Pioneer Press 06/05/2008 04:51:24 AM GMT
Washington County / Hunt to thin parks' deer herd approved
Hunters will thin the burgeoning deer herd in Lake Elmo Park Reserve and neighboring Sunfish Lake Park by as much as half in November. Using aerial surveys, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife managers determined as many as 200 deer live in the three square miles that make up the parks. A healthy population for that area would be 45 to 75 deer, wildlife managers said. "It's the highest we've ever seen it," said Peter Mott, Washington County parks manager of planning and programming. The Washington County Board of Commissioners authorized a deer management plan Tuesday that would call for an organized shotgun hunt in November to remove as many as 100 deer. The board approved the plan as part of its consent agenda, so there was no discussion. The deer are entering and staying in the park to avoid outside hunting pressure and are causing significant damage to trees and shrubs, according to parks officials. The growing population also poses a traffic hazard.
[[keywords: Parks;Living;Metro;]]
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