The Ames City Council was faced with a difficult decision regarding the hunting of deer in the city when it met Tuesday.
On one hand, council members had heard from members of the public complaining about the number of deer in town and asking that hunters be allowed to thin the herd. On the other hand, a city commission had recommended against that idea.
Earlier this summer, the council received several emails from residents asking that deer hunting be allowed in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park. By city law, the Parks and Recreation Commission must review and approve any deer hunting in city parks before the council can make a final decision.
In the end, the council voted to allow hunting in Munn Woods only and to ask city staff to convene the Special Urban Deer Task Force to offer new recommendations. The new hunting season would start around Nov. 1, pending approval by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, which has a conservation easement with the city. The season would end Jan. 10.
What the commission decided: At their Sept. 18 meeting, commissioners voted down a motion to allow hunting on a small 5.39-acre section of Munn Woods. It then voted 6-to-1 to reject hunting in both parks entirely.
The commissioners said they understand that deer cause real problems for Ames residents. People are dealing with damaged gardens and landscaping, and some have hit deer with their cars. However, the commission decided against hunting for four main reasons:
- Many people use these parks regularly for walking, running and other activities.
- Both parks are completely surrounded by neighborhoods with homes nearby.
- Hunting in these two parks would barely reduce the overall deer population in Ames.
- Deer would likely just move to other parts of the city.
The commission encouraged the police chief to bring together a special task force to look at current deer management rules and suggest possible changes. It also wants the city to resume counting deer during the winter, which has not been done for several years.
What the survey found: City staff sent a survey to learn what residents think about deer and deer hunting. They emailed it to about 12,000 people, mailed it to about 1,500 homes near the parks and posted it on the city website and social media. There were 1,095 responses.
- Are deer a problem: 40% yes, 27% no
- Are deer only a problem in some areas: 23% yes, 9% not sure
- How often do you see deer in your neighborhood: 37% daily, 31% weekly
- How often do you see deer in your yard: 22% daily, 28% weekly
- Do you feed deer (which is illegal in Ames): 3% regularly, 1% sometimes
- Are deer a nuisance in your yard: 37% yes, 15% sometimes, 48% no
When asked what actions they support, people could choose more than one answer.
- Urban bow hunting: 26%
- Public education on living with deer: 21%
- Fencing or repellents: 15%
- Birth control for deer: 13%
- Moving deer away from neighborhoods: 11%
- Surgical sterilization: 7%
- No action: 5%
When asked just about bow hunting as a method to control deer, about 54% of people favor it while 31% do not.
What people said: People who support hunting said bow hunting is safe and works well when done by certified hunters. If the program keeps strong safety measures in place, they support it.
Many people wrote comments against hunting within city limits. Their main worries include safety risks near homes, parks and trails. Some people have ethical concerns about killing deer in urban areas. Others believe deer don’t cause enough problems to justify hunting while others are uncomfortable with hunting near neighborhoods where outdoor activities are common.
Some people gave neutral or conditional opinions. They shared personal stories about deer damaging their yards, nearly hitting deer with their cars and seeing deer in residential areas. Other people said they have no problems with deer and enjoy seeing them. Several people stressed that the city should keep listening to public opinions when deciding whether to expand or continue the deer hunting program.
The survey showed the community has very different views. Some residents strongly support hunting because they want to control the deer population and protect their property. Others strongly oppose hunting because they worry about safety, ethics and impacts on their neighborhoods. Some people would support hunting only if the city enforces strict rules, provides oversight and keeps the process transparent.
Neighborhood results: More property owners living next to Munn Woods seemed to favor allowing hunting there compared to those near Emma McCarthy Lee Park, which is why it is not being considered as an option for bow hunting.
Problems deer cause: The three most common problems survey respondents have experienced with deer are damage to gardens, damage to landscaping and car accidents. While deer certainly cause garden and landscaping damage, city staff doesn’t have data to show how much. Gabriele Edwards, city forester, said it is hard to know whether Munn Woods is being damaged by deer because there is so much undergrowth throughout the woods.
During the past three years, an average of 65 vehicle accidents per year have been caused by collisions with deer in the city.
Current deer hunting program: For several years, Ames has had an urban deer hunting program, which follows Iowa Department of Natural Resources hunting rules with some special requirements added by the city.
The city can give out 75 hunting permits each year but usually gives out far fewer.
- 2024: 16 permits, 14 harvested
- 2023: 20 permits, 12 harvested
Hunters must pass a one-time bow hunter safety course and pass an archery test. All shots must be taken from an elevated stand at least 8 feet off the ground, and the deer must be no more than 75 feet away. Stands must be at least 85 feet from any maintained roads, recreation trails or organized activity sites and at least 200 feet from any home or building.
