PARMA, Ohio — News 5 continues to Follow-Through on stories impacting you and your community.
When others leave, we return to check on the progress.
Back in the Summer of 2023, News 5 told you all about the City of Parma's plans to control the deer population.
RELATED: Parma considers deer culling program to control growing deer population
The city completed a survey, and the majority of people supported a white-tailed deer culling program.
The city has since completed its first culling season.
City leaders call the program a success after culling 147 of their anticipated 150 deer.
Like many residents News 5 previously spoke with—Jordan Gottschick has spotted a considerable amount of deer living in his Parma neighborhood over the years.
"I've actually noticed a ton of deer there. When we were walking down the street there was a deer walking down the sidewalk," Gottschick said.
But recently—there's been a clear change across town.
There are seemingly far fewer roaming the streets.
"I have noticed a difference. Part of my travel to and from work is Pleasant Valley Road which is notorious for a number of car vs deer accidents," Lieutenant Nathan Savetski, City of Parma Police, said.
Savetski leads the deer management program.
He says the move was essential after 300 accidents over the last three years caused by the roughly 1,000 deer living in the area.
"Bottom line—there was an overabundance of deer in the city," Savetski said.
More than half of the residents surveyed said they would like to see the deer population decrease and stabilize.
Trained Sharpshooters with the police department's SWAT team alongside spotters culled a total of 147 deer from December 2023 to the end of this March.
Their goal was 150, but with the changing weather pattern, they stopped at 147.
The results brought about less car accidents, fewer reports of property damage and other issues.
"If there's an overpopulation of deer, a lot of the deer are starving to death. It's not healthy for them to be here," Savetski said.
The city was permitted to cull at the old Parmadale location off of State Road, the area of Pleasant Valley and Ridge roads as well as Ridgewood Golf Course.
All of those locations became hotspots for wildlife over the years.
The venison from the inaugural cull was ultimately donated to area residents in need.
"One family sticks out. She had mentioned she had five kids, so she was super appreciative that with prices and things being a bit higher, she was able to take advantage of that," Savetski said.
Gottschick says while he understands not everyone may support the culling efforts—he says it boils down to public safety.
"I can understand that it has been an issue. It makes sense. Deer are coming into more suburban areas where they're not going to be hunted," Gottschick said.
Police say this is all part of a five-year plan in conjunction with ODNR.
They say the number of deer culled will decrease each year and there's a specific formula they follow.
The program will resume sometime in October of this year.
