN INDEX, WHICH MEANS IT'S A SIGNAL THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REFLECT HOW MANY DEER OUT THERE.
BUT IF YOU DO THE SAME SORT OF SURVEYS THROUGH TIME, THE SAME WAY WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT AT THE SAME GENERAL SORT OF YEAR BY OPERATIONS THAT ARE SIMILARLY PROFICIENT, AND YOU SEE THAT NUMBER GO DOWN OVER TIME, THEN WE HAVE A TREND, RIGHT? AS AN ECOLOGIST, WE GET ASKED ALL THE TIME, WELL, HOW MANY DEER ARE OUT THERE? HOW MANY BARDOS ARE OUT THERE? HOW MANY BALD EAGLES ARE OUT THERE? WELL, IN THE CASE OF, OF BALD EAGLES, RIGHT? THEIR NESTS ARE LIKE A STUCK VOLKSWAGEN BUG IN THE TOP OF A TREE.
WE ACTUALLY KNOW, RIGHT? SO WE CAN BE LIKE 1,002 PAIRS.
THE MOST WE'VE HAD IN 40 YEARS FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF WILDLIFE, WE DON'T KNOW.
AND THAT DRIVES A LOT OF NON WILDLIFE PROFESSIONALS CRAZY.
'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, YOU'RE A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST, YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU DON'T KNOW.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THIS, WE TRACK INDEXES AND THINGS ARE STABLE AND NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED.
[00:45:01]
REASON TO BELIEVE THINGS ARE GREAT, RIGHT? OR THINGS ARE GOING DOWN, OH, WELL, HOW ARE YOU GONNA RESPOND? WELL, WE'RE GONNA PUT TRACKERS ON WILD TURKEY, FEMALE HENS FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, RIGHT? WE RESPOND TO TRENDS, HONESTLY, A BLIP IN THE RADAR.IF IT WAS AN ESTIMATE AND 5 28 TURNED TO 324, 768, WE'D BE LIKE, WHOA, WHAT HAPPENED? BUT BECAUSE WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON THE TREND, WE'RE GENERALLY LIKE, WELL, LET'S SEE IF ANOTHER YEAR'S OF DATA ALSO SIGNALS HIGHER, RIGHT? SO I HAVE SEEN THE DUBLIN DATA, ONE OF MY CAPSTONE GROUPS HELPED TO DO ONE OF THE INITIAL SURVEYS, UM, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
NOW, SEEING THE DATA, I WOULDN'T CALL ANY OF IT AN ESTIMATE, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDICES.
THEY ALL POINT UP, RIGHT? SO WHEN THOSE INDICES START TO PLAN OUT, AND THEN A FEW OF THEM ACTUALLY START TO COME DOWN, THAT'S A SIGNAL OF SUCCESS.
UM, BUT ONE OTHER THAT I'D, I'D POINT TO, UM, UH, IS, UH, BACK OVER AT GLACIER RIDGE METRO PARK.
SO ANOTHER GROUP OF STUDENTS ACTUALLY WORKED WITH, UH, KEVIN SK, WHICH IS ONE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGERS.
AND ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, HELPED HIM PUT IN DEER EXCLOSURE PLOTS, RIGHT? SO IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE THESE CAGES THAT DEER CAN'T GET INTO INSIDE THE FOREST.
AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO LEARN IS, HEY, MY EYE HAS BEEN TRAINED TO THINK THAT THIS FOREST IS NORMAL, BUT WHAT IF I EXCLUDED FROM AN AREA, YOU KNOW, ONE FOURTH THE SIZE OF THIS ROOM, A REALLY HIGH DEER POPULATION, WHAT WOULD SHOW UP THAT OTHERWISE DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE? RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU SEE FOREST CONDITIONS OUTSIDE, THE EXPOSURE LOOK WAY DIFFERENT THAN CONDITIONS INSIDE THE EXPOSURE.
THAT'S TELLING ME DEER, HAVING THAT ECOSYSTEM ENGINEER EFFECT WHEN THERE STARTS TO BE LESS OF A HIGHLY VISUAL DIFFERENCE.
THAT DOESN'T TELL ME THE DEER ARE GONE, DEER ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE AT HEALTHY LEVELS AND THEY'RE NOT IMPACTING THOSE THINGS LIKE FOREST REGENERATION AND BIODIVERSITY AND THOSE OTHER SORTS OF THINGS.
UM, SO WHAT WE ENCOURAGE, UM, UH, FOLKS TO DO IN, IN, IN DUBLIN IS, UH, TAKING, UH, THIS SERIOUSLY IS DO NOT RELY ON ONE INDEX, BETTER YET, RELY ON TWO OR FOUR OR EIGHT, RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU START TO GET A COMMON SIGNAL, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT ONE INDEX MIGHT BE A LITTLE SQUIRRELY, LIKE, WELL, PEOPLE STILL HIT A FEW MORE DEER THAN WE THOUGHT, GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS POINTING DOWN.
WELL, CHANCES ARE WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS POINTING TO A DEER POPULATION THAT'S DECLINING, I'LL BET YOU NEXT YEAR THAT OTHER INDEX KIND OF FALLS IN LINE, RIGHT? SO THOSE OUTLIERS, WHEN WE'RE FOCUSED ON A TREND, DON'T SCARE US.
WE'RE JUST LIKE, EH, I JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS KIND OF ANSWER.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DID, UH, YOU KNOW, POPULATIONS, YOU KNOW, UH, SURVEYS, RIGHT? TO TRY TO SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE AND WE GET THOSE INDEX NUMBERS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WRITE, WHEN THE DIVISION OF WILDLIFE WRITES A PERMIT TO THE CITY, WE WILL PUT A NUMBER ON HOW MANY DEER THEY CAN CAN KILL.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S LITERALLY, OKAY, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS, RIGHT? I I SHOULD ASK FOR A REIMBURSEMENT FROM, UM, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOR MY EDUCATION.
UH, 'CAUSE THE REALITY OF IT IS LIKE, IT'S VERY SIMPLE, RIGHT? WE'RE MANAGING IS IS IT UP, DOWN OR THE SAME? LITERALLY IT'S THAT EASY, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE TRENDS.
IS THE TREND LOOKING UP? IS IT LOOKING DOWN OR IS IT LOOKING THE SAME? AND THEN ADDING THE QUESTION IN, WHERE DO WE WANT IT TO TO BE? SO, UM, GABE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE LOOK AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT INDEXES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ONES I LOVE IS SERVICE DEPARTMENT PICKUPS.
NOBODY WANTS A DEAD DEER LAYING IN THEIR YARD, RIGHT? AND WHEN THERE'S A DEAD DEER ON THE ROADWAY, UH, EVERYBODY DRIVING AROUND IT, RIGHT? THE POLICE, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, CALLING SERVICE GET, GET OUT HERE AND GET THIS THING OFF THE ROADWAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ACCIDENT.
SO SERVICE DEPARTMENT PICKUPS ARE GREAT INDIC.
