Council approves limited bow hunting in 5.39-acre Munwoods area, orders task force to guide implementation

The Ames City Council on Oct. 14 approved allowing bow hunting in a limited 5.39-acre section of Munwoods and asked staff to reconvene a special urban deer task force to review rules, access and monitoring.

The decision followed a staff presentation that reviewed deer-related data and a city-conducted survey of roughly 12,000 households that drew nearly 1,100 responses. Staff said survey respondents in the study area indicated concerns about garden and landscaping damage and vehicle collisions; staff summarized the question results as “53% said yes, 35% said no, and 10% were unsure” on supporting bow hunting in the area when adjacent residential properties were not factored in.

Why it matters: Council framed the vote as a narrowly targeted response to persistent local complaints — including residents’ reports of frequent deer in yards and collisions — while trying to preserve recreational access to nearby parks and protect people and pets. The task force will advise on operational details such as access routes, hunter recruitment and whether limited exceptions (for transport or temporary access) are needed.

During public comment, neighbors described repeated damage and safety concerns. “I live just north of Ontario and would encourage any mitigation of the deer population in our area,” said resident Dylan Klein, who urged a deer count and better assessment. Diane Burt described multiple deer in her yard and said she has seen animals she believes are sick; Kaye Meyer related a personal tick bite and expressed concerns about deer-borne disease.

Council members pressed staff on safeguards and logistics. Staff said hunters must occupy elevated tree stands (minimum 8 feet), may not shoot at targets beyond 75 feet (25 yards), must be at least 200 feet from a building and 85 feet from maintained trails or roads, and are required to remove any harvested deer (field dressing in the woods is not permitted under current rules). Staff also noted the city’s rules must conform with Iowa DNR regulations and that some measures (for example, immunocontraception) would require additional approvals.

After discussion and questions about how to increase hunter participation, enforcement and public outreach, a council member moved to adopt a combination of option 1 (allow hunting in the identified Munwoods parcel) and option 3 (reconvene the special urban deer task force). A seconded motion passed by voice vote. The council did not record a roll-call tally in the public record beyond the motion carrying.

What happens next: Staff will request any necessary waivers from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (Munwoods has a conservation easement), convene the task force to refine rules and outreach, and pursue scheduled deer counts when weather permits (staff noted a winter aerial count and early talks about drone counts with Iowa State researchers).

The council’s action allows hunting only in the limited area approved; McCarthy Lee Park was not approved for hunting, and staff reiterated that the broader urban deer program remains constrained by state rules and local safety standards.