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Council considers 'no-feed' deer ordinance so state can undertake depredation effort
Summary
Councilors discussed a proposed no-feed ordinance required by the Division of Wildlife Resources before the agency will conduct a depredation hunt to reduce the local deer herd; members questioned the ordinance’s necessity if no feeding is documented.
The council discussed a proposed 'deer ordinance' that would ban deliberate feeding and harboring of deer as the first step the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) requires before it will carry out a depredation hunt.
Chair (S2) told the council that 'one of the first steps is to have a no-feed ordinance in place' so the DWR will consider on-the-ground measures in the fall. A council member noted past opposition from residents who feed deer and asked whether other towns that adopted similar ordinances recorded measurable herd reductions.
Several councilors said they had no recent reports of active feeders; others argued having the ordinance in place is a prerequisite for state action. No formal vote was taken; staff will review existing ordinance language and bring a draft forward for council consideration.
