Cape Girardeau deer committee recommends urban hunting

Cape Girardeau officials should allow bow hunting within the city's boundaries to help reduce the rapidly expanding number of deer, according to a committee charged with studying the issue.

The Deer Management Committee voted 4-1 in favor Tuesday night and will make a formal recommendation at the March 19 meeting of the Cape Girardeau City Council, which will have final say.

The meeting was tense at times, especially near the end, when some of the dozen or so members of the public speaking with raised voices in opposition.

Members Mel Dockins, Judy Graetz, Dru Reeves and Bard Womack voted to support such a hunt on private property, which they stressed would be done with strict supervision by the Missouri Department of Conservation and only after special training for would-be hunters.

Member James Whitnel argued against allowing hunting, saying that the committee has yet to gather enough information to make an informed decision.

"As a committee, we have not added much, if any, to the original information we started with," Whitnel said.

Whitnel, who said he does not oppose urban deer hunting in principle, argued that an official count would be required before it could be determined if there was a real problem. Cost estimates on other alternatives also have not been provided, or gathered, by the committee, he said.

But the rest of the committee -- which saw two resignations since the process started several months ago -- obviously disagreed. Even Dockins, who largely kept silent until Tuesday night, ended up voting with the majority.

"I've been quiet through it," Dockins said. "I really have got mixed emotions. I really have. I can understand everybody's concerns. ... However, I don't see any alternative than to see hunting in the city limits."

Several members of the public shook their heads as the committee discussed endorsing a proposal that it maintains could reduce the number of deer that are being blamed for motor vehicle accidents and ruining landscapes. After the meeting, some members of the committee were approached by the residents and terse words were exchanged.

Stephen Stigers, who heads the opposition group Cape Friends of Wildlife, said he wasn't surprised by the outcome.

"My first thought was the committee was poorly chosen," he said afterward. "They either don't have good critical thinking abilities or they're not using them. I think Jim Whitnel was clearly the only voice of reason up there. ... The others have been cheerleaders for urban bow hunting from the beginning."

Now, he said his group will take its message to the city council.

The committee discussed the issue for more than an hour before the vote. Reeves agreed that most of the public input collected from the city -- through a public forum and through letters and emails -- came from opponents. But he said there is a segment of the public that is misinformed. Womack called it "ignorance and the fear factor."

And several members of the committee said they were not trying to wipe out the deer -- simply reduce the numbers.

Graetz suggested that some who oppose the hunting proposal live in sections of town where deer are not problematic.

"I have deer in my yard every day," she said. "People have said I've complained about one little flower getting destroyed. That's not true. I've had thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of landscaping destroyed."

Despite the opposition, Graetz also said this is not intended to be a simple popularity contest about "who can get the most survey cards. ... If it's 1,000 people to 10 people, that's not what this is all about. It's about what's best for the city of Cape Girardeau."

The majority also wanted it made clear that Whitnel will also be given an opportunity at the next council meeting to make his concerns known to city leaders as well.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

40 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO