North Logan council authorizes police to pursue lethal deer management with DWR

North Logan City Council on April 9 authorized the North Park Police Department to enter into a deer-management plan with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) that would use lethal means to reduce the city’s year‑round urban deer herd.

Council members voted to approve the authorization after staff and police presented an overview of the herd’s history, a summary of a recent resident survey, and reactions to past removal programs. The motion was made by Council Member Emily Schmidt and seconded by Mark (last name not specified); the council approved the motion unanimously.

City staff and police said the herd became largely resident and nonmigratory after heavy winters in the 1980s. The city previously participated in a 2015 pilot to trap and relocate deer; staff reported high cost and animal injury concerns during that program. In 2016, DWR recommended lethal management and authorized harvests of up to 40 deer per year (a 120‑deer total for a three‑year commitment) under a prior agreement; city staff said that approach reduced reported vehicle collisions and property damage while making carcasses available to citizens who registered interest.

Police Chief Goodrich told the council that the department and staff had surveyed residents and found roughly two‑thirds support for some form of herd management. Staff estimated a midpoint cost of about $361,000 in vehicle and landscaping/property damage across the city over the past five years, and said that damaging collisions and property loss were recurring complaints in public responses.

Council discussion covered alternatives the city considered: taking no action (which staff said would shift costs and complaints to residents), a depredation hunt using uncertified private archers (staff raised concerns about liability, wounding, trespass and enforcement), and returning to a lethal DWR‑managed program. The council and staff said they prefer a DWR partnership that uses trained officers to perform euthanasia in the summer months, targets does and fawns (not migratory trophy bucks), maintains a list of residents who may accept carcasses, and submits annual reports to DWR.

Council members asked about cost‑recovery options; staff noted other cities charge modest fees (Centerville charges roughly $40 per tag) but that the city would likely bear most program costs. Staff also described safety protocols, waivers for private‑property access and a plan to perform field euthanasia using trained, uniformed officers to reduce liability and identify personnel to the public.

The motion’s approval directs staff and the North Park Police Department to pursue the DWR lethal‑management option and to return with implementation details and any required formal agreements.