PARMA, Ohio — A Northeast Ohio suburb is looking to control the growing deer population.
The City of Parma is considering a white-tailed deer culling program.
It comes after years of repeated car accidents, property damage, and a surge of deer living in the city, according to officials.
Ticks and diseases are a growing concern, as well.
City officials stress the deer culling program is not a done deal just yet.
However, they say it appears necessary for the safety of everyone for years to come.
Drive through any Parma neighborhood and you're bound to spot one or maybe a dozen deer.
"They're here, and they can get in the way," Parma resident Bob Smith said.
Smith has had his fair share of encounters with deer over the years.
Waiting by the bus stop on State Road near Padua Franciscan High School in Parma, he pointed out the exact problem spot where he's witnessed herds of deer run across the street.
"I almost ran into a deer one time when I was driving from here to Strongsville when I was still working, and I got lucky. Hopping across the street, its hoof clipped my bumper, and it kept going. Everybody else slammed on their brakes," Smith said.
Repeated instances like this prompted Lieutenant Daniel Ciryak with Parma Police and city officials to look at how to better control the deer population.
A white-tailed deer sharpshooter program could be the answer--
"Because we do have a high number of accidents, ya know, deer-related accidents in the city. I believe we're around 300 over the last three years," Ciryak said.
A hard headcount from the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed 596 deer are in Parma.
Ciryak says there are likely 1,000 actually living in the city.
The deer culling program is still in the early discussions, but Ciryak says it will be done carefully on large areas of land by law enforcement officials.
"We're looking at having our snipers from our SWAT team, they would be the only ones. Four Snipers that are obviously trained," Ciryak said.
While clearly, no one wants their flowers or gardens to be destroyed by the deer, Parma officials say they understand the overall concerns about the proposed deer culling program.
However, they say they actually consulted with neighboring Parma Heights.
The city experienced tremendous success with its deer culling program over the last six months.
News 5 Followed through, back in the Fall we told you about Parma Heights' deer problem.
After six weeks of culling—they killed 91 deer in different parts of the city and then gave out free venison.
City of Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter told News 5 they are looking to see if Parma is eligible for deer reduction and assessing several other approaches.
He released the following statement:
“Parma police have begun the process to determine if Parma is eligible for deer reduction. The department reported that over the past three years, there have been nearly 300 auto accidents with deer. Resident safety is the paramount consideration. We are not simply reacting to complaints about deer-related property damage.
“There is a great deal of requirements, planning and resources necessary to facilitate a deer-reduction program. The police and the safety director are assessing several other approaches for deer population management. Parma Heights officials, including Mayor Gallo, generously gave their time to take us through their deer-reduction program, which is managed by their police department.
“The Parma Police Department has obtained a ground deer count report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services. This is the first step in the process of determining deer reduction eligibility. The ground deer count report will be submitted for review by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife, which will determine whether Parma can reduce the deer population and to what extent.
We are going through this process in collaboration with Parma City Council and, of course, considering the will of the people. We will soon be putting out a community survey to better understand resident sentiment. Back in March 2016, Parma voters easily approved bow hunting of deer 11,744 to 7,570 in the city, which we believe will align with residents wanting city officials to do something more to manage the deer population.”
Ciryak said they are looking at the larger picture, for the long term.
"It's about the safety of the residents. So, there's a lot of deer. And also, it comes down to the health of the deer population as well, because if they're overpopulated-- there's not enough food for them and they could potentially starve."
Smith says whatever decision is made, he hopes it's done in a safe, controlled fashion.
"You don't want to get rid of them all. I mean they were here first," Smith said.
The City of Parma plans to post a community survey on social media regarding the deer culling process in the near future.
They want community feedback about the best ways to proceed.
There's still no word on when the deer culling process could even begin.
Parma Heights started its program in late winter.
Parma currently has a bow-hunting program.
Last year, 17 hunters shot and killed 24 deer.
