Town & Country officials abruptly double numbers for deer management program

The Town & Country Deer Task Force shocked many people with its sudden approval of a resolution that recommends doubling the original number of deer to be killed and sterilized in the upcoming deer management program.

After more than a year of planning and just weeks before the program is expected to begin, the Town & Country Deer Herd Management Program Implementation Task Force on Nov. 17 approved a resolution that recommends that the city immediately petition the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to increase the limit on deer sterilization to 200 deer from 100 and increase the limit on sharp-shooting deer to 200 from 100 during the project timeline of October 2009 to April 2010.

The original contract approved in June between the city and the provider, Anthony DeNicola, of White Buffalo, called for surgically sterilizing, marking and releasing up to 100 deer by at least one licensed, Missouri veterinarian. It also called for killing by sharp-shooting up to 100 unmarked deer.

Town & Country Alderman Fred Meyland-Smith, chairman of the task force, said the resolution changes would not cause the current deer management budget of $150,000 to be exceeded. He said little, if any, money may be available for deer management next year.

Resident Susan Feigenbaum, the only task force member to vote against the resolution, said the information gathered during the first year of the program was supposed to guide the second year of the program. She also said the task force was charged with implementation, not changing the parameters, of the program.

“This is the implementation of the program,” Meyland-Smith said. “It should be the purview of the task force to seize the opportunity and obligation to more efficiently use public money.”

He said baiting is underway and the active part of the program will begin Dec. 1 with deer sterilization. It will be performed by one Missouri-licensed veterinarian who will work with another vet, both of whom are under contract for three weeks.

Feigenbaum and others challenged the feasibility of sterilizing 200 deer in such a short time frame. Yet they said White Buffalo likely will be able to efficiently kill many deer near the baiting sites. Feigenbaum and others also questioned Meyland-Smith, who said he believed the contract required the provider to attempt to sterilize 70 deer prior to any shooting. But Meyland-Smith later deferred to the contract, which states that the provider must attempt to sterilize 70 percent of the deer before shooting any other deer. Therefore, the provider will need to attempt to sterilize 140 deer before beginning the shooting of other deer.

Also at issue was a procedural question that Town & Country Alderman John Hoffman raised. He said the city’s December newsletter already states that MDC recently increased the number of deer to be sterilized and killed. He asked how this city newsletter, which was ready to go to print by Nov. 17, could have been written before the task force was informed about and voted on the resolution, before the board approved the resolution, and before the board asked MDC to increase the deer numbers.

"The newsletter was a draft written with the full knowledge that it could be amended or removed depending upon the actions of the task force, city and finally MDC,” Meyland-Smith said. “This is a feeble attempt by Alderman Hoffman to discredit the project.”

Meyland-Smith said the deer management sites, which will occur on private properties that certain landowners have volunteered for the program, will not be disclosed to the public in the name of safety and privacy issues. The contract requires officials to give 24 hours notice to each consenting property owner or tenant and all neighbors within 50 yards of the sharp-shooting location. It also requires the provider to notify the city and MDC by voice mail each day that sharp-shooting will occur.

Many residents said that all residents, not just those whose properties host sharp-shooting, should be given such notice.

“While I understand a portion of their rationale, isn’t this project being sponsored by a public entity with public money?” resident Barbara Ann Hughes said. “If so, why can’t I know the full scope of the project?” 

While the contract also requires the provider to keep data and submit written deer management activity reports to the city, it does not include any provisions for public viewing of the deer management activities in the field. Several residents say they have the right to observe the taxpayer-funded program in the field. They said at least one independent observer is needed to confirm that the provider observed proper protocols in all deer management procedures, including treating and killing the authorized number of deer in an authorized manner.

City officials said public viewing of the deer management activities in the field is not necessarily prohibited, but citizens must adhere to trespassing laws when deer management occurs on private properties. Residents also cannot legally interfere with the program, but officials have not specifically defined what constitutes such interference. Residents said they will not interfere but want their government to be transparent.