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Home My WebLink AboutA031 - Motion approving/not approving urban deer hunting in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee ParkITEM #:33 DEPT:P&R October 14, 2025 Staff Report DEER HUNTING IN MUNN WOODS AND EMMA MCCARTHY LEE PARK BACKGROUND: Earlier this summer, City Council received several emails regarding allowing deer hunting in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park (EML). Council referred this matter to the Parks and Recreation Commission as Section 3.602 (5) of Ames Municipal Code states the following: Designation of a Deer Population Management Zone (DPMZ) within City park lands shall be first referred to the City of Ames Parks and Recreation for approval and then may be established by resolution of the City Council. Designation of a DPMZ on other City owned lands shall be by resolution of the City Council. This was discussed at the July 17, 2025, Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) meeting and staff was directed to develop a survey to gather additional information from residents. Staff reviewed survey results with the Commission at its August 21, 2025, meeting. Also discussed was the current City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules (Attachment A). At the Commission's September 18 meeting, staff from Parks and Recreation and Police presented the information contained in this report along with a few options to consider. After discussing this topic, a motion was made to approve deer hunting in a 5.39 acre parcel of Munn Woods (Option 1 presented later). The motion died for lack of a second. A second motion was made to not approve deer hunting in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park (Option 2 presented later). This motion received a second, and passed 6-1. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns of property damage (e.g., landscaping, gardens, vehicles, etc.) that residents are experiencing and understand that deer are an issue in Ames. However, reasons to not approve hunting included: 1) the area being heavily used by residents; 2) Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park being surrounded by residential properties; 3) hunting in this area having little impact in reducing the overall deer population; and 4) the deer will just move to other areas of the community. The Commission did encourage the Police Chief to convene the Special Urban Deer Task Force to review current policies and recommend potential changes to City Council for consideration. It was also encouraged to restart the winter deer counts within the City, which have not been done for several years. Please note that the Commission was only asked to consider hunting in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park. Any changes to policies and procedures must be recommended 1 by the Special Urban Deer Task Force which is described in Section 3.603 of Ames Municipal C o d e . This information is being provided to City Council as it can agree with the Commission's decision or make a motion to approve one of the other options. AMES URBAN DEER HUNT PROGRAM: This program has been in place for many years. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) hunting regulations are followed with some exceptions and/or special requirements implemented through City of Ames ordinance (Attachment B) and the City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules. The City can issue 75 permits each year but the actual number of permits distributed are much lower. The data for the last six years is shown in Attachment C and summarized below: 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Permits Issued 22 21 16 17 20 16 Deer Harvested 22 24 15 15 12 14 Hunters must pass a one-time Bowhunter Safety Course and pass an authorized archery proficiency test with the weapon they will use to hunt within Ames. Additionally, all shots must be made from an elevated stand (minimum 8 feet off the ground) at a deer no more than 75 feet away. Stands must also be located at least 85 feet from any maintained roads, recreation trails, organized activity sites, and at least 200 feet from any residence or building. Attachment D shows areas within Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park that could be available for hunting. DEER SURVEY: A survey was distributed to residents in a variety of ways: 1) emailed to approximately 12,000 people in the Parks and Recreation database; 2) mailed to approximately 1,500 properties within an area bordered by Hyland Avenue, Lincoln Way, North Dakota Avenue, and Ontario Street; 3) included in the Parks and Recreation weekly e-newsletter; 4) posted on the City’s website; and 5) distributed through social media. The survey was designed so only one survey could be completed from a specific IP address. The survey was completed by 1,095 individuals and the results are shown in Attachment E. Respondents were asked for their address so staff could stratify some of the data based on location. Staff also received comments through email and phone calls/messages, and these are shown in Attachment F. Some highlights from the survey include the following: 40.5 % of respondents think the deer population within Ames is a concern, while 27.4% think no, 22.9% think it is a concern in some areas, and 9.3% are not sure. Respondents see deer in their neighborhood daily (37.3%), weekly (30.8%), monthly (13.2%), rarely (14.4%), and never (4.3%). 2 Respondents see deer in their yard weekly (28.3%), daily (22.5%), rarely (19.3%), never (16.5%), and monthly (13.4%). Feeding deer is illegal in Ames however, 2.7% do this regularly with 1.4% of respondents feeding occasionally. 36.9% feel deer are a nuisance in their yard, 15% sometimes, and 48.1% no. Respondents have experienced damage to gardens (33.5%), damage to landscaping (31.8%), vehicle collision (10.5%), none (20.4%), and other (3.9%). Only 17.3 % are aware of local deer management policies, 30.3% somewhat, and 52.5% no. Responses related to what actions are supported (respondents could select more than one response): Urban deer hunting (bow hunting) – 26.4% Public education on coexistence – 20.9% Fencing or repellents – 15.4% Immunocontraception – 12.6% Relocation (hazing) – 10.9% Surgical sterilization – 6.5% No action – 5.2% Other – 2.2% 37.4% favor changing/developing ordinances to control the deer population, 42.3% are unsure, and 19.7% no. 54.1% favor bow hunting as a method, 30.8% no, 13.5% unsure, and no opinion 1.6%. Attachment G Map 1 shows how respondents near Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park answered this question. It appears that more properties adjacent Munn Woods are in favor of hunting than against. For Emma McCarthy Lee Park, more adjacent property owners are opposed to hunting than in favor of hunting. As far as bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential areas, 41.8% yes, 40.1% no, 16.9% unsure, and 1.3% no opinion. Attachment G Map 2 shows how respondents near Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park answered this question. It appears that more properties adjacent Munn Woods are in favor of hunting than against. For Emma McCarthy Lee Park, more adjacent property owners are opposed to hunting than in favor of hunting. Additionally, the survey had an open-ended question to solicit additional feedback from respondents. All comments can be found in Attachment E. Key themes from this feedback are as follows: Supportive of Urban Deer Hunt: Many respondents favor continuing the hunt, citing deer overpopulation, damage to landscaping and gardens, and the need for herd control. 3 Supporters emphasized that regulated bow hunting is a safe and effective management tool when conducted by trained, certified hunters. Several noted the importance of responsibility and accountability, supporting the program if safety protocols are maintained. Opposition and Concerns: A significant number of comments opposed hunting within city limits. Main concerns include: Public safety risks near homes, parks, and trails. Ethical objections to killing deer in urban areas. Belief that deer do not pose sufficient problems to warrant a hunt. Some expressed discomfort with hunting near neighborhoods where families, pets, and recreational activities are common. Neutral or Conditional Views: Respondents referenced personal experiences, including yard damage, vehicle near- collisions, and sightings of deer in residential areas. Others reported no problems and enjoyment from seeing deer. Concerns were raised about pets and recreational users (e.g., dog walkers, runners) in or near hunting zones. Several emphasized that public engagement and feedback should remain central in decisions about expanding or continuing the program. Conclusion: Community feedback reflects a diverse range of views: Strong support from residents prioritizing population management and property protection. Strong opposition from those concerned about safety, ethics, and neighborhood impacts. Neutral or conditional support contingent on strict rules, oversight, and transparency. DEER RELATED ISSUES: The three most common concerns survey respondents have experienced with deer include 1) damage to gardens, 2) damage to landscaping, and 3) deer vehicle collisions. There is no doubt that deer cause damage to gardens and landscaping. However, staff do not have the data to quantify the extent of this damage in Ames. The City Forester was asked if she could tell if Munn Woods is experiencing damage because of deer. Her response was that it is difficult to assess due to the amount of undergrowth throughout the woods. Related to deer vehicle collisions, Attachment H shows the location of collisions for 2023 (77), 2024 (73), and 2025 (28 through August). Using previous years data, it is estimated there will be 65 deer vehicle collisions for 2025. 