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Resident urges St. James to pursue DNR help after deer crowd neighborhoods
Summary
A resident told the council Nov. 4 that as many as 13 deer have been in his yard at once and urged city action; councilmembers agreed to research options including contacting the Minnesota DNR and asking private landowners about coordinated hunts or bonus tags.
Bob Renie told the St. James City Council on Nov. 4 that a growing deer population is damaging yards and affecting quality of life. "I'm here to talk about the deer population in town that's getting overrun," Renie said, describing as many as 13 deer in his backyard and damaged landscaping.
Councilmembers and members of the public discussed possible responses. One councilmember asked whether residents are feeding deer; Renie said he had not seen that but suspected animals are attracted to yards and gardens. Renie proposed exploring controlled archery hunts or other measures used in nearby communities and asked the council to engage the Department of Natural Resources.
A councilmember said the city will reach out to the Minnesota DNR to ask about options and whether a bonus tag or similar tool could be used in a vicinity around the city to reduce the herd. Council discussion noted the need to consult private property owners for access to adjacent lands, and participants raised the idea of donating harvested venison to local food shelves if hunters take excess animals.
The council did not take formal action at the meeting but said staff would research options and contact the DNR. No decisions or permits were issued during the meeting; Renie's concern remains unresolved in the transcript.
The council moved on to other agenda items after the discussion.