SEE? RIGHT? AND SO WE CAN CAN GRAB THAT DATA AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, OKAY, ARE WE SEEING THE NUMBERS GOING UP AND DOWN OR THE SAME? SO IF, LET SAY WE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY SHOOTS 125 DEER, UM, THIS YEAR, RIGHT? AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, SERVICE PICKUPS WERE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WERE, LET'S SAY A HUNDRED, RIGHT? SERVICE DEPARTMENT PICKUPS WERE A HUNDRED THIS YEAR.
WHEN WE LOOK AT NEXT YEAR, WE SEE IS IT 110? IS IT A HUNDRED OR IS IT 90? RIGHT? AND THEN WE CAN, FROM THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF IT, AND, AND WE CAN KIND OF THROW THIS BACK INTO THE MODELS TO HELP POINT US IN A DIRECTION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MODELS ARE RIGHT, IS WE CAN SAY, OKAY, SO WE REMOVED 125 AND IT HAD THIS MUCH IMPACT,
[00:50:01]
RIGHT? NEXT YEAR, LET'S SAY WE TAKE 250 DEER, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE A MUCH LARGER IMPACT.UM, AND IF WE SEE THAT THAT IMPACT OCCURRED, BINGO WE'RE SOLID, IF WE DID 250 AND MAN, WE STILL DIDN'T SEE IT MOVE THE NEEDLE AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT IT DID, THEN THAT TELLS US THE 250 PROBABLY WASN'T ENOUGH AND WE NEED TO GO HARDER, RIGHT? AND THAT 'CAUSE WE WANT TO POINT THAT TREND LINE GOING BACK DOWN TO GET IT TO WHERE THAT MAINTENANCE LEVEL, THAT FLAT LINE WHERE THE CITY WANTS IT TO BE, UH, MEET.
SO YEAH, THE, IT, IT DRIVES ME BONKERS WHEN I WORK WITH THE CITY THAT HAS ONE INDEX.
'CAUSE I, I, I, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO PUT THE PUZZLE TOGETHER AS BEST I CAN, BUT I GOT, YOU KNOW, VERY MINIMAL PIECES HERE THAT I'M WORKING WITH WHEN I'VE GOT FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT PIECES OF DATA THAT I CAN LOOK AT.
ONE, LIKE GABE SAID, ONE MIGHT BE POINTING IN A WONKY DIRECTION, BUT THE OTHER FIVE ARE, ARE TELLING ME THIS.
AND I, I HAVE MUCH HIGHER CONFIDENCE IN WHERE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT NUMBERS AND, AND HEADING IN THE RIGHT POINT.
BARBARA, I'LL THROW THIS ONE YOUR WAY.
WHAT, WHAT ROLE CAN RESIDENTS PLAY IN REDUCING DEER HUMAN CONFLICTS IN SUPPORTING A HEALTHIER DEER POPULATION? SOME OF THE PRIMARY THINGS, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN TRY TO PLANT PLANTS THAT DEER ARE LESS FOND OF.
THINGS THAT ARE PRICKLY, FURRY, FUZZY LIKE LAMBS EAR, UM, PLANTING SOME OF THE SENSITIVE PLANTS CLOSER TO THE BUILDING WITH SOME OF THE LESS DESIRABLE PLANNING NATIVES.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF NATIVE PLANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, DEER MAY NOT BOTHER AS AS SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT REALLY DEER ARE GOING TO EAT ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT WHENEVER THEY WANT.
SO CERTAINLY THAT'S NO GUARANTEE.
BUT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF RESIDENTS WITH SUCCESS MANAGING HOW THEY'VE LANDSCAPED, UH, THEIR GARDENS.
AND THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN IN DUBLIN A WHILE, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER BACK BEFORE 2008, WE HAD A GOOSE PROBLEM HERE, A BIG ONE.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE, I WAS AT THE WILDLIFE CENTER AT THE TIME.
WE MET WITH THE CITY AND WE SUGGESTED A NO FEED WATERFOWL ORDINANCE.
AND WE SUGGESTED MODIFYING POND HABITATS SO THAT GEESE WOULD NOT WANNA GET US IN THE WATER AS MUCH, AND A HAZING PROGRAM USING DOGS.
AND BACK IN THAT TIME PERIOD, THE CITY HAD ABOUT 75 GOOSE NESTS ON CITY PONDS TO REPORT EACH YEAR, UM, AS A PROBLEM.
AND THAT WAS JUST OUR, SOME OF OUR CITY PONDS.
FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I HAVE ONLY REPORTED ON OUR GOOSE REPORT THREE TO SIX GOOSE NESTS, AND WE'RE USING AN EGG ALING PROGRAM TOO, WHICH IS, UH, SHAKING THE EGGS BEFORE THEY START TO DEVELOP TO BECOME GEESE, OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO THOSE OTHER METHODS.
SO WE REALLY CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT IF WE USE MULTIPLE METHODS.
UM, BY THE WAY, A LITTLE TRICK IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE PLANTS THAT DEER ARE BOTHERING, IF YOU GET THE CHEST RUB, YOU KNOW, THE EUCALYPTUS MENTHOL THAT YOU PUT ON WHEN YOU HAVE A COLD, IF YOU RUB SOME OF THAT ON THOSE OUTER LEAVES OF THE PLANTS THAT THEY'RE KIND OF TARGETING, UH, THEY DON'T LIKE THAT STUFF.
IT LASTS THROUGH SEVERAL RAIN PERIODS.
UM, ONCE IT LOSE ITS ODOR AFTER A MONTH OR SO, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO REAPPLY IT, BUT YOU CAN PRESERVE SOME REALLY SENSITIVE PLANTS, UH, USING A LITTLE BIT OF THAT MENTHOL.
IT'S ALSO A GOOD DETERRENT FOR RABBITS AND WOOD.
CHUCKS,
UH, NOW IT'S TIME TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU GUYS.
UH, WE HAVE TWO FRIENDS FROM MURPHY, EPSON HERE.
MARIE AND JONATHAN ARE HERE WITH BOTH MICROPHONES.
AND THEN WE'LL COLLECT YOUR COMMENT CARDS.
SO, UH, WE'LL JUST USE A HAND RAISING SYSTEM AND, UH, MAYBE WE ALREADY HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UH, KEYED UP.
WELL, WE HAVE THREE COMMENTS RIGHT HERE.
TWO OF THEM ARE SIMILAR IN THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS.
NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A LOT OF DEER IN THE MUIRFIELD AREA, AND THERE'S ANOTHER RESIDENT THAT HAS A LOT OF ACREAGE WITH A LOT OF DEER.
SO ARE YOU OPEN DUBLIN TO EXPANDING YOUR FOOTPRINT AND DO MORE THAN JUST CITY-OWNED PROPERTY? WELL, RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THAT, UH, AREAS FOR TARGETED REMOVAL IS BEING EVALUATED.