4 TECHNIQUES TO CONTROL DEER: In the survey, respondents were asked what techniques for managing the deer population they would be in favor of. These techniques, with the exception of bow hunting, would require policy changes and must be recommended by the Special Urban Deer Task Force and approved by City Council. The techniques are explained below for information purposes only. Relocation (Hazing) – This involves different techniques (i.e. noise, dogs, activity, etc.) to get deer to move out of an area. The downside to this is that deer just relocate to another area and they may become a problem for someone else. Bowhunting – This is the current technique used in Ames and described earlier in this document. Immunocontraception – This involves tranquilizing does (female deer) and administering a contraceptive drug. Approval from the IDNR Director and the Natural Resources Commission would be required. In conversations with the IDNR, approval is unlikely as this technique has only proven successful in isolated herds i.e. islands, fenced (8-10 feet high) areas and is not successful in open herds. Surgical Contraception – Does (female deer) are tranquilized and the reproductive system is removed or interrupted. Approval from the IDNR Director and the Natural Resources Commission would be required. In conversations with the IDNR, approval is unlikely as this technique has only proven successful in isolated herds i.e. islands, fenced (8-10 feet high) areas and is not successful in open herds. Professional Hunters – Companies are hired to bring in sharpshooters at night and use night vision goggles and rifles to kill the deer. Iowa City used this technique and had success with thinning the deer herd. They have asked the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) for approval to use professional hunters again and their request has been denied as the NRC wants communities to have a more robust bow hunting program. OPTIONS: Option 1 - Approve hunting only in the 5.39-acre area in Munn Woods as shown in Attachment D. Due to the amount of activity in Emma McCarthy Lee Park and opposition from adjacent property owners, staff does not recommend approving hunting in that park. There is a 5.39 acre section that meets the criteria in the City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules. For reference, an acre is approximately the size of a football field (50 X 100 yards). This would be the first park area that is surrounded by residential properties to allow hunting. If this option is selected, staff will need to request approval to hunt from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation as the City has a Conservation Easement for Munn Woods with the Foundation. Paragraph 4(k) of the easement prohibits hunting or trapping except in cases where there are animals deemed to be detrimental to the personal safety or to the conservation values intended to be protected by this Easement may be removed with prior approval. 5 Many survey respondents favor continuing the hunt, citing deer overpopulation, damage to landscaping and gardens, and the need for herd control. Supporters emphasized that regulated bow hunting is a safe and effective management tool when conducted by trained, certified hunters, and several noted the importance of responsibility, accountability, and supporting the program if safety protocols are maintained. Option 2 - Not approve hunting in Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park. Based on the survey results, respondents are less in favor of bow hunting in residential areas than in non-residential areas. Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park are in a residential area and share a property line with many property owners. A significant number of survey respondents oppose hunting within city limits, cite public safety risks near homes, parks, and trails, have ethical objections to killing deer in urban areas, and believe that deer do not pose sufficient problems to warrant a hunt. Some expressed discomfort with hunting near neighborhoods where families, pets, and recreational activities are common. Option 3 - Refer back to staff to convene the Special Urban Deer Task Force to offer recommendations regarding this issue. Currently, there are no members of the Special Urban Deer Task Force. Should the City Council desire to pursue this option, new members must be appointed, and the task force requested to explore this issue and offer recommendations to deal with this issue. Option 4 - Proceed with a combination of Options 1 & 3 or Options 2 & 3. It should be noted that any recommendations brought forward from the Task Force will likely not be ready until the 2026 hunting season (September 20, 2026, through January 10, 2027). Therefore, a combination of options might be warranted. STAFF COMMENTS: There is a segment of the population that is in favor of bow hunting deer in the park system and feel Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park should be included as a place to hunt. They would like to see the deer herd reduced to minimize or eliminate damage to their property. More property owners adjacent Munn Woods appear to be in favor of allowing hunting in Munn Woods than in Emma McCarthy Lee Park and that is why EML is not included as an option. There is also a segment of the population that does not approve of deer hunting for various reasons. This group feels we should coexist with deer and cite safety as a reason hunting in the parks, especially parks adjacent residential areas, should not be allowed. As the Council reviews the information provided in this report, it must decide what is most important for the community. Is it reducing the deer herd as they are damaging gardens, landscaping, and involved in vehicle collisions, or is it to take no action at this time as deer are a component of the urban wildlife landscape? This is a difficult decision the Council will need to make as both opinions have merit. 6 ATTACHMENT(S): Attachment A - City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules.pdf Attachment B - City of Ames Ordinance.pdf Attachment C - Ames Deer Hunting Data.pdf Attachment D - Munn Woods & Emma McCarthy Lee Park Maps.pdf Attachment E - Deer Hunting Survey Results.pdf Attachment F - Public Emails Phone Calls Messages.pdf Attachment G - Bow Hunting Responses by Location Map.pdf Attachment H - Deer Vehicle Collision Maps.pdf 7 Rules 2025 City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules All participants in the controlled urban hunt must abide by the following rules: Proficiency Test: 1. Hunters must pass an authorized archery proficiency test each year with the weapon they will use to hunt with in Ames. The tests will not allow for any warm up shots and will only allow for a maximum of two attempts each year to successfully complete the test. 2. The test will consist of 20 total shots: ten at 15 yards and ten at 20 yards. The hunter must score at least an 80% in the vital area of a life-sized 3-D target. Similar proficiency testing from other cities will be accepted at the discretion of the Police Department Hunt Coordinator. 3. Tests must be administered by a certified International Bowhunter Education Foundation (IBEF/NBEF) instructor. 4. Hunters must demonstrate that they have passed a one-time Bowhunter safety course administered by the DNR (these are taught by a certified NBEF instructor). Tree Stands 1. All shots must be made from an elevated stand toward a deer that is not more than 75 feet from the hunter’s location. 2. Elevated stands must be at least eight (8) feet off the ground. 3. Stands must be located at least 85 feet from any maintained roads, recreation trails or organized activity site, and at least 200 feet from any residence or building. 4. The elevated stands must be portable with no permanent stands erected. 5. There can be no screw in steps, with no nails or lag screws driven into trees. 6. Tree stands can be erected no sooner than one week prior to local season and must be removed no longer than one week after. General Rules: 1. The Urban Deer Management season is specific to individual deer management areas during 2025-2026. 8 2. Bow hunting hours are limited to those described in relation to the specific deer management zones. 3. After completion of the proficiency test and safety course hunters must obtain a special use permit for the area to be hunted from the Ames Police Chief or Hunt Coordinator at 515 Clark Street in Ames. Hunters must be 18 years of age or older. 4. Hunters must meet with or receive and acknowledge understanding of the detailed instructions from the hunter coordinator or designee. 5. Hunters must comply with the City of Ames Hunting ordinance as well as Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rules and regulations for the State of Iowa. 6. Hunters must know the boundaries of the DPMZ. 7. All bows must be cased while traveling to and from the hunting stand site. 8. The number of hunters allowed in each DPMZ at a time may be controlled and subject to a waiting list to avoid congestion. 9. Hunters are allowed to harvest only antlerless deer per tag (unless issued a special any- sex tag specific to the urban area). 10. Shots shall not exceed 75 feet and must be oriented away from maintained roads, trails, and structures. 11. Hunters must be aware of what is downrange and always attempt to retrieve arrows. 12. A hunter shall not dispose of deer entrails on public property. 13. All deer taken shall be processed for meat or the meat given to charity. 14. A hunter who wounds a deer and is unable to locate the deer shall report to the Ames Police Department (515-239-5133) within three (3) hours of the wounding. 15. Hunters must always carry their Iowa hunting license, proof of paid habitat fee, and special use permit. 16. A hunter shall not harvest more than three (3) deer in a single day under a DPMZ permit. A state license shall be required for each deer. 17. If necessary to cross private property to access a DPMZ, permission first must be received by the hunter from a property owner who has agreed to allow access. 18. Hunters must remove themselves immediately from any harassment situation and contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133. 9 19. Hunters must cover harvested deer or have them enclosed so they are not visible when transporting from hunting area/zone. 20. Deer management notification signage will be posted in parking lots and other appropriate locations within each identified park or public area during the authorized bow hunting season. 21. Hunters must report any violators to these rules to Ames Police Department at 515- 239-5133. 22. Hunters found in violation of any of these rules or any DNR regulations will be subject to having their permits revoked. Authorized Deer Population Management Zones (Hunting Areas) NON-PARK / PUBLIC AREA Wooded City property south of the Hunziker Youth Sports Complex: Weekdays: One-half hour before sunrise and ending at 11:00 AM, September 20 to November 14 Weekends: No hunting until November 15 Daily beginning November 10, DNR legal hunting hours (following the conclusion of the youth sport season) City property north of the landfill in east Ames off Watt Street: DNR legal hunting hours beginning September 20 PARKLAND AREAS South River Valley Park: Weekdays: One-half hour before sunrise ending by 4 PM September 20 to October 24 (hours not used by sport leagues) Weekends: One-half hour before sunrise ending by 8 AM, September 20 to October 26 (hours not used by sport leagues) Daily beginning October 27 DNR legal hunting hours (following the conclusion of sport leagues) Gateway Park: Restricted to the west timber Daily beginning September 20: DNR legal hunting hours 10 Homewood Golf Course: Daily following course closure for the season (anticipated closure October 31) Inis Grove Park: Daily beginning after the close of Homewood Golf Course-limited locations designated by Parks and Recreation staff. All dates subject to adjustment by the Ames Police Department for safety related issues. Hunting may be temporarily suspended by the Ames Police Department in any location for safety-related reasons. Reporting Harvest: Hunters must have their deer checked within 12 hours after harvest at the Ames Police Department, 515 Clark Avenue (park on the east or west side of City Hall and walk into the Police 24 hour lobby entrance on the north side). Date of harvest, location and basic information about the deer will be gathered when you check the deer. Deer must be checked in to provide herd management information and to qualify for an incentive license (see Urban Hunt Buck Incentive License Format information). Data is important to the overall success of this hunt and we will keep a tally. Additional Locations-Non-City Property Additional hunting locations can be approved if they are at least three (3) acres in size and all landowners or those in control of the property agree to allow participation. Properties will be classified by the hunt coordinator into one of two types: 1. Primarily Agricultural or Wooded area 2. Residential area (Residential areas are subject to additional review requirements including notification of all property owners within 400 yards and signature approval from all property owners within 200 yards of the proposed stand.) Applicants must submit a map and any additional rules proposed for the property to the Ames Police Department, Urban Deer Hunt Coordinator for review. If approved, property owners must sign a participation agreement. Hunters must have written permission to hunt the property in their possession. All other Urban Deer Management rules apply unless waived by the property owner and, in writing, by the Hunt Coordinator (Police Department). Properties included in the urban deer hunt shall be marked with one or more signs indicating that bowhunting may occur on the property. 11 DIVISION VI. HUNTING 3.601. PURPOSES. For the purposes of preserving ecological integrity by controlling animal populations within the city corporate boundaries and adjacent communities, providing recreational opportunities for residents, and the overall health, safety and welfare of the general population, this section hereby declares that it shall be unlawful for any person to engage in hunting activity within the corporate city limits using a rifle, shotgun, bow and arrow or any other means either on public or private property, on land or in the water, except as in this division. 3.602. HUNTING IN DEER POPULATION MANAGEMENT ZONES. Hunting is permitted within an area designated by the Iowa department of natural resources (DNR) as a special deer management zone and which has been designated as a City of Ames deer population management zone (DPMZ) by a resolution of the city council and subject to the following provisions: (1) Hunting in a DPMZ shall be limited to the harvesting of antlerless deer. The city manager or designee may authorize an issuance of licenses for the harvesting of antlered deer under an incentive program authorized by the DNR. (2) Hunting shall be limited to bow and arrow and shall be restricted to dates and hours established by the DNR. The city manager or designee may issue regulations to shorten the dates and hours for hunting within a DPMZ. designee. (3) The number of permits issued for each DPMZ shall be fixed by the city manager or (4) All hunters participating in this program must apply for and receive a City of Ames DPMZ permit. In order to receive the permit, a hunter must present a valid state of Iowa special urban deer license and show proof of the following: (a) Successful completion of a one time bow hunter safety education course approved by the International Bowhunter Education Foundation (IBEF). (b) Successful completion of an authorized archery proficiency test using the bow that the hunter will use to hunt. Testing must be administered by a certified IBEF instructor. Testing must be performed under rules approved by the City of Ames Special Urban Deer Management Task Force. The proficiency test must be successfully completed each hunting season. (5) Designation of a DPMZ within city park lands shall be first referred to the City of Ames Parks and Recreation Commission for approval and then may be established by resolution of the city council. Designation of a DPMZ on other city owned lands shall be by resolution of the city council. 3.603. SPECIAL URBAN DEER TASK FORCE. There is established a Special Urban Deer Task Force, which will meet periodically to review the policies, procedures, effectiveness, and recreational benefits of urban bow hunting. (1) The task force shall consist of the following: (a) One or more representatives the Iowa Sate University with expertise in animal ecology, entomology, or other relevant fields. Resources. (b) A wildlife management specialist from the Iowa Department of Natural (c) A representative from the Izaak Walton League. (d) One or more representatives from Neighborhood Groups or Associations in City Deer Management Zones. (e) A representative from the Story County Conservation Board. (f) A representative from the City of Ames Animal Control office. (g) A representative from the City of Ames Police Department (h) A representative from the City of Ames Parks & Recreation Commission. (i) The City’s hunter coordinator. (2) The Task Force shall provide a report to the city council every five years concerning the status of the urban deer population and to make recommendations for changes in the policies and procedures regarding urban bow hunting. (Ord. No. 4443, 08-24-21) (3) The city manager or designee shall appoint the Special Urban Deer Task Force. (4) The city manager or designee, upon recommendation of the Special Urban Deer Task Force, may promulgate additional regulations, not inconsistent with this section, to administer this program and or ensure the safety of the public. (Ord. No. 3891, 09-26-06) 12 Sup #2021-4 3-19 Rev. 10-1-21 DIVISION VII. FEEDING OF DEER Sec. 3.701. FEEDING OF DEER. No person may place any salt, mineral, grain, fruit, or vegetable material outdoors on any public or private property within the City limits for the purpose of feeding deer. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, salt, corn, apples, cabbage, potatoes, acorns, oats carrots, beets, straw, hay, fodder, or any combination thereof. No person shall intentionally feed, or cause to be fed food or other substances for the consumption of deer. (1) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that either of the following acts are for the purpose of feeding deer: (a) The placement of salt, mineral, grain, fruit, or vegetable material in an aggregate quantity of greater than one-half gallon at the height of less than 6 feet. (b) The placement of salt, mineral, grain, fruit, or vegetable material in an aggregate quantity of greater than one-half gallon in a drop feeder, automatic feeder, or similar device regardless of the height of the material. (2) This section shall not apply to the following situations (a) Naturally growing materials. Naturally growing grain, fruit or vegetable material, including gardens, ornamental plants, and residue for lawns, gardens, and other vegetable material maintained as a mulch pile. (b) Bird Feeders. Unmodified commercially purchased bird feeders or their equivalent used only for the purpose of feeding birds. (c) Authorized by the City Council or the Special Urban Deer Task Force. Deer feeding may be authorized on a temporary basis by the City Council or the Special Urban Deer Task Force for a specific public purpose as determined by the Council or Task Force. (Ord. No. 3933, 12-04-07) 13 2019 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 6 6 2 1 1 3 19 Button Buck 2 2 Antlered Buck 1 1 Total harvested in zone 8 6 2 1 1 1 0 0 3 22 Permits Issued 22 # of hunters harvested deer 10 2020 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 4 14 1 1 1 1 22 Button Buck 0 Antlered Buck 1 1 2 Total harvested in zone 5 14 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 24 Permits Issued 21 # of hunters harvested deer 10 2021 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 5 1 0 1 3 0 10 Button Buck 0 Antlered Buck 1 1 1 2 5 Total harvested in zone 6 1 0 2 1 0 5 0 0 15 Permits Issued 16 # of hunters harvested deer 7 2022 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 6 3 2 3 1 0 15 Button Buck 0 Antlered Buck 0 Total harvested in zone 6 3 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 15 Permits Issued 17 # of hunters harvested deer 7 2023 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 5 1 4 1 0 11 Button Buck 0 Antlered Buck 1 1 Total harvested in zone 5 1 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 12 Permits Issued 20 # of hunters harvested deer 7 2024 Ames Urban Deer Hunt Report Type of deer harvested Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone4 Zone 5 West Ames Private Private Property S. Duff Private N.Dakota Private Overall Deer Harvested Anterless 7 1 3 0 1 0 12 Button Buck 1 1 Antlered Buck 1 1 Total harvested in zone 7 1 2 0 3 0 1 0 0 14 Permits Issued 16 # of hunters harvested deer 4 14 5.395.39 0.20.2 0.220.22 0.940.940.160.16 2.742.74 1.191.19 0.280.28 0.140.14 0.070.07 0.010.01 0.560.56 Sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community, Sources: Esri, Maxar, Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen, Rijkswaterstaat, GSA, Geoland, FEMA, Intermap, and the GIS user community City of Ames - Munn Woods | Emma McCarthy Lee Memorial ¯0 620 1,240310Feet Trail/Shared Path Buildings Courts/Playground Parking Lot Parcels Trail/Shared Path (85ft) Buildings (200ft) Activity Areas Parking Lot (85ft) Green Space (Acres) 15 DEER SURVEY RESULTS 1. Do you think the deer population within the City of Ames is a concern? • Yes – 442 o Where – 175 open responses (see below) • No – 299 • In Some Areas – 250 • Not Sure – 101 2. Do you believe the deer population has increased, decreased, or stayed the same in the last 5 years? • Increased – 537 • Decreased – 38 • Stayed the Same – 300 • Don’t Know – 218 3. How often do you see deer in your neighborhood? • Daily – 407 • Weekly – 336 • Monthly – 144 • Rarely – 157 • Never – 47 4. How often do you see deer in your yard? • Daily – 244 • Weekly – 307 • Monthly – 145 • Rarely – 209 • Never – 179 5. Do you feed deer on or near your property? • Yes – 29 • No – 1000 • Occasionally – 15 16 6. Do you consider deer a nuisance in your yard? • Yes – 402 • No – 524 • Sometimes – 163 7. Have you experienced any of the following due to deer? • Damage to Gardens – 573 • Damage to Landscaping – 545 • Vehicle Collision – 180 • None – 349 • Other – 66 o Please specify – 18 open responses (see below) 8. Have you taken any of the following steps to deter deer from your property? • Installed Fencing – 313 • Used Deer Repellents or Spray – 346 • Planted Deer Resistant Plants – 412 • Used Motion Activated Devices – 109 • Stopped Gardening or Planting – 204 • None – 454 • Other – 37 o Please specify – 12 open responses (see below) 9. How often do you visit or walk through Emma McCarthy Lee Park/Munn Woods: • Daily – 79 • Weekly – 191 • Monthly – 179 • Rarely – 453 • Never – 185 10. How often do you visit or walk through Brookside Park: • Daily – 36 • Weekly – 150 • Monthly – 276 • Rarely – 533 • Never – 93 17 11. How often do you visit or walk through Moore Memorial Park: • Daily – 30 • Weekly – 92 • Monthly – 151 • Rarely – 554 • Never – 263 12. How often do you visit or walk through Inis Grove Park: • Daily – 19 • Weekly – 107 • Monthly – 197 • Rarely – 562 • Never – 205 13. How often do you visit or walk through River Valley Park: • Daily – 16 • Weekly – 76 • Monthly – 147 • Rarely – 476 • Never – 372 14. Are you aware of the local policies regarding deer management? • Yes – 187 • No – 569 • Somewhat – 328 15. If you are unsure about local deer management policies, where would you go to ﬁnd information? • Contact Ames Police Department – 34 • Ask a Friend – 44 • Call Parks and Recreation – 108 • Send an email to Parks and Recreation – 77 • Ask a question on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page – 17 • Go to Parks and Recreation Website – 709 • Other – 80 o Please specify – 74 open responses (see below) 18 16. What actions would you support to manage the deer population? • Public Education on Coexistence – 467 • Fencing or Repellents – 344 • Immunocontraception – 282 • Relocation (Hazing) – 245 • Surgical Sterilization – 145 • Urban Deer Hunting (Bow Hunting) – 591 • No Action – 117 • Other – 49 o Please specify – 24 open responses (see below) 17. Are you in favor of changing/developing ordinances to control deer population? • Yes – 407 o What – 189 open responses (see below) • No – 214 • Unsure – 467 18. Do you support the use of bow hunting as a method of deer population control in the City of Ames? • Yes – 591 • No – 336 • Unsure – 147 • No Opinion – 18 19. Do you support bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties within the City of Ames? • Yes – 456 • No – 437 • Unsure – 184 • No Opinion – 14 20. Please provide any additional comments related to deer management practices within the City of Ames. • 522 open responses (see below) 21. What is your address in Ames, Iowa? 19 DEER SURVEY OPEN RESPONSES The responses below are as submitted 1. Do you think the deer population withing the City of Ames is a concern? Where? (175 responses) 1. 13 th st underpass, ontario rd Toronto st Lee park area, kingman rd area North Dakota at the bottom of the hill 2. 13th Street near Furman AC. 3. 24th street 4. Ada Hayden 5. Ada Hayden, Mc Carthy Lee, along Skunk river 6. Ada Hayden, Munn Woods, Homewood 7. Along 13th street there are frequent crossings 8. Along 13th/Ontario 9. Along Clear Creek for sure 10. Along creeks and streams and some parks and wilderness areas. 11. Along hwy 69 12. Along Hyland by tye hill on Pammel 13. Along Ontario north of Emma McCarthy Lee 14. Along Phoenix in west Ames 15. Along railroad that runs between Ridgewood and Northwestern 16. Along south State street and West Mortensen, deer cross the road without warning in the evenings and it can be a concern, though I'm not sure if it's the level to warrant control. Worth looking into, though. 17. Along the Greenbelt along College Creek, including McCarthy Lee and Munn Woods 18. Along the river valley E13th area 19. along the Skunk River and Ioway Creek 20. Although I see deer in multiple areas (campus, north Ames, and west Ames near Munn Woods) I am especially aware of the increasing number of deer in the Munn Woods area. 21. Area surrounding Homewood Golf Course 22. Areas around Ames High School.... spreading out into residential neighborhoods between thw H.S. and Northwestern Ave. 23. Around Ada Hayden 24. Around all the wooded parks 25. around campus hyland area 20 26. Around Emma McCatrhy Lee park. 27. Around the golf courses, and many of the parks 28. Around the high school and Fellows School 29. Away from center of town. 30. Behind the state forest nursery and in the ﬁelds behind crystal street 31. Brookside Park, Munn Woods, Along the Skunk River (Homewood to 13th Streets park lands) 32. By 13th street west of childserve area/river area 33. Certainly in our neighborhood which is on the south side of Munn Woods and EMLee Park 34. City limits, roadways especially 35. Close to Emma McCarthy Lee park and Munn Woods 36. Crestwood Circle 37. Dover Drive 38. E 190th St 39. East of Duff 13th through 28th, near the old Carr Pool park and the golf course 40. East River Valley Park, Munn Woods, Emma ML Park, near Furman Aquatic Center 41. Edge of town: 20th street and Meadowlane(Car Park area); Near parks such as Emma McCarthy Lee, etc. 42. EML 43. Emma Mcarthy Lee Park 44. Emma McCarthy 45. Emma McCarthy area 46. Emma McCarthy area. 47. Emma McCarthy Lee Park and deﬁnitely Munn Woods 48. Emma McCarthy Lee Park and up onto 13th st. The deer like to cross the road in multiple areas. 49. Emma McCarthy Lee Park area 50. Emma McCarthy park, Lincoln way just west of hyvee west, north of Tripp st, and other places 51. Emma McCarthy/Pamel Woods/Hyland Area 52. Everywhere 53. Except for heavily populated and dense neighborhoods, I see deer virtually everywhere around town. 54. Franklin avenue 55. Franklin, Hyland, ISU campus 56. Generally around city parks (Brookside) and wooded areas. 