City Councils the region over have been passing ordinances allowing bow-hunting with few restrictions — a widespread effort meant to curtail the “deer problem.” Those measures transpose into a desperate, violent thrashing against animals. In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international organization, is bringing its efforts to Northeast Ohio in hopes of culling the hunting herd.
“Ohio hunters killed nearly 219,000 deer in 2012 to 2013, but apparently that is not enough for the ODNR, whose only interest is maximizing deer numbers so they can serve as living targets for hunters,” says Anja Heister, director of IDA’s Wild and Free-Habitats Campaign.
Avon Lake, for crissakes, just passed an ordinance that allows bow-hunting all year — including in residential neighborhoods. With a bit of paperwork from City Hall, hunters can now be a part of these “deer culling efforts.” The 365-day window skirts Ohio law and basically opens up a number of undesirable possibilities. Cleveland resident Lane Ferrante, a member of a watchdog group that reports on the state’s urban deer hunting program, says that year-round hunting opens the door to shooting pregnant deer late in the season and leaving newborn fawns alone and starving. There’s also the notion that arrows will fly in sensitive parts of town (areas rife with people and rife with animals that aren’t deer, as well as deer).
City Councilman Dave Kos worked to get an amendment tossed on the ordinance that will notify neighboring residents when bow-hunting will be taking place on nearby properties. From the Chronicle-Telegram’s reporting:
“I’m grateful I got the notification passed because I believe every resident wants to be notified if there is hunting next door,” Kos said. “But how anyone could approve of hunting within 100 yards of a school is beyond me.”
Avon Lake has tried to zip up the legislation somewhat tightly, but a number of concerns abound in the city’s residential neighborhoods. The IDA insists that poaching is a real offense and one that can be prevented through dedicated watchdog efforts.
IDA is looking for photos, video or written documentation of trespassing and poaching. That trespassing element is key, as the ODNR and city legislatures have been locking down rights for hunters via the act of hunting. In return, if the tips lead to a conviction, IDA will dish out $2,000.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2014.
They never really specify what type of poaching convictions – can I still get the money if I turn someone in for poaching eggs? Seriously though, aren’t there like 50 billion deer running around in this area? Sure you can “cull the herd” as much as you want, but when you kill one and it’s replaced by 5, are your efforts really effective? Hope the city likes venison, because we’ll be eating a lot of it. Dibs on any leftovers.
The deer are often pests, destroying public and private property and pose a serious safety hazard. It’s sad that they no longer have a habitat, but I would like to be able to enjoy my home as it was with the deer running around in local forests instead of across my street at night and through my garden. It’s the city that created the problem by allowing new building and destruction of deer habitats and they likewise need to solve the issue or allow residents to solve it themselves. Sitting around idly with my hands tied behind my back while my property is destroyed and my safety is put at risk due to past decisions I had no control over is neither fair nor feasible.
Screw you wackos from Avon Flake, caving in to Ohiya Div. of Wild”Death.” You totally blew it, admit it, when you refused to allow PZP immunocontraception/birth control. Avon Flake COULD HAVE BEEN a pilot for this national program on free ranging deer that has already proven 90 % effective in OTHER states (not repugnican-good-ol-boys OHIYA) and many other mammals for some time. Idiots. Their sheer stupidity confirms what I aready thought: this is the LOCUS of our idiocracy. I will NEVER spend money in your piece of crap, overcrowded idiocracy joke of a town.