UM, SO WE ARE TAKING THOSE AREAS VERY SERIOUSLY AND CERTAINLY WORKING WITH THE HOAS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WHILE PRIVATE PROPERTIES ARE, UM, INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCES AREN'T PART OF THE PLAN FOR THIS YEAR, THEY
[00:55:01]
COULD CERTAINLY BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF A PLAN, UM, IN FUTURE YEARS.JONATHAN, DO YOU WANNA TAKE ONE ON YOUR SIDE? YEAH, SURE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO COLLECTING SOME QUESTIONS FROM ONLINE HERE AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THIS ONE IS, ARE THEY GOING TO STOP WHEN THEY GET TO A CERTAIN NUMBER? WILL THEY ONLY BE DOING THIS ON CITY OF DUBLIN PROPERTY, WHICH I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED AND, UM, THEY WON'T SHOOT DEER ON ANYONE'S PROPERTY, CORRECT? YES.
SO, YOU KNOW, FROM THE DIVISION WILDLIFE STANDPOINT, OUR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WRITING A PERMIT TO ALLOW THE OPERATIONS, BUT OUR JOB AS AN AGENCY IS TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE THE, UM, THE TRUSTEES OF WILDLIFE, RIGHT? OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT IS BEING DONE ISN'T GONNA HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THAT POPULATION LONG TERM, RIGHT? WE, YOU GO BACK IN THE DAY, YOU THINK WAY BACK WHEN A LOT OF SPECIES WERE, YOU KNOW, REMOVED, WERE EXTIRPATED, WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GONE FROM THE LANDSCAPE.
AND SO AS AN AGENCY, OUR JOB IS TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP BIODIVERSITY HIGH AND ENSURE THAT THOSE SPECIES ARE OUT THERE.
SO YES, THERE IS A POINT TO WHERE WE, UM, HAVE THE, THE MAINTENANCE LEVEL, RIGHT? AND SO AS AN AGENCY, WE WORK WITH THE CITY TO DETERMINE THAT, AND THAT'S NEVER AT ZERO.
UH, IT'S NOT EVEN PRACTICAL OR EVEN PROBABLY, UH, FINANCIALLY ABLE TO GET TO ZERO.
UM, BUT IT'S TO GET TO WHERE IT'S A TOLERABLE LEVEL, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST EXTERMINATING 'EM ALL TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT ABOUT HAVING UNLIMITED NUMBERS, IT'S FINDING THAT TOLERABLE LEVEL.
AND SO WE WORK THE CITY TO, TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT IS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CUT THAT OFF AT, AT WHERE WE NEED TO, TO AT THAT POINT.
THAT BEING SAID, I ALWAYS SAY DEER MANAGEMENT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ROAD MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, GO OUT THERE AND PUT A NEW ROAD IN AND PUT ASPHALT ON IT AND WALK AWAY FROM IT.
EVENTUALLY IT'S GONNA START DETERIORATING.
AND IF WE START GETTING POTHOLES AND THE CITY DOESN'T GO OUT THERE AND FILL THOSE POTHOLES, THE POTHOLES GET WORSE.
AND THEN WE DON'T DO THAT EVEN LONGER.
AND NOW THE EDGES START SLOUGHING OFF AND THEN NEXT THING WE KNOW, WE GOT THIS CRAZY INSANE ROAD THAT IS JUST AN ABSOLUTE MESS, RIGHT? AND WE'VE GOTTA DO, IT'S THE EXPONENTIAL LEVEL THAT WE HAVE TO NOW DO A LOT OF WORK TO GET THAT ROAD BACK INTO GOOD, GOOD STANDING.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO GET THAT, THAT DEER POPULATION DOWN TO THAT TOLERABLE LEVEL, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT, RIGHT? SO THAT 1.3 DOESN'T GO AWAY.
IT STILL EXISTS, BUT WHAT WE WANNA DO IS TAKE IT FROM LET'S SAY A POPULATION INDEX NUMBER OF 528 DOWN TO A POPULATION INDEX NUMBER.
AND I'M JUST MAKING NUMBERS UP.
THIS IS NOT WHAT THE CITY TOLD ME.
I'M JUST FOR DISCUSSION 300, RIGHT? AND, AND 300 SEEMS TO BE WHERE THERE'S A BALANCE BETWEEN, YES, WE HAVE DEER GETTING HIT BY CARS, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE.
YES, THERE'S SOME RESIDENTS OF GETTING SOME DAMAGE, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THE NON-LETHAL AND, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, DOABLE.
IT'S NOT THE 20 DEER ON THE, IN, IN THE YARD EVERY NIGHT.
IT'S DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, SEVEN DEER IN THE YARD AND IT'S, IT'S DOABLE.
SO, BUT WHEN WE GET THERE, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA STILL DO THE MAINTENANCE, STILL GOTTA DO THE MAINTENANCE TO KEEP IT AT THAT LEVEL.
SO WHEN CITIES GET INTO THESE PROGRAMS, THERE'S THERE, IT, IT'S NOT A ONE, YOU KNOW, GET OUT THERE, DO IT REAL FAST AND WALK AWAY.
IT'S GET TO THE, THE TOLERABLE LEVEL AND THEN WE GOTTA CONTINUE OPERATIONS AT THAT MINIMAL LEVEL THAT HELPS MINIMIZE THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY TO DO THE WORK, UM, AND, UH, EFFORT AND TIME, RIGHT? AND IT IMPACTS TO YOU GUYS WHEN YOU'RE OUT USING THE PARKS AND, AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, IS TO GET TO THAT TOLERABLE LEVEL AND, AND, AND IS, IS MY GOAL IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY CITY IS TO GET IT THERE AT THAT WITHIN FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S MY GOAL, IS TO GET 'EM TO THAT TOLERABLE LEVEL WITHIN FIVE YEARS AND THEN BE AT MAINTENANCE LEVEL.
THAT'S THE FIRST I HAD HEARD THAT ONE.
SO WE'LL CIRCLE BACK IN FIVE YEARS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DEER MEAT OR THE VENISON.
IS THERE REALLY A MARKET FOR THAT? DOES THE FOOD PANTRY REALLY WANT THE VENISON? SO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, JUST TAKE, TAKE A STEP AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SUBJECT OF TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION, AGAIN, FROM A DIVISIONAL WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THAT FAR BACK IN HUMAN HISTORY, WHEN ANYTIME HUMANS INTERACTED WITH WILDLIFE, IT WAS A DISASTER FOR WILDLIFE, RIGHT? UM, WE'RE OUT OF THOSE DAYS FOR THE MOST PART, AT LEAST AT A POPULATION LEVEL.
[01:00:01]
UM, AND THE DIVISIONAL WILDLIFE IN EVERY OTHER STATE, WILDLIFE AGENCY TO A 50, OUTTA 50, UM, HAS RULES FOR SPECIES LIKE DEER THAT PROHIBIT WANTON WASTE.NOW, IN A TARGETED REMOVAL PROGRAM, THAT REGULATION WOULD NOT BE A REQUIREMENT.