57. Gunderlandn Heights 21 58. Heavily residential areas where children may be passing through 59. Highway 69 corridor 60. Hunziker pool area 61. Hyde Avenue north of Bloomington Rd 62. Hyland Ave 63. Hyland ave, North Dakota ave, and 13th street. 64. Hyland Ave. 65. Hyland Avenue, Oakland Street, Woodland Street. We seen deer in my driveway at 4126 Aplin 66. Hyland St area 67. Hyland to South Dakota 68. I chose not to community garden on the south 4th community garden plots years ago due to deer eating pretty much everything. 69. I have seen them on Duff Ave by Homewood and on 13th Street by the cemetery and the river. 70. I leave near Munn woods. 71. I live near Inis Grove and deer can be seen walking through our neighborhood at times, though foxes more so. I also see deer at various other places when driving around town. 72. I only know about the McCarthy Lee Park area as I have a couple family members that live over there 73. In my backyard. 74. In my neighborhood, within a block of Emma McCarthy Lee Park and Munn Woods 75. In our neighborhood it’s an issue - Canterbury Ct 76. In the Ada Hayden area - speciﬁcally on Hyde that goes all the way up to Gilbert 77. in the densely wooded areas 78. In the Parkview neighborhood 79. Large Parks 80. larger wooded parks 81. Moore Park; Northcrest Complex 82. Most locations in edge of town & near larger wooded parks. 83. Most notable near campus 84. Munn Woods 85. Munn Woods 86. Munn Woods 87. Munn Woods / Emma McCarthy Lee Park 88. Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee Park have an over abundance of deer. I worry about the balance of the ecosystem and the forest being able to regenerate. We 22 literally see deer every day and we live on Arizona Circle backing up to the Munn Woods. 89. Munn Woods and Gateway Hills 90. Munn Woods and N Dakota Drive 91. Munn Woods, Ames Middle School, and North of Sawyer Elementary is where I've ran into them the most 92. Munn Woods, Carr Park and North of Ontario St. 93. Munns woods 94. munns woods 95. My backyard 96. My front yard 97. My guess would be mostly near streams and the Iowa & Skunk, but also in wooded areas. We have had quite a few in our back yard beginning last fall. I do not mind them at all. They are beautiful animals and we do not garden so I am ﬁne with them. 98. My neighbor hood which is south of Brookside Park 99. Near Ada Hayden Park 100. Near any creek or river, which includes many of the city parks. 101. Near Emma McCarthy Lee Park and Munn Woods 102. Near Homewood golf course 103. near Munn Woods / Emma McCarthy Lee Park 104. Near Ontario, 13th street and the neighborhoods surrounding Emma McCarthy Park 105. Near our house: 3321 Canterbury Court 106. Near Pammel Woods 107. Near skunk River. East of Ada Hayden 108. Near the High School. We have deer in the front and backyard on McKinley Circle. 109. Near the larger parks 110. Near the parks where the deer live. 111. near Venker Golf 112. near wooded areas and on the perimeters of the city 113. near wooded parks, streams and along railroad tracks where deer move 114. Neighborhood around Oakland Street 115. Neighborhood bordering and in Brookside Park 116. Neighborhoods that back up to/are surrounded by heavily wooded areas 117. north & west Ames 118. North Ames 119. North Ames 120. North Ames 121. North by the high school, south on the way to Huxley. 23 122. North half and edges of town for sure, I don't have as much experience with other ares 123. North side of Ames near Moore Park area 124. Northeast along Skunk River Corridor, Brookside Park 125. Northridge 126. northridge 127. Northridge 128. Northridge area 129. Northridge, Emma McCarthy Lee and Munn Woods areas 130. Northwest Ames 131. Northwest Ames from the intersection of Stange and 24th as you go west and north. 132. Not sure, but it has deﬁnitely increased in my neighborhood (Meeker area) 133. Oakwood Road 134. Off 13th St in west Ames, near railroad tracks in large ﬁeld. Also near Furman acquatic center in ﬁelds. 135. on hyland, ontario, 24th street 136. Ontario to Lincoln Way area, north end of Hyde/Grant, green areas by north Duff Ave 137. outside of town 138. Parks 139. Parks 140. Parks, fringe neighborhoods and now in areas where deer aren't usually seen. 141. Populations seem high near Ada Hayden & Brookside, but I am not an expert and not intimately familiar with other parks around the city 142. Quebec Street 143. Ross Rd, Phoenix, North Dakota, 144. See some at Moore Park, Homewood Golf Course 145. Skunk river valley 146. South Beach, Ashmore, Gaskill Drive 147. South Campus Neighborhood 148. South side by airport road, north of campus off Ontario and up by stage road and Washington carver 149. Southeast Ames, around the sports ﬁelds south of Hwy 30 150. Stone brook 151. Stone Brooke and around Ada Hayden Park 152. The area around Munn Woods 153. The country roads in the outskirts of town 24 154. There are a handful of resident deer in my very residential neighborhood. I also feel that I see an increasing number throughout my morning commute within Ames city limits. 155. There are a lot by south dakota, particularly in the woods on the west side. My biggest concern is that they will be hit by cars on that busy road 156. Turn by University and 6th St 157. West Ames 158. West ames 159. West Ames 160. West Ames 161. West Ames in wooded areas 162. West Ames near McCarthy Lee Park 163. West Ames near Munn Woods, Emma McCarthy lee park 164. West Ames/Munn Woods 165. West side 166. Where ever there is a woods 167. Where the streets are busier like Ontario near Stange. 168. wherever they are destructive 169. With parks along the rivers in Ames. 170. Wooded areas 171. Wooded areas 172. Wooded areas 173. Wooded neighborhoods 174. Woodland Street by Oakwood Forest 175. Woodland Street near Emma McCarthy Lee Park. Summary: Deer are frequently seen throughout Ames, especially near wooded parks, creeks, and on the edges of town. The most commonly mentioned areas include Munn Woods, Emma McCarthy Lee Park, Ada Hayden, and along 13th Street, Hyland Avenue, Ontario Road, and North Dakota Avenue. Residents report sightings in residential neighborhoods near natural areas, parks, and golf courses. Deer are also often seen along major roads, near schools, and within backyards. The overall pattern shows deer are present across much of the city, with the highest activity in north and west Ames, and near stream corridors like the Skunk River and Ioway Creek. 7. Have you experienced any of the following due to deer? Other, please specify. (18 responses) 25 1. Eating plants, but coffee grounds and human hair work as repellent 2. I have a fence with green space behind it. I frequently deer in the green space in the morning and the evening. 3. In Michigan we hit a deer who was being chased across a road by a hunter in full gear. 4. Injured fawn across the street. Called the animal shelter three times but they never came out and they said because of wasting disease they were not in any hurry to deal with it. 5. Lost a few potted plants and bird feeders have been emptied. But very rarely the last few years. 6. Near collisions 7. Near miss traffic accident 8. Near misses deer on roads 9. Near misses on a lot of the streets in various neighborhoods 10. Near-miss vehicle-deer collisions 11. No collisions, just some close calls 12. None of the above and I love seeing them 13. Nuisance 14. Occasional sightings in prairie beside Furman 15. saw a deer with a broken leg dangling by a shred of skin trying to get across N Dakota Ave heading up the hill towards Ontario. 16. Standing on bike pathways causing potential injury to me. 17. They eat my birdsees. 18. They eat the hostas at times, I don't mind. Summary: Overall, the responses reﬂect a balance of safety concerns, minor nuisances, and appreciation for wildlife, with vehicle-deer interactions being the most commonly mentioned issue. 8. Have you taken any of the following steps to deter deer from your property? Other, please specify. (12 responses) 1. Dogs in the yard 2. I have big dogs (not because of deer) 3. I would like to shoot them. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4. Installed cheep temporary chicken wire type fencing around the plants they were interested in 5. Netting over apple trees 6. Noise 26 7. Plant netting over vegetables 8. Removed bird feeders 9. Removed squirrel feeder / corn in front yard. Next door neighbor Removed bird feeder from patio area adjacent to my lawn area. 10. Used red pepper spice/cayenne on plants. 11. We have a fence for our dogs, but this is not due to deer. Not sure if relevant to data collection, but wanted to offer clarity for informed decision-making 12. We love the 3-6 deer group that visits us regularly. We don’t mind that they munch some hostas every now and then. I plan to incorporate both deer resistant and some plants that they can eat in our landscaping. Summary: Overall, residents use a combination of physical barriers, natural deterrents, and removal of food sources to manage deer. While some view deer as a nuisance, others appreciate their presence and are open to coexisting with them. 15. If you are unsure about local deer management policies, where would you go to ﬁnd information? Other, please specify. (74 responses) 1. Animal control office 2. Ask DNR 3. ask my next door neighbor, who happens to be an Ames City Councilwoman 4. Ask neighbors who are knowledgeable in that regard 5. Ask the neighborhood text group 6. Before receiving this survey I had no idea that the city had a deer management policy. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to even ask. Because so many of my neighbors are anti-hunting of any animal, I assumed the city would also be anti- hunting. 7. Call City Hall 8. call city hall for info 9. call city to ﬁnd out who to talk to 10. Call DNR 11. Call the city office, I wasn't aware Parks and Rec handled this 12. Check city website for ordnances or other rules. 13. City council 14. City of Ames legal code 15. City of Ames offices 16. city of ames web page and google 17. City of Ames website 18. City of Ames website 27 19. City of Ames website 20. County Staff or DNR 21. Dnr 22. DNR 23. DNR 24. DNR 25. Go to City of Ames website 26. Go to the City’s website 27. Google 28. Google 29. Google 30. Google 31. google 32. Google 33. Google 34. Google 35. Google 36. Google 37. Google "Deer management, Ames, IA" 38. Google it 39. google or the library 40. I don’t know. I didn’t know there were policies. I’ve called the police at least four times when a deer has been hit on Hyland Avenue in front of our house. 41. I would check the Ames website but would not know which department. 42. I would get direction from city administration offices 43. I would Google it 44. i would look online, searching for "Ames, Iowa deer management" or contact the City of Ames main # to ask where to obtain more information. 45. I'd call City Hall and let them direct me 46. Id start looking at Iowa DNR website, didn't know APR did that 47. Internet search/basic information discovery 48. Iowa Department of Natural Resources 49. Iowa Dept Natural Resources 50. Iowa DNR 51. Iowa DNR website 52. Its basically pointless. Ames has so poor management of deer its pathetic 53. Look at DNR website, Animal Control website 54. look it up 28 55. Look online at City of Ames to locate information. 56. Look online ﬁrst, then call APD 57. Look up online 58. my city council member 59. N/A 60. Not aware where to ﬁnd information. 61. Nothing 62. Online Ames to report problems 63. On-line information from Extension Service 64. Probably "Animal Control" - did not think about P&R or police 65. Probably would type it into a Google search ﬁrst, then go look at City sites 66. Search City of Ames online sites for information. 67. Some sort of city wildlife management/animal control 68. Story county 69. Story County Conservation or DNR 70. Try to ﬁnd on city website 71. Unkown 72. Visit the APD webpage 73. Visit the City of Ames website ﬁrst. 74. Wildlife services in our community Summary: People mostly rely on the City of Ames website, Google searches, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for information about deer management. Many also consider contacting City Hall, animal control, or city officials, while some ask neighbors or use community networks. However, several respondents were unaware of any existing deer management policies or where to ﬁnd details, indicating a general lack of clear information and awareness about who handles deer issues in Ames. 16. What actions would you support to manage the deer population? Other, please specify. (24 responses) 1. Aggressive population cull. 2. Cannot select multiple options: public education, urban deer hunting 3. City needs to get involved. I do not want untrained, under educated, inexperienced people out with bows. Too many people walk in woods. 4. Could not select multiple, recommend hunting as sterilization would take long time. 5. Didn’t allow me to choose more than one 29 6. Didn't let me choose more than one. I support public education on coexistence; limited urban bow hunting though have some safety concerns, possibly some immunocontraception. Relocation but where? 7. Fencing or repellants, Urban deer hunting (bow hunting), and Relocation (hazing) 8. Form not generated correctly (can't check all that apply); Public education is important, however some population management is likely necessary; can become major pests and dangers if left unchecked. Bow hunting could meet human and deer pop needs 9. Hunting is ﬁne, but I worry that bow hunting can possibly be too painful to the deer. 10. I am really not sure - I don't enough about some of these. I am not for urban deer hunting though. 11. I cannot "check all that apply", so public education; fencing, and relocation, depending on the area in question and the amount of deer present 12. I could not check more than one but support education and bow hunting and with more education re pros, cons and practicalities, could support the last two. 13. I don’t know 14. If necessary immunocntraception 15. It would only let me pick one -so I chose other - support hunting, relocation and immunocontraception 16. Lengthen deer season and increase the number of tags per hunter. 17. Public education on not feeding the deer (one neighbor feeds the deer & then the deer are more likely to come through our neighborhood more often) 18. Question only allows you to check one. I support relocation, immuno, contraception, and anything else the council thinks is a good idea, except I’m not that thrilled with the idea of people hunting with bows in city limits 19. survey didn’t allow me to check all that apply. hunting and sterilization are my choices 20. This isn’t a multiple answer question (you can only select one) - I support hunting and immunocontraception 21. This question only allows one answer, fyi. Whatever is humane for the deer and does not damage plants 22. This question says check all apply, but only allows a single answer to be selected, so here are my selections: Public education, urban deer hunting, surgical sterilization, immunocontraception 23. Uncertain of current policies and challenges 24. You can’t pick more than one on this question although it says “ all that apply” but I would be all of the last 4. 30 Summary: Many residents are uncertain where to ﬁnd information about deer management in Ames. Most say they would check the City of Ames website, Google, or contact City Hall, Animal Control, or the Iowa DNR. Several were unaware the city had a deer policy at all. Regarding deer management actions, respondents support a mix of strategies, including: • Public education • Urban bow hunting (with some safety concerns) • Sterilization or immunocontraception • Relocation • Fencing and repellents Overall, residents prefer humane, informed, and multi-faceted approaches, and many want better communication from the city about existing policies and options. 17. Are you in favor of changing/developing ordinances to control deer population? What? (189 responses) 1. (Coexist with control) If your property is within 500' radius of an area where urban bow hunting is allowed, then fencing to exclude deer from yard, landscape beds, or garden may exceed fence extent and height limits otherwise stated in City Code. 2. require developers to carve out more green space for wildlife and people. Wildlife is too compacted now 3. Hiring hunters to cull herds (Iowa City's option); 2) Expanding the urban dear hunting season and allowing ﬁrearms for tested individuals, also allowing families to combine lots to hit minimum targets; 3) closing Munn Woods/Emma McCarthy for snipers, 4. A sustainable harvest would be an excellent way to reduce the deer population in my neighborhood. 5. Adaptive measures responding to changes in population 6. Add more city parks to the hunting list and getting rid of the 200 yard permission rule 7. Adding more city parks areas to the bowhunting approved areas as well as re- evaluating private property hunting rules to make it more accessible to control those areas. 8. Adding more deer hunting locations 9. Additional hunting 10. Additional hunting to remove individuals from the population. There is no natural tree regeneration outside our fence. The forest ﬂoor is leaf litter because the deer eat everything. Causes problems for erosion and wildlife. 31 11. Allow bow hunting 12. Allow bow hunting on a permanent basis to qualiﬁed ( skillful) hunters; monitor the population and cull diseased animals 13. Allow controlled harvesting. Employ prescribed burning to allow additional food resources to sprout. 14. allow higher/more fencing. 15. Allow homes to have taller fences. Put exclosures in parks to let native plants grow back. Allow hunting. Sterilize the deer. 16. Allow hunting 17. Allow hunting 18. Allow hunting in munn woods 19. Allow hunting on private property 20. Allow more bow hunting 21. Allow more bow hunting opportunities. 22. Allow more opportunity for hunting. Will not participate because not many areas for urban hunt access without limited hours for hunting 23. Allow more urban bow hunting 24. Allow people to get rid of deer on their property. 25. Allow selective harvesting 26. Allow urban deer hunting(archery only) in much larger areas within the city limits and reduce the perimeter distance required for obtaining neighbor permission. 27. Allowing urban hunting would be okay with me as long as we don't overhunt the deer. We probably aren't close to that point, but without proper care, we could easily get there. 28. Allowing/expanding urban hunting 29. An annual survey of the deer population should be completed; bucks should be harvested annually; an a minimum number of deer should be allowed in the city. Currently the population is not managed well and controlled for size. 30. Animals, like people, should have freedom. Nature itself will regulate them. 31. Any effort via public or sharpshooters, taking by bow or gun, would be supported. If the population is still difficult to manage then darting does to control annual growth would also be successful if the general public isn't supportive of culling. 