Cape city manager: Deer committee to be named by month's end

A citizen committee charged with studying and making a recommendation on whether urban deer hunting will be allowed in Cape Girardeau is expected to be in place by the end of the month, city manager Scott Meyer said Wednesday.

The Cape Girardeau City Council asked Meyer last month to form an ad hoc committee to more closely study the idea of allowing regimented deer hunting in the city limits to reduce the number of deer.

Some residents have complained that the deer's swelling numbers are ruining landscapes and leading to more motor vehicle accidents. Others, however, say they enjoy the rustic image of deer in a city setting and worry about the safety of such a program.

Those are all factors that the committee of six to eight members will have to weigh, Meyer said. The city manager has already appointed Roger Fields, the city's assistant police chief, to serve as the committee's staff liaison.

Meyer is working from a list of people who have been nominated by council members and other members of the public, he said. But he wants to make sure the group includes people on both sides of the issue.

"I'm trying to get it balanced out," Meyer said.

While there's no rush, Meyer said, he would like to see the committee up and running in time to get such a program implemented -- if that's what the council decides -- before next fall's deer season.

Time would have to be allowed for training, which council members say will be a top priority. The Missouri Department of Conservation has said similar programs have worked in other cities and are safe if participants are well-trained.

Once named, Meyer said, the committee would meet on a regular basis to gather information, study the issue and then make a recommendation that he would take back to the city council.

He also wants the committee to host at least one public forum, perhaps at the Osage Centre, where everyone has an opportunity to voice opinions about the issue.

The idea of urban deer hunting resurfaced in September after an attempt in 2007 failed to gain traction. Council member John Voss said he was again hearing complaints about deer ruining lawns and that he had noticed an increase in accidents.

According to statistics provided by the Cape Girardeau Police Department, animal-related accidents jumped from 10 in 2002 to 38 in 2010. Chief Carl Kinnison said he expected at least 95 percent of those accidents involved deer.

Voss said Wednesday that he hopes that the committee would look at other communities that have implemented deer harvesting and study their ordinances to determine how to safely and responsibly manage a deer harvest in an urban area.

"Everything that I'm hearing and seeing in my own observations is that we have a problem," Voss said.

Voss agreed with Meyer that the committee should be balanced with supporters and those with concerns over hunting deer in the city limits.

"I think it would not be responsible to stack the committee with people who are clearly supporting this," Voss said. "At the same time, the indication I got at the last council meeting is there seems to be support for doing something to manage the deer population. So I don't think it serves any purpose to put someone on who is vehemently opposed to harvesting. But we do want to hear from all concerned citizens."

The committee will be encouraged to work transparently, he said, with open discussions and at least one, perhaps two, public forums.

Voss also encouraged anyone interested in serving on the committee to contact the city manager's office no later than Nov. 28.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO