The question of whether to hunt deer by bow in the city limits of Marshalltown is one of the key questions for a newly-formed committee, which had its first meeting Wednesday.
The Marshalltown Deer Committee heard from Bill Dunger, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who told the committee the decision to hunt inside the city limits would be an entirely local one. The DNR would offer no opinion one way or the other, but would be there to assist with whatever direction the city chooses.
A helicopter survey of the deer population in and around the northern and western sections of the city will be conducted later this winter. The cost would be split evenly between the DNR and city, with the city's share estimated at less than $1,000.
"Until we know what's there, it's a little hard to know what to go after," Dunger said.
If the city did decide to go with a hunting strategy, a new ordinance would need to be created specifically relating to that hunting situation. The DNR would help set up hunting zones and issue more permits for the area.
Dunger also told the city it might be wise, if that were the option chosen, to consider some extra requirements, such as a proficiency test and/or bow hunter's safety course.
The committee also heard some conflicting reports about the extent of the deer problem this year.
"I haven't seen many this fall at all," said John Hermanson, a member of the committee who lives on the northern edge of town. "Certainly, last winter there were a lot of them."
However, a resident who lives on the western edge of town, near the Girl Scout's Camp Juliette, reported the problem seems to be continuous with migrations of 20 to 40 deer nearly every day.
"It used to be just a fall and winter problem," he said. "Now, it's a year-round problem."
Dunger said the aerial survey will provide a good idea of the number of deer who spend winters in the immediate area. Deer tend not to move around as much in the winter, he said, simply because their main priority is to conserve as much energy as possible.
"It will tell you where they are this winter," he said. "It won't necessarily tell you where they will be next summer."
Still, he said deer tend to spend most of their lives within 15 miles of their home area, unless pressured to move by outside forces, such as predators, including humans.
The committee will meet again Dec. 17.
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Contact Ken Black at 641-753-6611 or kblack@timesrepublican.com
