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West Bend reports UAV survey and 83 deer removed; 2,400 pounds of venison donated to food pantry
Summary
The city's deer management committee reported results of November aerial surveys and removal operations: an unmanned aerial vehicle survey counted roughly 239to250 deer and a winter removal effort took 83 deer, most of which were processed for ground venison and a 2,400-pound donation to the Full Shelf Food Pantry.
The West Bend Deer Management Committee reported to the common council on May 5 that an unmanned aerial vehicle survey of parks in November 2024 found at least 239 to 250 deer across 11 properties and that removal activities this winter resulted in 83 deer taken under a state nuisance permit.
Charles Lovell, district supervisor with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Mike Gensch, director of Park, Recreation and Forestry, told the committee the UAV surveys are considered minimum counts because some deer may not have been detected. Removal operations conducted under a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources nuisance permit occurred in January, on Feb. 13 and Feb. 20, and in March; the committee reported no negative incidents with the public during removal activities.
Of the 83 deer removed, 81 were taken to Leroy Meats in Fox Lake and processed into ground venison; two were donated to a DNR deer-processing program. The city donated 2,400 pounds of ground venison on April 8 to the Full Shelf Food Pantry to be distributed at no cost to qualified individuals and families.
Committee members voted to continue UAV surveys in November and December 2025 and will decide after the fall survey whether to pursue an abatement program in 2026. Staff said the city will pursue an Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claim (UWDACP) grant from the Wisconsin DNR, a funding source used in prior years.
The committee described the 20242025 removal effort as successful and noted continued monitoring would guide future decisions.
