Rising deer–vehicle incidents and resident complaints about deer prompted both mayoral candidates to call for a comprehensive deer‑management plan at a Medina town hall.

"Not any single strategy is gonna work," said John Coyne, president of Medina City Council, arguing that bow hunting alone had not reduced incidents and that the city should study deer migration paths, deterrents and additional removal methods. Coyne suggested using qualified law‑enforcement sharpshooters or other trained marksmen to reduce numbers more safely than dispersed bow hunting.

Jim Shields said the city has tried incremental approaches in coordination with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and that safety remains the top priority. "We always make sure safety is the top priority," Shields said, describing options including corraling deer in parks, using heat‑seeking drones to locate herds and arranging controlled harvests where practical.

Transcript participants named recent harvest and incident counts during the forum. The moderator cited earlier harvest and incident figures that contained unclear year labels; Coyne corrected the running incident count to 108 during the forum and projected the season could reach 160–170 incidents if trends continued. Shields said the city’s recent bow‑hunting harvests were small — 18 deer in one referenced season and a very limited early season this year — and that the city had removed participation fees to encourage hunters to join the bow program.

Both candidates said the city should plan for carcass processing and distribution if larger harvests occur. Coyne suggested using harvested venison to help food‑pantry programs but warned that processing capacity may be limited. Shields agreed, noting that the city might have to budget resources for implementation.

Both candidates said nonlethal measures (fencing, repellents, targeted plantings) should be part of a flexible plan to reduce deer presence near homes and roadways and to reduce vehicle collisions. No formal plan or funding decision was announced at the forum.