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Researcher urges committee to rescind 2009 bow‑hunting exception, citing trauma and failed evaluation
Summary
Dr. Millie Shaffer of Cincinnati Urban Deer Advocates told the committee that a 2009 exception ("708-26") allowing amateur recreational bow hunting in some parks has produced hundreds of complaints, traumatized residents, and that a Miami University review rated the effort poorly.
Dr. Millie Shaffer, a retired research scientist and founder and executive director of Cincinnati Urban Deer Advocates, told the Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee she urged the city to end the 2009 exception (referred to in the comment as "708-26") that allows amateur recreational bow hunters in some parks.
"A divided city council in 2009 approved 1 exception 708Dash26 and over a 100 amateur recreational bow hunters with their deadly weapons roam our city parks for over 4 months each year shooting arrows into deer and their fawns," Shaffer said. She said the policy has generated "many hundreds of complaints," traumatized residents and schoolchildren, and that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) recommends community‑based programs and stakeholder involvement for deer management.
Shaffer also cited a Miami University evaluation of Cincinnati Parks' deer management efforts over 14 years, saying the study "got a flat F." She told the committee that neighborhood protests in Mount Airy and repeated incidents illustrate residents' distress and that Cincinnati Urban Deer Advocates seeks more humane deer management and greater community engagement in program design.
Chair Scotty Johnson thanked Shaffer, asked her to leave a copy of her materials with the clerk and said the city seeks humane wildlife management approaches. The committee did not take any formal action on the comment during the meeting.
