HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo_2022-2023 Urban Bow Hunt Program
Date: July 28, 2022
To: City Council
From: Rachel Kilburg, Assistant City Manager
RE: 2022 – 2023 Bow Hunt Program Update
Background
The City’s 2022 – 2023 Deer Management Bow Hunt season will begin September 17, 2022
and end January 10, 2023. Applications will be accepted from August 8, 2022 through
October 21, 2022. The bow hunt is part of the City’s Long-Term Deer Management Plan,
which was approved by City Council, accepted by the state, and provides for professional
sharpshooting in 2019 and an urban bow hunt in years 2020 – 2024.The upcoming season
will be the third of four years of bow hunts, as outlined and approved in that Plan.
The 2021 – 2022 Bow Hunt Program results were reported in an annual report provided to
City Council in March 2022. Based upon the aerial deer survey and recommendations from
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the City increased the quota from 75 to
200 deer, lengthened the application period by two months, and opened the bow hunt two
weeks earlier. Five hunters applied and were approved. A total of four deer were harvested
as a result of the hunt. The Deer Management Annual Report, bow hunt and aerial survey
results, and Long-Term Deer Management Plan are available on the City website at
www.icgov.org/deerprogram.
Each year, the Iowa DNR conducts an aerial deer survey to collect estimated population
counts in Iowa City. The results of the aerial deer survey conducted after the last bow hunt
were concerning. The overall deer count increased from 239 in 2021 to 615 in 2022. Although
this is a ‘moment in time’ count, complaints and anecdotes from the community back up this
estimate. The 2022 population and density estimates are comparable to 2010 and 2018 when
White Buffalo was recruited to conduct professional sharpshooting. Following the 2020
sharpshooting effort, it was estimated the City would need to cull approximately 25 deer per
year to maintain population levels. A total of seven deer have been culled over the last two
bow hunt seasons. If the 2022-2023 bow hunt program returns similar results, the City
anticipates the deer density level will increase considerably in the coming year and the social
tolerance will decline as well. Successful deer management depends heavily on an ability to
maintain levels annually, over the long-term.
August 3, 2022
Page 2
In preparation for the 2022-2023 urban bow hunt season, City staff again sought input from
the DNR to discuss strategies for improving the effectiveness of the bow hunt program. City
and DNR staff met in Iowa City in March 2022 to discuss challenges and opportunities for the
hunt. Following this meeting, City and DNR staff planned to conduct joint data analysis to identify
top areas of concern where the City could explore targeting specific property owners to participate
in deer culling activities. Additionally, the City was provided contact information of urban bow hunt
coordinators from Polk County, Pleasant Hill, and Des Moines to learn more about other cities’
successes and challenges.
Staff followed up with these contacts in July 2022. Below is a summary of feedback collected from
each of these entities who are in varying states of longevity and success in their programs:
• Lack of public land or recruited private land to offer hunters is a deterrent to hunter
participation. Suggested coordinating with interested property owners in target areas to
connect them with approved hunters.
• Continue offering buck incentive program and longer season incentives.
• Demonstrate long-term commitment to bow hunt.
• Promote hunt opportunity through local outdoorsman and sportsman groups.
• No entity had found a non-lethal method that was effective enough to manage population.
• Educate the public on hunter motives and training and safety and efficacy data from
longstanding urban bow hunts around the state.
• Maintenance of density level is key. Deer will re-populate exponentially if left unchecked.
Social tolerance can disappear rapidly after rutting season, at which point a quick solution
is not possible.
The Long-Term Deer Management Plan also calls for annual listening session to collect feedback
on the City’s deer management efforts. The City Manager’s Office and hunt coordinator held a
listening session on July 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Emma J Harvat Hall. Nine members of the public, five
City staff members, two DNR staff members, and two media outlets participated. Staff began the
meeting with a brief review of the City’s deer management history and current Long Term Deer
Management Plan, including the annual bow hunt program and non-lethal activities. This
presentation was followed by public input and questions from participants. A summary of public
comments is provided below:
• Multiple residents from Manville Heights neighborhood expressed concerns about the
growing deer population and the resulting challenges, including reports of erratic driving
from people avoiding deer in the road, damage to landscaping and gardens, deer
sleeping near housing structures, and concerns about the spread of ticks and Lyme
Disease.
• Comments in opposition to the bow hunt in general were shared, including one
participant against any deer culling efforts and another expressing preference for
sharpshooting over bow hunting.
• Concerns were shared that the first two years of bow hunt have produced inadequate
results and low interest from hunters and property owners.
• A comment encouraged the City to utilize wildlife crossings (vegetated bridges) where
deer/vehicle accidents are most prevalent.
August 3, 2022
Page 3
• Comment thanking city for promotion of non-lethal strategies and suggesting additional.
• Comment from near east-side resident (Green Mountain) that deer population is
becoming a challenge and that some owners in the neighborhood have single-acre+ lots
that could be used for hunting.
• Comment from far east side (Scott to Taft) that deer population is not a significant
challenge, but the educational/informational material has been helpful.
Additionally, the DNR staff shared comments about the success of urban bow hunts in other
Iowan communities and that it takes time to grow awareness, trust, and interest in the hunt. City
staff encouraged participants to promote opportunities for both property owners and hunters to
contact the City if they are interested in being involved in the hunt. Additionally, staff shared that
planning for a new deer management plan (to replace the current 2020 – 2025 plan), will begin
mid-2023 with additional input opportunities offered during that process.
2022-2023 Bow Hunt Program
City Council granted the City Manager the authority to make minor changes to the urban bow
hunt rules. For the upcoming bow hunt, changes made last year to the application period,
quota, and hunt season dates will be maintained. Based upon discussions and feedback with
Iowa DNR staff, other entities who manage an urban bow hunt program, and public input, two
tweaks have been incorporated into the 2022-2023 Bow Hunt Program:
• Private property owners may submit their interest and willingness to provide land for
hunters. Additionally, the City will reach out to key property owners in target areas with
the highest deer densities to inquire about interest in providing property for hunting.
Hunters will maintain responsibility for coordinating with property owners and obtaining
all required permissions, but the City will assist in facilitating connections between
approved hunters and cooperative property owners.
• The City will conduct outreach with local hunting, outdoorsman, and sportsman groups
to promote the hunt opportunity.
Based on previous discussions with City Council, staff has not pursued hunting in public parks
or our cemetery. However, it is evident the City will need to increase deer harvest numbers
significantly from the first two bow hunts in order to meet population control goals. If the City
Council desires to re-examine hunting in public parks for the 2022-2023 season, such
direction would need to be provided to staff in order for staff to present revised hunt rules for
Council to consider adopting.
cc: Lt. Zach Diersen (Hunt Coordinator)
Assistant City Attorney Sue Dulek
City Manager Geoff Fruin