32. Any harvesting 33. Any way to reduce the population of deers 34. Anything that will attempt to keep the deer population from growing further. They are a complete nuisance. 35. Are the housing developments north of Ames causing deer to relocate and to seek food in north Ames? 32 36. Bow and crossbow hunting 37. Bow hunting 38. Bow hunting 39. bow hunting 40. Bow hunting 41. Bow hunting 42. Bow hunting 43. Bow hunting 44. Bow hunting 45. Bow hunting allowed 46. Bow hunting and sterilization. 47. Bow hunting could be acceptable if *strictly* regulated and *only* when monitored by appropriate authorities. 48. bow hunting inside Ames City limits 49. Bow hunting is ﬁne with me. 50. Bow hunting on private property 51. Bow hunting or brining in a company to thin the population. 52. Bow hunting seems reasonable 53. Bow hunting, i.e. hunting dear for the entertainment of the hunter, can never be acceptable to anybody! Change all ordinances in Iowa to disallow bow hunting!!!! 54. Bowhunting 55. Break up and interfere with movement pathways and routes. 56. Can I bow hunt deer in my yard? 57. Discontinue bow hunting within urban areas. Continue bow hunting in Ames undeveloped public land near or adjacent to highway 30 and 35 as well as western border of Ames. 58. Do not allow feeding or placement of salt blocks. 59. Do something. 60. Don't feed them or provide salt licks. Allow bow hunting. 61. Eliminating 62. Establishing a plan for the Emma McCarthy area 63. Expand areas where urban hunting can occur. 64. Expand bow hunting 65. Expand bow hunting areas 66. Expanded hunting and a research study on the use of sterilization and contraception. 67. Fall, breeding herd reduction. 33 68. Finding ways to maintain ecosystem balance. I don’t want deer starving, dying of disease or getting maimed in vehicular accidents. 69. Fine people catch feeding the deer 70. Fines for feeding deer. More locations allowed to hunt deer with bow. 71. Hire professional deer hunters 72. Hiring professionals who carry insurance and are knowledgeable about urban hunting. 73. Hunt them 74. hunt them all, get rid of them. feed to the hungry through church orgainzations 75. Hunting 76. Hunting 77. Hunting 78. Hunting and relocation to wooded areas around the state. 79. Hunting for consumption 80. Hunting in more areas, such as the Veenker Golf Course and the adjoining forest owned by ISU. 81. Hunting to control population 82. hunting within city limits 83. I am in favor of hunting and immunocontraception. There are far too many deer and it's bad for the forest, the people, and probably the deer. 84. I am ok with bow hunting as long as it is safe 85. I am open to ANY changes in policy that would result in fewer deer in my neighborhood/yard. 86. I do not know: I believe that any within-city management must be humane, and bow hunting within City limits is worrying. I witnessed a neighbor w/ 3 deer heads ready for taxidermy on his front driveway off Ross Road and I will never forget the sight. 87. I support any humane mitigation efforts necessary to better control the deer population. 88. I support bow and gun hunting. 89. I think it's a safe thing to bow hunt when populations are high. This is done in many other cities and does help a lot. 90. I would like to avoid killing them. We enjoy the ones that live in Brookside Park and visit our yard that backs up to the park. They do us a huge service by eating the acorns that fall in our yard. The fawns are adorable! 91. I would support ANY change that promises to reduce the number of deer hording through my yard. I do not need any of them! 92. I would support any changes that would control the number of deer in the city that doesn't put the citizens of Ames at risk. 34 93. I’m not sure. I would need to research what has worked elsewhere. Hunting is a start. 94. If deer are a problem, we should be able to ﬁnd a proactive solution. 95. If deer reach level x, only level y remain in that area. 96. I'm not really sure what the existing policies are. But I think that people should not be allowed to feed deer. 97. Implementing more aggressive measures to reduce the urban deer population in Ames 98. Imunocontraception 99. Increase bow restriction within the city 100. Increase opportunities to hunt safely. Bow �� is pretty easy and fage to integrate. 101. Increase the scope of bow hunting 102. Increased urban bowhunter access 103. Inner city bow hunts especially along waterways and ﬁelds 104. IT isn't clear to me that there is a "deer management" policy that reduces deer population in Ames. Deer are overpopulated in the state and they create risk for Lyme disease. Cull the population. 105. Learning the safest ways to do so 106. Let people hunt them 107. Let people shoot them. 108. Liberalizing hunting rules 109. Limited hunting 110. Make it easier to harvest deer within city limits. Requiring complete removal of all parts of the deer from the ﬁeld precludes folks who live in apartments from harvesting city deer. Hunters should only have to remove edible portions from the ﬁeld. 111. Make urban bow hunting less restricted in terms of rules of transport of animal and equipment. 112. Mirror of Polk County/Des Moines program 113. Monitor deer population health for communicable diseases. If overpopulation leads to an unhealthy herd, hire certiﬁed marksmen to reduce numbers 114. Monitoring populations, control with bow hunting if needed. 115. More areas to hunt within city limits that make sense. 116. More bow hunting 117. More bow hunting areas for hunting and control 118. More Bowhunting 119. more bowhunting, more DMZ Tags 120. More hunting 35 121. More hunting 122. More hunting 123. More hunting 124. More hunting 125. more hunting in my area 126. more hunting to manage the population, I like seeing them…just not so many 127. More opportunities to eliminate them. 128. More penalties for feeding deer, especially hand feeding as some are becoming dangerously tame. 129. More urban deer tags 130. More urban hunting, stricter control and education on wildlife feeding. 131. Nee more aggressive measures 132. Need to do yearly controlled hunts or allow residence to kill them if they are on property. 133. No sterilization or contraception, programs are exceptionally expensive and do not work at large areas or for the long term. Bow hunting can be easily regulated, hunters are required to take a skills and competency course to participate, and low cost 134. Not sure 135. Not sure the best method of control, but something must be done. They are a total nuisance. 136. Now hunting 137. ongoing hunting in safe areas with well posted signs for hijers 138. Open hunting for a limited weekend at designated area. Work w dnr to allow surrounding area depredation tags 139. Open more areas to bow hunting 140. Open more city property for the urban hunt. Make hunting private property less restrictive to get approval from city to hunt. 141. Open more hunting areas. Less restrictions on hunting private property 142. Open to any suggestions 143. Ordinance against feeding deer; ordinance permitting hinting 144. People let their lawns get very overgrown. I'm not sure if this attracts deer or not, but it makes it difficult to walk dogs on sidewalks. If unmowed lawns attract deer too, then that's another reason to enact or enforce mowing laws. 145. PLEASE do something to reduce the deer! They have cost me thousands of dollars in damages! 146. PLEASE: Drastically reduce the numbers of deer in (and near) the city limits!! As soon as possible. 36 147. Professionals to cull herds. Do not want unpaid dear hunters roaming Munn woods and accidently hitting a house or person 148. Provide more habitat for wildlife. Dedicate more space for wildlife. There are areas along the rivers that are planted to row crops that would be prime habitat for wildlife and would also protect our waters better. 149. Public education, restrictions on feeding and interacting with deer, birth control, relocation 150. Question 16 only allows one response 151. Relocation and more signage along heavy routes. I am NOT in favor of bow hunting within the city. I enjoy seeing the deer herds whenever I walk in Munn Woods. It is nature happening before your eyes. 152. Remove the distance one has for allowing bow hunting. 153. science based along with more public education 154. See above. Not unusual to see 3-5 sets of deer grazing on a drive through Trail Ridge, Hickory, and Woodland St. Any time of day. Deer have eaten plants right by my front door. Can get within a few feet of them. They just stare and graze. 155. See question 16. 156. Shoot them and furnish meat to hungry 157. Shutting down public spaces for periods of time to allow hunting or means of culling the deer population 158. Stop neighbors from feeding deer. 159. Tagging and tracking the herd population and keeping it to a sustainable level. The woods are not sufficiently feeding them and the neighborhoods are getting stripped. Coexistence at this level isn’t working. 160. Tell people to stop feeding wild animals. 161. The previous question did not allow me to check all that apply but all of the deterrents listed, I'm in favor of 162. There are no natural population controls due to lack of predators. The herds need to be culled for a healthy ecosystem. 