SO IT SPEAKS TO DUBLIN, SORT OF GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARTS OF WILDLIFE GO BACK IN TO MEET A VERY REAL NEED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND HONESTLY, WHEN THE COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT AN ETHICAL STATEMENT GOVERNING THIS PROGRAM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A NICE STATEMENT, BUT THEN YOU KIND OF HOLD YOUR BREATH AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, WE'LL SEE.
BECAUSE IF THESE COUPLE THINGS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE ACTUAL RIGHT, THE MECHANICS OF THE PROGRAM, THEN I'LL BELIEVE THEIR ETHICAL STATEMENT.
UM, SO LET, LET'S JUST SAY THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO TARGET, REMOVE DEER AND GET RID OF THEM, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
RIGHT? AND THAT IS A GREAT THING.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020, WE WILL NEVER FORGET 2020
HOW THE HECK DOES THAT TIE INTO DEER MANAGEMENT? SO WHEN 2020 HIT, UM, A LOT OF THE, OF THE PEOPLE THAT PROCESSED DEERE ALSO PROCESSED LIVESTOCK, AND THERE WAS A BIG TRANSITION IN 2020 OF, UH, THE, THE PROCESSORS GOING TO LIVESTOCK ONLY BECAUSE FROM, UM, REGULATORY STANDPOINT, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH WILD GAME VERSUS USDA OR ODA INSPECTED MEAT, YOU GOTTA KEEP SOME SEPARATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE SAW WAS THAT A, A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE PROCESSING DEER.
WELL, FROM THE PROGRAM STANDPOINT, AGAIN, I GOT LOTS OF PROGRAMS KILLING LOTS OF DEER.
AND SO WE STARTED SAYING, OH MY GOSH, HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS THIS? AND I HAD A CITY, UM, THAT WAS, UH, UTILIZING WHAT I CALL CALL OUT LIST.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS DO WHEN THERE'S A ROADKILL DEER.
THEY HAVE A LIST OF FOLKS THAT THEY'LL CALL UP AND SAY, HEY, WE JUST GOT A DEER HIT ON ROUTE 33.
UH, YOU WANNA COME OUT HERE AND PICK THIS THING UP? AND THE GUY'S LIKE, YEAH, SURE, I'LL BE RIGHT OUT THERE.
RIGHT? AND HE RUNS OUT THERE REAL QUICK AND PICKS UP THE DEER, THROWS IT IN HIS CAR, AND CALLS US FOR A RECEIPT FOR THAT DEER.
AND OFF HE GOES, AND HE TAKES CARE OF THAT DEER.
SO WE, WE KIND OF STARTED EXPANDING ON THAT WITH THIS ISSUE OF, UH, CAPACITY WITH DEER PROCESSORS.
AND SO WE HAVE NOW GOTTEN MULTIPLE CITIES THAT DO CALL OUT LISTS.
AND SO, UM, IT, YOU WOULD BE AMAZED, THE CITIES THAT USE 'EM, IT'S NOT ONE, IT'S NOT FIVE PEOPLE.
IT'S OFTENTIMES A LIST LONGER THAN THE NUMBER OF DEER THAT THEY'RE EVEN GONNA SHOOT THAT YEAR.
SO IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE THAT DEER, IT'S FREE MEAT, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S STUFF THAT OFTENTIMES THEY WILL PROCESS THEMSELVES, UM, OR IN THE LEASE THEY'LL TAKE IT TO THE, THE BUTCHER AND PROCESS IT THAT WAY AND GET THAT MEAT BACK.
AND FOR THEM, IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIALLY RIGHT, ORGANIC, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S NO ANTIBIOTICS, IT'S NONE OF THAT.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CALL LOCAVORE MOVEMENT, RIGHT? WHERE PEOPLE LIKE THIS ORGANIC KIND OF THING.
MY GOSH, I JUST WENT TO COSTCO WITH MY WIFE THE OTHER DAY, AND IT WAS LIKE ORGANIC RASPBERRIES AND REGULAR RASPBERRIES AND, YOU KNOW, AND ORGANICS WERE WAY MORE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? BUT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE IN PART LIKE WANT THAT.
SO, UM, POINT IS, IS THAT, UH, DONATION, THE, THERE'S MULTIPLE AVENUES FOR THE CITY TO EVEN DONATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY, ESPECIALLY IN A SITUATION IN CENTRAL OHIO WHERE WE REALLY ONLY HAVE THREE, UH, TARGETED REMOVAL PROGRAMS GOING ON, UM, OF MY WAY WHERE I'VE GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, 30, UH, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
SO SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CAN ALWAYS KIND OF KEEP IN THE BACK POCKET THAT MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT TOO, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, AND, AND THE BEAUTY IS IF THE CITY TAKES IT TO THE PROCESSOR, THEY'RE PAYING FOR THAT PROCESSING, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT GOES TO THE FOOD BANK AND GETS, YOU KNOW, GOES TO, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE'S BELLIES, BUT, UM, CAN COSTS TO THE CITY.
BUT THESE CALL OUT LISTS, THE BEAUTY OF IT IS IT DOESN'T COST THEM A PENNY, AND THEY CAN GIVE THOSE DEER AWAY.
AND, AND IT HELPS ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT AS WELL, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DUBLIN FOOD PANTRY.
THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE VENISON.
AND I KNOW BARBARA TOLD ME THAT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'VE DONATED VENISON TO FOOD PANTRIES, UM, IT GOES VERY FAST OFF THE SHELVES FASTER THAN BEEF.
I THINK SHE SAID, OH, SO
UH, THEY LOVE IT WHEN THESE DEER COME IN.
IT'S A MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MEAT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY CAN TURN AROUND QUICKLY, AND IT'S, IT DOESN'T SIT ON THE SHELF
[01:05:01]
VERY LONG AT ALL.WE'RE ALSO GETTING A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF DEER.
THIS ONE, I HAVE HAD NINE BUCKS TOGETHER IN MY YARD, ALL WITHIN 50 FEET OF EACH OTHER.
IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR BUCKS TO CONGREGATE TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY NINE, IT DEPENDS ON THE TIME OF YEAR.
UM, SO JUST TO TAKE BUCKS FOR INSTANCE, BUCKS ARE BEST FRIENDS UNTIL, IF YOU'VE NOTICED, RIGHT, THEIR ANTLERS ARE FUZZY RIGHT NOW, SHIFTING DAY LENGTH.
SO PHOTO PERIOD TRIGGERS A BUILDUP IN TESTOSTERONE.
WELL, YOU'RE NOT MY BUDDY ANYMORE.
UM, THE ADVANTAGE OF BUCKS HANGING OUT TOGETHER IS THAT IF JEFF AND I ARM WRESTLE, I'M DEFINITELY GONNA WIN
JEFF'S GONNA FIND THAT OUT SO THAT HE KNOWS WHEN A HUNDRED BUCKS IS ON THE LINE.
HE'S LIKE, WELL, I'M NOT ARM WRESTLING, GABE.
LOOK AT THOSE FOREARMS, RIGHT? WE'RE REALLY TELLING TALL TALES.
WE ARE TELLING TELL TALES, KEEP GOING.
BUT THE SCIENCE IS TRUE, RIGHT? THE ADVANTAGE OF BUCKS HANGING OUT TOGETHER IS THAT THEY GET TO TEST ONE ANOTHER IN A LOW STAKES ENVIRONMENT BEFORE THE RIGHT TO BREED IS ON THE LINE, RIGHT? SO BUCKS CONGREGATE TOGETHER IN ORDER TO LEARN, HEY, I CAN TAKE JEFF, BUT I I CAN'T TAKE, YOU KNOW, JEFF WITH A EFF.
UM, THEN THEY BREAK UP, THEY DO THEIR OWN THING.
AND WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER ONE ANOTHER 45 TO 60 DAYS LATER AROUND NOVEMBER 1ST, RIGHT? GENERALLY IF TWO BUCKS OF UNEQUAL PECKING ORDER MEET UP, IT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED.
THEREFORE, WHY TRY THE FIGHT BREAKS OUT WHEN IT'S TWO BUCKS MEETING WHO BOTH BELIEVE I CAN TAKE THE OTHER GUY, RIGHT? SO THEY DO THEIR THING.
THE, THE BREEDING SEASON OCCURS AND BUY ABOUT DECEMBER 5TH TO 15TH, BECAUSE BY ABOUT CHRISTMAS TIME, IF YOU LOOK OUT IN THE BACK AFTER THE KIDS HAVE UNWRAPPED PRESENTS, THE BUCKS HAVE GROUPED BACK TOGETHER AND THEY HANG OUT AS BUDDIES AGAIN FOR THE NEXT NINE MONTHS.
SO MY GUESS IS NINE BUCKS WITHIN 50 YARDS OF EACH OTHER.
THAT WAS DURING THOSE NINE MONTHS, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THAT THE OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY DISPERSE AND DO THEIR OWN THING AND ARE QUITE AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S JUST, UH, DEER SOCIAL ECOLOGY 1 0 1.
WILL YOU ENSURE THAT ENOUGH DEER ARE REMOVED TO ALLOW THE WOODS AND NATURAL AREAS TO RECOVER? IT'D BE NICE TO SEE THE NATURAL AREAS IN DUBLIN RECOVER, LIKE SHARON WOODS METROPARK AS AFTER DEER REMOVAL THERE.
AH, WELL, HAVE YOU HEARD THE TERM? I CAN LEAD THE HORSE TO WATER
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL HOPE THAT THEY ARE A VERY, UM, UH, LISTENING HORSE THAT'S GONNA DRINK OUT OF THE RIGHT TROUGH.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN GIVE MY RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN GO TO A CITY AND I CAN SAY, HEY, CITY, ALL THE INDICES WE'VE LOOKED AT, THE SURVEYS YOU'VE DONE, THE POPULATION INDEXES THAT WE HAVE.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I, MY FEELING MY, I'VE BEEN AT THIS A LONG TIME.
YOU NEED TO TAKE 300 DEER, RIGHT? SOMETIMES THE CITY MAY SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT, RIGHT? WELL, YOU REALLY SHOULD DO THAT.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE FINANCES, RIGHT? SOMETIMES THAT'S THE ANSWER.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S, WELL, WE'RE LIMITED ON X, Y, AND Z.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS PUT ON THE PROGRAM.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF REASONS WHY THEY MAY COME BACK AND SAY, WE DON'T WANNA DO THIS.
BUT I CAN GIVE THE TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, ADVICE ON WHAT NEEDS TO COME OUT.
THE CITY HAS TO, TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I PUT MY THUMBS UP WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT PRIVATE PROPERTIES, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF A PROGRAM, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT IS WE HAVE CITY PARKS THAT THE CITY OWNS AND MANAGES VERY EASY TO GET ACCESS TO MINIMAL IMPACT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY DURING THE EVENING HOURS, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE THERE 'CAUSE THE PARKS ARE CLOSED.
SO LOW HANGING FRUIT TO, TO GET IN AND START DOING OPERATIONS.
BUT IF, IF ALL OF A SUDDEN JEFF'S RECOMMENDATION OR WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, OF MY, YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES COMES IN AND SAYS, HEY, DUBLIN, MAN, WE'RE INDICES ARE KIND OF STILL POINTING UP, OR WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT DOWN ANGLE HARD ENOUGH, WE NEED TO GET MORE, THEN WE NEED TO FIND HOW WE DO THAT, RIGHT? AND IT'S EITHER EXTENDING OUT THE PROGRAM LENGTH, UM, OR IT'S, UH, FINDING MORE PROPERTIES OR WHATEVER TO, TO DO THAT.
[01:10:02]
UM, THE, THE GOAL IS, IS HOPEFULLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THROUGH MY, YOU KNOW, THE DIVISIONAL WILDLIFE'S TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND, AND EXPERTISE THAT WE CAN HELP POINT THE CITY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND THE CITY CAN, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT NEED IS NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS MET SOME THINGS HAPPEN, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GO BACK TO COVID, RIGHT? AND, AND REMEMBER WHEN COVID HIT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, BUDGETS WERE GETTING SLACK, YOU KNOW, THE MONIES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEREN'T COMING IN.LIKE THERE WAS THINGS THAT HAPPENED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS HAVE GOTTA BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
BUT IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE, WE, THE GOAL TO GET THERE FIVE YEARS, KEEP IN MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, FROM MY AGENCY'S STANDPOINT, WE'RE GONNA HELP POINT THE CITY IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND THEN IT'S THE CITY HAVING TO MAKE SURE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND COLLABORATIVELY, REALLY, IT'S NOT JUST A, I TELL YOU, YOU DO, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT WE WORK TOGETHER ON, ON HELPING THEM HELPING THE CITY.
SO, I KNOW WE HAVE A BUNCH MORE QUESTIONS.
JONATHAN, DO YOU HAVE ONE OVER THERE? YEAH.
SO THIS QUESTION IS HOW WILL THE TARGETED REMOVAL RESULT IN LESS AGGRESSIVE DEER BEHAVIOR? THAT'S BASICALLY THE CRUX OF IT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT MAYBE WE COULD EXPAND.
I, I HAVE AN ANSWER, BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD A IF YOU WERE DEAR, RIGHT? SO JUST THE INTERACTION RATE BETWEEN DEER AND HUMANS AT THOSE SENSITIVE TIMES OF THE YEAR THAT GENERATE THOSE AGGRESSIVE CASES.
SO JUST, YOU'RE GONNA LOWER THAT CEILING OF WHAT THAT MAXIMUM CASE COUNT COULD BE.
UM, THE OTHER BIG THING IS THAT AS YOU INTERJECT MORE AND MORTALITY INTO A POPULATION, YOU GET FEWER AND FEWER INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE TO 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 YEARS OLD.
UM, DEER CAN LIVE QUITE A LONG TIME AS WILD WILDLIFE GO.
