Update on deer management solutions for Columbus

[Clare Balombin]

Hello, everyone!

Last Tuesday City Councilwoman Nancy Day-Achauer held a second meeting on deer issues in Clintonville with her legislative aide, Jacob Dilley. About two dozen people attended; none of the area commissioners was present.

About 4,000 deer survey responses were received by the City last year; the majority of them were from people living in Clintonville.

To address the increasing number of deer living in urban neighborhoods Ms Day-Achauer said that there were three options on the table: a no-feeding ordinance; culling; hunting. The first would be the easiest to implement. 

1) Ordinance 0944-2026 will be introduced at this coming Monday's (May 11) City Council meeting. Ms Day-Achauer believes that there are enough 'yes' votes to pass it.

Ordinance 0944-2026 will establish feeding deer as a minor misdemeanor. The first infraction will incur a warning. Each subsequent infraction will result in a fine of $150. The City will be looking at feeding "hot spots". (Worthington, Dublin, New Albany have such ordinances on their books.)

Mr. Dilley said that our city has gone past sociological "carrying capacity." Its biological "carrying capacity" is still okay.

2) As for professional culling of the herds in Columbus, first, a department with a wildlife manager would be helpful. (Dublin has one.) This department would establish control numbers of deer; research legal pathways for firearms and permits; identify professional sharpshooters--usually recommended by the USDA; select culling sites; develop safety plans (a "backstop" is always needed; it's best to shoot from a higher spot); schedule dates (usually in January or February); announce dates; make plans for removal of carcasses; issue a final report.

Earlier this year Worthington's culling effort resulted in 85 deer taken in two weeks. Mr. Dilley said that processing was done at a Licking County Prisons Processing Center. (However, according to Google, "the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) operates a prominent meat processing facility at the Pickaway Correctional Institution, which partners with food banks to process donated deer.")  4,249.3 pounds of processed ground venison were donated to the Worthington Resource Pantry

Any program must be sustained for ten years in order to establish consistent monitoring of feeding hotspots. So, there are several issues, including setting a reasonable budget, hiring for a new position, while the City has a hiring freeze in place; giving sufficient authority to the new position; establishing the necessary level of cooperation and buy-in needed from other departments, including the police department. Another issue might arise, if such a program were successful in Clintonville, i.e., which other areas of the City would want a similar program? 

A next step for concerned residents would be to contact the Mayor's office to say that a wildlife manager and a culling program are needed. (90 West Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215).

3) Hunting was not considered to be a viable option.

Clare

[Libby Wetherholt]

Thanks, Claire. I never saw a notice about the meeting. Glad you attended. 

Sent from Gmail Mobile Please excuse my typos

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[Mary Jo Kilroy]

I don't understand why deer birth control is not in the mix as an option. 

On Mon, May 11, 2026 at 7:12 AM Clare Balombin <mark...@att.net> wrote:

[Cindy Decker]

I agree.   To do so means getting state approval for a test situation, I think.  I've been wanting to pursue that route, but I've been so busy with planting and removing celandine and just life that I hadn't. 

Do others want to help me?  

I had talked to state and city  officials a few years  ago, but didn't get far. I really need to restart the conversation. 

 

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[Mary Jo Kilroy]

Cindy, let me know how I can help.

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