Hyde Park’s deer-management plan approved by DWR; city to begin controlled harvests Aug. 1 with sign-up for harvested meat

Hyde Park’s city officials told the council on June 25 that the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has approved the city’s deer-management plan and that controlled harvests will begin Aug. 1 pending issuance of a state registration number.

City staff said the plan is focused on “thinning the herd” in high-impact areas rather than complete removal. The chief said the department will carry out harvesting for safety reasons because public proximity to homes raises risk for volunteers. “We had to submit the harvesting process. And it is with the police doing the harvesting because there's too many risks associated with people, proximity to houses,” the chief said.

Public outreach and meat distribution The city ran a Facebook questionnaire asking whether residents would be willing to accept harvested venison; staff said most respondents provided contact information and that the city will compile a list and contact volunteers. “We asked if the respondent was interested in taking 1 of the harvested deer. We asked them to leave a name and contact info…Most of them, we got a name and a phone number and email address,” Marcus said. The city warned recipients must be able to respond promptly; officers will not wait hours for pickup.

Schedule and duration Staff said crews expect to start in the heaviest-impacted areas on Aug. 1 and that the plan will run through July 30, 2028, at which point it will be revisited. Staff also said they are preparing equipment and personal protective gear and have submitted required permit materials to DWR; the registration number was still pending at the meeting.

Regulatory and health notes Staff said any harvested deer taken to a commercial locker for processing will need the DWR tag and that the city will report harvest numbers and recipients to DWR. The council asked staff to include information in the August newsletter and on social media to explain the program’s scope, what it is and what it is not.

Sources and next steps City staff will compile the contact list of residents who indicated interest in venison, forward it to the chief, and publicize the program details. Final confirmation of the start date depends on the state registration number for Hyde Park’s permit package.