UM, WE HAD A COLLAR ON A, ON A DEER IN MARYLAND THAT SHE GOT HIT BY LIGHTNING, ODDLY ENOUGH.
UM, BUT WE KNEW THAT SHE WAS AT LEAST 16 BECAUSE SHE HAD WORN A COLLAR THAT WE PUT ON HER WHEN SHE WAS TWO, RIGHT? UM, NOW IF YOU TAKE THAT 16-YEAR-OLD DOUGH AND YOU PUT HER INTO DUBLIN, AND SHE'S THE ONE CAUSING PROBLEMS, THAT'S A PROBLEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT 16 YEARS TO DEAL WITH DEER X.
IF DUBLIN RIGHT, MANAGES TO TURN THAT INDEX OF POPULATION TREND UP TO LEVEL, THAT MUST MEAN WE'RE NOW TAKING OFF 30 ISH PERCENT OF THE POPULATION BEFORE THAT NEXT FAWN ROUND.
SO IF YOU JUST PUT ALL THE PING PONG BALLS IN A LOTTERY HOPPER AND CRANK RIGHT, AND PULL 30% OF THOSE OUT EVERY YEAR, THE NUMBER OF THOSE OLDER AGE DEER THAT ARE PASSING ON THOSE TENDENCIES TO YOUNG AND ABLE TO REPEAT THE SAME BEHAVIORS YEAR OVER YEAR WITHOUT EQUAL CONSEQUENCE START TO GET KNOCKED DOWN PRETTY HEAVILY IN A POPULATION.
UM, SO NOT SAYING THOSE AGGRESSIVE CASE COUNTS ARE EVER GONNA PLUMMET TO ZERO, BUT AFTER A YEAR OR TWO, JUST THE ODDS ARE THAT A LOT OF THOSE PROBLEM INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUTTA THE POPULATION.
AND EVEN WITH A POPULATION THAT THEN STAYS STABLE, THE INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES ARE CHURNING THROUGH THAT POPULATION AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE, RIGHT? SO THAT THE, BY THE TIME THEY DO LEARN ONE OF THOSE SO-CALLED DEVIANT BEHAVIORS, THEY MAY NOT REMAIN ON THE LANDSCAPE AS LONG AS CURRENTLY THEY ARE IN CREATING THOSE SUSTAINED PROBLEMS. YEP.
PROBABILITIES GET REDUCED PROBABILITIES, IT'S A MATH PROBLEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND A, AS DEER NUMBERS GROW, THEY BECOME FORCED TO BE A LITTLE MORE TOLERABLE EVERY DAY.
AND SO THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE REMOVE THE, THE NU, YOU KNOW, LOWER THOSE NUMBERS, WE HELP REMOVE SOME OF THAT COMFORTABILITY, THEM GETTING CLOSE TO HOMES, BUT THEN ALSO IT HELPS, UM, AGAIN, BACK TO THAT PREDATOR PRAY RELATIONSHIP.
GET THAT PREDATOR CONCEPT BACK IN THERE, RIGHT? IF, IF YOU HAVE DEER IN YOUR BACKYARD THAT LETS YOU PERTINENT OR WALK UP TO 'EM, RIGHT? THEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF YOU, THAT'S A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A CONFLICT WITH IT BEING AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS YOU OR, OR A PET.
UM, THE WHOLE GOAL IS THAT THAT DEER SEES A PERSON AND REALIZES, EH, I SHOULD AT LEAST KEEP A LITTLE DISTANCE FROM THAT PERSON.
AND THESE TARGETED DEER REMOVAL PROGRAMS OR, OR, OR ANY TYPE OF, OF LETHAL DEER MANAGEMENT HELPS INSTILL THAT BACK IN THERE.
AND NOW WE GET THAT DISTANCE AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE, THE PETS TO THE DEER.
NOT ONLY WILL WE REDUCE PROBABILITIES, BUT WE'VE REDUCED LIKELIHOODS AS WELL.
I'M GONNA BRING US TO THINKING ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE THE
[01:15:01]
DEER IN A ETHICAL AND RESPECTFUL WAY.THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS HERE, SOMEWHAT RELATED.
WHAT CARE OR MANAGEMENT IS DONE WITH THE ORPHANED FAWNS WHEN THE DEER ARE REMOVED? AND WHILE YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, IS DUBLIN CONSIDERING USING BOW AND ARROW IN THE FUTURE? BECAUSE IT TAKES DEER LONGER TO DIE WITH A BOW AND ARROW ACCORDING TO WHAT THIS P PERSON BELIEVES.
THEY BELIEVE THAT FROM THEIR UNDERSTANDING WITH A PERFECT TARGET HIT TO THE HEART, A DEER WILL LIVE TWO TO FOUR MINUTES RUNNING AWAY WOUNDED.
AND IF THE ARROW MISSES, OF COURSE THE DEER SUFFERS LONGER.
SO THIS PERSON APPRECIATES THE APPROACH YOU'RE TAKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE MARKSMAN, BUT WORRIES ABOUT IF YOU DO USE THE BOW AND ARROW IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE DOUGH QUESTION AND BOW AND ARROW, I'LL START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
SO FAWNS ARE GENERALLY BORN LARGELY IN MAY AND JUNE, AND THEY'RE WEANED IN LESS THAN 90 DAYS.
OFTEN THEY'RE OFF MILK EVEN IN 70 OR 75 DAYS.
THEY ACTUALLY START NIBBLING ON ROUGHAGE FROM A VERY, VERY YOUNG AGE.
UM, SO BY THE TIME THEY'RE WEANED AT THE END OF THE SUMMER, THE WINTER TARGETED REMOVAL PROGRAM'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE FOR THEM.
IN FACT, MOST OF THEM LOOK HALF GROWN OR MORE.
UM, AND THEY'LL ACTUALLY, SOME OF THEM MAY STILL HOLD THEIR SOME SPOTS.
A LOT OF THEM WILL ACTUALLY EVEN START TO LOSE THEIR SPOTS BY THAT AGE.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ORPHANED.
AND THEN THE BOW AND ARROW QUESTION, GABE? YEAH.
CURRENTLY NOT BEING CONSIDERED AS THIS BLOCK OF THE DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, BUT TO COMMENT ON THE LETHALITY OF, UM, ARCHERY HUNTING, UM, IF THE ARROW ACTUALLY HIT THE HEART AND LUNGS, WHICH WHEN A DEER IS TURNED BROADSIDE TO A HUNTER, THAT IS THE LARGEST VITALS.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING MORE IN LIKE THE SIX TO 15 SECONDS RANGE.
UM, SO INCREDIBLY LETHAL, UM, AND BEEN USED WITH GREAT SUCCESS IN A LOT OF MU MUNICIPALITIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE CLOSER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.
UM, YOU KNOW, GRANDVILLE JOHANNA USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM, NEW ALBANY, UM, ALL IMPLEMENTED, UH, BOW HUNTING AS PART OF THEIR DEER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
BUT, UH, YEAH, AND WITHOUT, UM, FOR FEAR OF GETTING DERAILED ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT AN ACTIVE PART OF TONIGHT'S CONVERSATION.
