Officials: Urban Deer Hunts a Success

A state wildlife official says urban deer hunts have succeeded at thinning local whitetail populations.

Division of Natural Resources wildlife chief Paul Johansen tells the Charleston Gazette-Mail that the hunts don’t necessarily solve a city or town’s deer problems. But he says the hunts help achieve that goal.

State-sanctioned urban archery hunts in municipalities began in 1996 as a way to reduce deer populations and damage. Eleven municipalities now have urban hunting seasons.

The state extended the hunts to homeowner associations in 2001.

Johansen says urban hunts offer several incentives to increase their popularity among hunters.

Urban hunting seasons open 14 days before the regular archery seasons. They have a seven-deer bag limit that doesn’t count against a hunter’s regular seasonal bag limits.