5.1. SR 09-05-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Elk River REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Agenda Section Meeting Date Administration Se tember 5, 2006 Item Description Consider Special Deer Hunting in City Parks Item Number 5.l. Prepared by effre A. Beahen, Police Chief Reviewed by Introduction The Police Department has been approached by the Conservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources to conduct several controlled hunts in city parks or on city land this fall with the intent to thin the deer population in these specific areas. Discussion The winters in Minnesota have been very mild, resulting in very little winter kill of our native wildlife. Accompanying this is the increased development that continues in our community, moving the wildlife into the remaining areas of habitat-specifically the remaining undeveloped areas and the city parks. The increased numbers of deer that remain in these smaller areas of habitat, have resulted in increased spread of disease, an over abundance of deer ticks, inadequate food supplies and damage to surrounding park property, and residential lawns and gardens. Thinning of these herds is imperative, and must be done in order to maintain a balance of wildlife that can be sustained by the remaining habitat that is available for the increased population. Hunting would be supervised by the DNR, and all participants would be permitted through the Police Department. Only DNR staff, ERPD, city staff or known sportspersons who can be trusted with these special hunts would be allowed to participate. Hunting in city parks would be bow and arrow only. The sludge land off of 165th would be shotgun slug and bow and arrow. All park areas would be closed during the special hunts and clearly posted to prevent park users from entering these areas during the hunts. Hunts would take place during the week, and not on weekends (except for the 165th property) to allow residents to still utilize the parks. Hunting at the sludge site would be coordinated through Gary Leirmoe. Hunters would have to hunt from a tree stand, all tree stands would have to be removed each night, and bows would be required to be covered while entering into and exiting the park area. No hunting would be allowed near any marked or paved trail. The participants would only be allowed to take anterless deer, and would have to "Earn a Buck" by first thinning the herd by taking a minimum of three anterless deer, at which point the hunter would have earned the chance to now take a buck. This keeps the program focused on the c: \Documents and Settings \ tallard\Local Settings \ Temporary Internet Files \ OLKF\Doc1 (2).doc