PERHAPS THAT'S A SUITABLE ANSWER.
SORRY, THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON'S ASKING ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU DETERMINE WHICH DEER TO TARGET AGE, SEX, ET CETERA.
THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT DEER THAT ARE YOUNG OR PREGNANT.
SO, UM, SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ARC WITH THE SCIENCE IN THIS, UH, TARGETED DEER REMOVAL.
UM, AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO GET DEER ON THE GROUND, QUICKLY, GET IN AND OUT AND BE DONE AS, AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THE OLDER DEER, THE OLDER DO KIND OF KNOW THE GAME A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE YOUNGINS.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK A COUPLE TIMES.
SO TYPICALLY WHEN THE SHOOTERS HAVE A GROUP OF DEER COME IN, THEY'RE GONNA TARGET THE WHAT LOOKS TO BE THE OLDER, BIGGER DO FIRST.
UM, AND THAT HELPS, UH, GET AT THOSE, THOSE THE ONES THAT ARE A LITTLE WISER, AND THEN OFTENTIMES THEY'RE ABLE TO KILL SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL DEER THAT ARE WITH THAT DOUGH.
UM, YEAH, GABE POINTED OUT THAT THE BREEDING SEASON IS ROUGHLY THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, RIGHT? SO BY THE TIME WE'RE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE DOUGHS ARE TECHNICALLY PREGNANT, RIGHT? THEY HAVE BEEN BRED, THEY JUST AREN'T GONNA HAVE THOSE FAWNS LIKE BARBARA SAID, UNTIL THAT MAY OR JUNE TIME.
SO, UM, THEY ARE PREGNANT, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM A, UM, STANDPOINT OF FIELD DRESSING, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SCHOOL LAB, RIGHT? AND, AND DOING THE DI THE DISSECTION OF THE FROG, BUT IN THIS CASE A DEER, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ANY CLUE THAT THOSE FAWNS ARE IN THERE.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY AS THE DAYS GO ON, YOU KNOW, THOSE FAWNS ARE GROWING, BUT EVEN ALL OF THE PROGRAMS ARE ARE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY DONE BY THE END OF MARCH AT THE VERY LATEST.
MOST ARE DONE AROUND THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, I THINK, UH, FOR DUBLIN.
YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING TO BE DONE EARLY MID-FEBRUARY, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY AT THE LATEST.
SO, YOU KNOW, BY THAT POINT THE FONS ARE GONNA BE VERY SMALL.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT INTO THEIR DATA COLLECTION AS WELL.
SO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HEALTH OF THOSE DEER IS,
[01:20:01]
AS THE DO GETS OLDER, SHE TENDS TO HAVE AND, AND IS MORE HEALTHIER.UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEER POPULATION'S IS DOWN, SHE'S EATEN BETTER, SHE ISN'T FIGHTING FOR THAT FOOD.
UM, SHE CAN HAVE A FEW MORE FONTS NOW, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY FORTUNATELY, SHE CAN'T HAVE 40, RIGHT? SO THERE IS A MAXIMUM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE CAN HAVE.
BUT WE SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES SOME OF THE, THOSE, UM, INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF FAS IN THOSE, THOSE DOSE.
SO, UM, THAT IS, IS A PIECE OF, UH, UH, DATA THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE, THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED 'EM FROM A HEALTH STANDPOINT AS WELL.
BUT YEAH, SO, SO, SO I'M GONNA WRAP YOU UP, JEFF, 'CAUSE WE HAVE TIME FOR JUST A FEW MORE QUESTIONS.
SO THIS PERSON, UH, SAYS, THANK YOU, LONG OVERDUE DEAR.
UH, CARING CAPACITY IS A ECOLOGICAL CRISIS.
WILL DUBLIN ESTABLISH PERMANENT VEGETATION MONITORING PLOTS OR BROWSE IMPACT SURVEYS TO MEASURE ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY, NOT MERELY COUNTING DEER? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
AND IF YOU CONSIDER GLACIER RIDGE METRO PARK PART OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, THOSE ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE.
AND IF YOU LOOK ACROSS METRO PARKS, IF YOU COME VISIT ME ON ONE OF THE OHIO STATE CAMPUSES, WE HAVE DEER EXCLOSURES.
UM, ONE OF THE STATE NATURE PRESERVES, ONE OF THE NEWEST ACTUALLY DOWN IN PICKERINGTON, OKAY.
HAD SOME STUDENTS INSTALL ANOTHER BATCH.
UM, PEOPLE ARE CATCHING ON TO THE IDEA THAT IF YOU DON'T PROTECT A MICROCOSM FROM DEER, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, RIGHT? AND I WOULD SAY THAT AS DUBLIN MAKES PROGRESS, GLACIER RIDGE METRO PARK WILL MIRROR THAT PROGRESS AND BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT CHANGES THROUGH TIME IN THEIR VEGETATIVE COMMUNITY RIGHT THERE.
SO IT'S ALMOST THE, THE EXPERIMENT'S ALMOST BUILT IN, UM, UH, TO YOUR, TO YOUR RELEVANT BACKYARD.
OKAY? UM, THIS IS JUST A COMMENT THAT THIS RESIDENT MOVED HERE BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE LANDSCAPE AND A LOT OF OTHER REASON SCHOOLS ALL THESE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, THEY DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DEER.
SO ARE YOU MAKING DECISIONS JUST BASED ON A FEW COMPLAINERS OR IS THERE, UH, A REASON MORE THAN THAT TO CALL THE DEAR BEFORE YOU AN YES, LINDSAY? WELL, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE DID A CITYWIDE SURVEY AND GOT 4,000 RESPONSES TO THAT.
AND WE'VE DONE, UH, MITCH MAYBE 30 PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND SO IT DEFINITELY WASN'T BASED ON, UM, JUST A FEW COMPLAINERS WE'RE VERY, VERY DATA DRIVEN AND HAVE BEEN MONITORING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND I WILL SAY THE OTHER TIP AND REQUEST A COUPLE OF REQUESTS THAT WE'VE PICKED UP IS TO SHARE MORE EDUCATION WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO, FIRST OF ALL, DO THE RIGHT PLANTINGS THAT DEAR DON'T LIKE.
SO THANK YOU, BARBARA, FOR THOSE TIPS.
I HEARD EARLIER SOMEBODY RECOMMENDED THAT WE TALK MORE ABOUT THE GLACIER RIDGE PROGRAM, NOT BECAUSE DUBLIN IS INVOLVED AT ALL, BUT JUST THAT IT IS HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS NEARBY AND JUST GENERALLY, UH, NOT FEEDING THE DEER.
THAT'S GREAT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE.
ANOTHER COMMENT, UM, TRACY FROM BRISTOL COMMONS, I SET HER BY NAME BECAUSE SHE LIVES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SHE WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT BRISTOL COMMONS IS AN AREA WITH A LOT OF DEER AND AGGRESSIVE DEER.
