Medina Council hears how Parma and Mentor reduced deer collisions and restored habitat

Medina City officials on April 8 heard detailed briefings from neighboring cities on urban deer‑management programs as they consider revisions to a local ordinance first adopted Sept. 14, 2022.

Natalie DeSalvo opened the session with Medina's recent figures, saying the city recorded 30 vehicle–deer strikes and 141 carcasses picked up in 2025. A four‑day visual survey in October–November 2025 produced an average index of about 199 deer, up from 92 in 2016. DeSalvo also reported 29 archery permits issued in 2025 and 114 deer harvested that season, compared with 13 permits and 18 deer harvested in 2024.

Captain Savetsky of Parma described that city's program, which began in 2023 after a resident survey and consultation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Parma's survey received about 2,200 responses; Savetsky said roughly two‑thirds of respondents indicated they wanted deer numbers reduced and that 90% had encountered deer on roadways. Parma developed a five‑year removal plan with ODNR that set graduated removal targets (year 1: 150; year 2: 225; year 3: 200; year 4: 150; year 5: 120). Savetsky said Parma has not met every yearly target but has come close and reported a measurable decrease in vehicle–deer collisions since the program began.

Savetsky outlined operational safeguards: trained precision marksmen (a recommended 40‑hour course), a spotter for each marksman, perimeter security, signage and coordination with land managers to avoid public use areas during operations. He said marksmen deploy from elevated positions with confirmed backstops and that Parma limits advertising of exact locations while notifying nearby residents. Parma reported its first‑year operational totals for four marksmen as about 1,052 on‑duty hours (valued at roughly $50,000 for those shifts) and 157 overtime hours costing about $11,733.

Council members pressed for population baselines and were told Parma conducted a formal count only in the first year and thereafter relies on formulas combining census indices, accident reports and carcass counts. Savetsky also discussed program trade‑offs raised by residents — animal‑welfare objections, concerns about officers with rifles in camouflage, and alternatives such as sterilization — and said such alternatives were considered but were either not cost‑effective or limited by deer movement across adjacent lands.

Joel Throckmorton, natural resource specialist for the City of Mentor, described a longer‑running hybrid program that pairs a natural‑resources team with trained marksmen. Mentor uses trail cameras, helicopter surveys and vehicle‑collision data to prioritize sites. Throckmorton said Mentor reduced combined vehicle collisions and carcass pickups from more than 200 in 2013 to about 100 in recent years by combining archery hunting and targeted calling operations; the city now concentrates shooting into a short, highly managed season (about 16 days annually) and continues monitoring with cameras and selective helicopter surveys.

Throckmorton emphasized ecological benefits, showing vegetation monitoring that documented increased understory height and species diversity in managed preserves. He said Mentor typically takes harvested deer to a processing facility and donates the meat to the Cleveland Food Bank; recent processing costs cited during the briefing were in the neighborhood of $1.30–$1.35 per deer, although costs varied by year and provider.

Speakers and council members also discussed logistics: site selection (often 5–15 acres, or larger properties such as golf courses), rotating locations, coordination with park managers, park closures at night with posted officers and signage, and prioritizing city residents for harvested meat pickup. Both Parma and Mentor reported they have not experienced major on‑site safety incidents and credited training, scouting and perimeter controls.

Council members said they will review the information and follow up. Medina staff were advised to consider ODNR guidance and the upcoming workshops mentioned by presenters, and to weigh resident feedback, operational costs and ecological outcomes before proposing changes to the city's ordinance. The meeting recessed for a 10‑minute break before a finance committee meeting.