AND I WANNA SAY EVERY PICTURE YOU SAW THERE TONIGHT WAS FROM BRISTOL COMMONS.
'CAUSE I TOOK THOSE PICTURES AND I LIVE IN BRISTOL COMMONS.
SO, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE KIND OF ADVOCATING FOR ATTENTION IN THEIR AREAS.
SO BARBARA, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED A LOT OF DATA.
I'M SURE BRISTOL COMMONS IS NOT A SURPRISE OR MUIRFIELD.
AND, AND BASED, YOU KNOW, ADDING TO WHAT LINDSAY SAID, THERE ARE AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE FOLKS REALLY AREN'T SEEING VERY MANY, IF ANY OR NONE PROBLEMS,
SO THEY PROBABLY DO ENJOY THEM.
THEY'RE NOT EATING ALL THEIR PLANTS AND THEY HAVEN'T HAD AGGRESSIVE ISSUES THERE.
I'D LIKE TO KIND OF ADD SOME COMMON, NOT HAS LEGITIMACY.
BUT TO ADD ONE MORE THING, I LOVE DEER.
WE ALL LOVE DEER, RIGHT? BUT DEPENDING ON WHERE WE COME TO DEER FROM, SOME OF US HAVE MORE OF A PERSPECTIVE THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE DEER POPULATION, SORT OF A BIG HOLISTIC, AND SOME OF US ARE LITERALLY CUDDLY EYELASHES OBSESSED WITH INDIVIDUAL DEER, RIGHT? AND IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL LENS THAT TAKES OVER WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DEER.
I JUST WANNA LIKE ESTABLISH THAT NOWHERE IN A PARENT PARENTHETICAL CLAUSE IN THE DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN IS A COMMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE 'EM.
BUT THE, THE, THE SPLITTING POINT COMES DOWN TO ARE YOU, ARE YOU FOCUSED ON DEER AT A POPULATION HOLISTIC,
[01:25:01]
OR ARE YOU DRILLING DOWN TO THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL DEER? AND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR PERCEIVED DIFFERENCES COME FROM.BUT WHEN WE REMEMBER, WE ALL LOVE DEER.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT MORE COMMON GROUND THERE THAN WE TYPICALLY THINK.
I'VE WORKED IN WILDLIFE REHABILITATION FOR 40 YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER AND ALSO AS AN EMPLOYEE FOR MANY YEARS TOO.
AND WE'RE ALL FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL IN THAT LINE OF WORK.
WE'RE THERE TO SAVE AN ANIMAL'S LIFE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, THE HARDEST ANIMALS THAT COME IN ARE THOSE ORPHAN DEER WHOSE MOTHER HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR, UM, THAT WE MAY TRY TO BE ABLE TO FOSTER WITH ANOTHER ADULT DEER, WHICH IS SUCCESSFUL ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME.
BUT THOSE OTHER BABIES, THEY HAVE NO HOPE ONCE THEY LOSE THEIR MOM.
AND SO IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE DEER THAT ARE DYING, BUT WE HAVE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE DEER ITSELF, AND SO IT DOESN'T SUFFER AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT'S SAFE FOR THE DEER.
UM, AND I PERSONALLY HAVE HIT 14 DEER SINCE I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
I LIVE IN RURAL AREAS, MOST OF THEM ACTUALLY CAME OUT AND HIT MY VEHICLE.
UM, SO I'VE GONE THROUGH THE TRAUMA OF, YOU KNOW, LOSING SOME DEER'S LIVES JUST BY DRIVING.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE SO MANY DEER HERE THAT THEY'RE SUFFERING TOO.
DON'T DRIVE BY HER WHEN YOU LEAVE
OKAY? SO, UM, DON'T, I'VE BEEN PROMISING.
I WE'VE BEEN PROMISING THIS WOMAN THAT SHE COULD SAY SOMETHING AND THEN, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WRAP UP.
I COMMEND THE CITY FOR DOING SOMETHING DIFFICULT ON A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE.
I ENCOURAGE MY NEIGHBORS TO, UM, REMEMBER A COUPLE THINGS.
DEER ARE HOST ESSENTIALLY FOR TICKS.
OUR TICK NUMBERS ARE INCREASING BECAUSE OUR WINTERS ARE NOT AS COLD.
SO THE MORE DEER THERE ARE, THE MORE TICKS WE'RE GONNA SEE.
UH, NUMBER THREE, DEER OVER BROWSING OUR VEGETATION.
THAT IS AFFECTING OTHER WILDLIFE.
IT'S AFFECTING OUR NATIVE INSECTS.
IT'S AFFECTING BATS THAT EAT THE INSECTS.
AND FOURTH, I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF AN ANALOGY THAT I, THE WAY I LOOK AT THIS, IF YOU THINK OF THE DEER THAT YOU LOVE IN YOUR YARD AS YOUR CHILD OR YOUR GRANDCHILD, YOU MIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA CERTAINLY CARE ABOUT THEM WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL.
YOU MIGHT CARE ABOUT THEIR CLASSMATES, BUT IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CLASSROOM OR THE SCHOOL BUILDING ITSELF, THE CLASSROOM THEY'RE IN, IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE TEACHER, YOU'RE NOT REALLY TRULY CARING ABOUT YOUR CHILD OR A GRANDCHILD.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU, WE SHOULD ALL REALLY LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL DEER THAT WE LOVE IN OUR YARDS.
THEY'RE PART OF A POPULATION OF DEER.
THEY'RE, THEY LIVE IN AN ECOSYSTEM.
AND SO YOU CANNOT JUST THINK ABOUT THE DEER.
YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE DEER.
YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA LEAVE IT THERE AND TURN IT BACK TO LINDSAY AND BRUCE TO WRAP US UP.
UH, I JUST WANNA THANK BARBARA RAY, GABE CARNES AND JEFF WESTERFIELD FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR PARTNERSHIP, YOUR RESPECT FOR THIS PROGRAM AND, AND YOUR COLLABORATION THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS.
AND IF WE COULD JUST GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
AND THEN AM I TURNING IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MITCH? SURE THING.
SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR COMING OUT.
UM, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON OCTOBER 8TH.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE CITY'S SERVICE AGREEMENT EXTENDS FROM NOVEMBER ONE TO MARCH 31ST.
THIS IS WHEN THOSE DEER OPERATIONS WILL OCCUR.
AND ONCE THE CITY DETERMINES SPECIFICALLY WHEN AND WHERE THOSE TARGETED REMOVALS WILL TAKE PLACE, RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE UPDATES ACCORDINGLY.
AND HERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR ANY FUTURE QUESTIONS.
AND PLEASE SCAN THAT QR CODE THAT THAT'LL TAKE YOU TO OUR DEAR IN DUBLIN, UH, MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PAGE THAT HAS FAQS, OUR ETHICAL STATEMENT.
UM, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION WILL BE SHARED ON THAT SITE AS WELL, SO YOU CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED, UM, IF YOU FOLLOW THAT QR CODE.
WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.