163. There are SO MANY. I think if there were less, it would be better. 164. There needs to be more hunting of deer in Ames. 165. They are destructive pests and their numbers are out of control. There's no mgmt for them in city limits due to lack of hunting. 166. Track deer collisions with vehicles to inform areas that need to be managed more closely, implement a regular deer population monitoring practice and set goals for deer population, track travel patterns of deer to divert them to more appropriate areas 37 167. Try to reduce deer populations since they have few predators and over population becomes a problem. 168. Unknown 169. Update and expanding urban bow hunting ordinances 170. Urban bowhunting if not already allowed 171. Urban deer hunting 172. Urban deer hunting 173. Urban deer hunting 174. Urban deer hunting with regulation 175. Urban hunting 176. Urban hunting 177. We live across from Ines Grove park. The deer have practically eradicated our hostas. It is becoming harder to have a vegetable garden. This is an Iowa problem. I am a deer hunter and can control the population on my farm 178. we need to decrease the population. decreasing pop will beneﬁt the deer and the people. 179. We should eradicate them by any means necessary. 180. What about all of the Geese in town that make a mess on every sidewalk neat a body of water & contaminating the back up water supply at Ada Hayden. 181. Whatever gets rid of them 182. Whatever it takes to get (and keep) the deer population down. They're out of control 183. Whatever it takes to keep deer out of our yard! 184. Whatever it takes. 185. Whatever it takes. 186. Whatever will effectively lower the population. 187. Whatever works! 188. Work with ISU to control the population in Pammel woods and "YMCA" woods. The deer in the Mccarthy Lee Park and Munn woods travel back and forth between these areas. 189. yard brush regulation with penalties; feeding prohibition with penalties; sterilization, hunting, etc. Summary: Widespread concern about deer overpopulation, citing frequent property damage, road safety issues, forest degradation, and the increasing boldness of deer near homes and public areas. 38 The most commonly supported solution is expanding urban bowhunting, with many calling for reduced restrictions, such as allowing hunting in more parks and private properties, removing the 200-yard neighbor permission rule, and increasing hunting seasons and tags. Some residents also support professional sharpshooters or limited ﬁrearm use in designated areas. While lethal control methods received the strongest backing, many residents also advocated for science-based and humane alternatives like sterilization or immunocontraception, though cost and feasibility were concerns. There were calls for increased habitat preservation through city planning, including requiring more green space in developments and restoring natural vegetation in parks. Enforcement of no-feeding ordinances, allowing taller fences, and educating the public were also recommended. A smaller group opposed hunting within city limits due to safety or ethical concerns and preferred non-lethal options. Overall, residents strongly urged the city to take action—emphasizing that the current deer population is unsustainable and disruptive to both people and the environment. 20. Please provide any additional comments related to deer management practices within the City of Ames. (522 responses) 1. "Adjacent" - how close is adjacent to residential properties? The poop in the yard is a problem as well. 2. #13 we’d go more often, but the ﬁring range shot scare my dog. #16 won’t let me check all that apply. I would also support public education and coexistence. We lived in Mason City prior to 2017 and had many deer, it was worth giving up my hostas to be able to watch the beautiful herds. 3. A neighbor at 3318 Woodland Street feeds the deer regularly in his backyard, drawing them to our neighborhood every day--mostly in the evening--but we see them wandering around at all parts of the day. Please request that he stop feeding the deer. 4. A non-negotiable issue with bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential neighborhoods is the fact that there are TONS of elementary & middle school aged kids out there exploring, ﬁshing, and playing and they would likely not be aware if they were in danger. Kids don’t always enter the woods through designated paths and may go straight through a backyard or other entrance off the beaten path. I don’t think you could properly notify people of the danger before they enter the woods. My kids go into the woods at least a few times per week and I see kids on bikes with ﬁshing poles almost every day. If I knew there was hunting in the woods near my house I would probably not let my kids go ﬁshing at all since I wouldn’t know when it 39 is safe and when it is not safe. The deer don’t bother me and the kids deserve to have access to the outdoors as much as possible. Additionally, if a person were hit while ﬁshing, cross-country skiing, or just walking they may have difficulty ﬁnding help. 5. Absolutely against 6. Absolutely no hunting of any kind should be allowed in any of the parks. It's too unsafe for both humans and pets - horrible idea! 7. Accidents happen even when hunters wear proper attire. Allowing bow hunting within city limits in parks, where people are not wearing reﬂective clothing, puts more people at risk of serious injury or death. 8. Ada Hayden isn’t mentioned, but it should 9. Add 1 to public education for coexistence(it wouldn’t let me pick multiple). Just from a glance at ICAT, it looks like the total number of animal related crashes has been increasing over the past few years. It looks like it’s holding pretty steady at a handful of crashes a year around Munn/Emma. You might open it up there. Would I love to go deer hunting at Veenker? Yes, but I think Moore Memorial is “rural” enough that opening it up to hunting isn’t going to have a huge effect on property damage from collisions. It might be a good idea to open it up anyway just to help prevent CWD spread. In terms of reducing the number of collisions, I think to get the biggest bang for your buck is to hammer Gateway. A lot of those ICAT incidents are on US30 around there. 10. Add the Gateway Park to list of parks where deer management is needed 11. All of these parks are high traffic. None of the parks within the city limits should allow bow hunting. Period. 12. Allow more areas to urban archery hunt deer and reduce the perimeter distance required to obtain neighbor permission. 13. Allowing bow hunting in Emma McCarthy park is a VERY BAD IDEA. Houses surround the park, and it has a small footprint. People use the park at all times of day. People walk through Munn Woods and EMPark in all seasons. Many children play in the park, woods, and stream. It's dangerous to allow bow hunting in such a residential area. Please please don't allow it. 14. Allowing hunting in more areas will require educating people within those areas. However, over 3 years, 1 doe (female deer) will have 1-2 fawns. The second year, the same doe and her two fawns have 1-2 fawns. By year three, 1 went to 6+ that are being bred and have fawns. Therefore, the population increases way faster than it is controlled. Ethically harvesting deer through bowhunting can control populations in more areas if they are made available. This prevents speciﬁc locations from being 40 drastically overpopulated. This also prevents disease, habitat, and yard degradation and other negative factors from occurring. 15. Allowing hunting in munn woods and or introducing natural predators. 16. Allowing hunting in the city limits is insane. It sounds extremely dangerous and completely unnecessary. 17. Allowing the deer population to balloon does not only increase car/deer collisions and create damage to gardens and landscapes, eventually it makes the deer population vulnerable to major disease outbreaks. 18. Ames need to get on the ball. The deer are not any where extinction so lets get rid of them. 19. Animals, like people, should have freedom. Nature itself will regulate them. 20. Any type of hunting would be dangerous within city limits, most of these parks are constantly visited by children. 21. Are there any statistics or data that could be provided on the deer population in these areas? How am I to make a decision based only on my observation? 22. As a bow Hunter, I believe it can be safe and effective form of deer control. We witness approximately 8-12 deer/car collisions if front of our house annually 23. As a resident of West Ames, it is unusual if I don't see multiple deer daily. I have seen accidents and have found bones of deer that have been hit (broken legs) and they have healed, it I am sure it was incredible painful. And I have seen deer that have been hit and both legs have been broken, and it is so hard to see. I just think we have an overpopulation of deer. 24. As an avid trail walker in Ames, I would need to be made aware of hunting area locations and safety procedures. 25. As grandparent of kids who thoroughly enjoy exploring Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee park and Brookside park, I am very much opposed to any type of hunting, no matter how restricted it is, in city parks. My grandchildren and I enjoy any opportunity that we get to observe deer and other animals in the “wild”. Most importantly, there is the safety element. If bow hunting is allowed in our city parks, I would not allow my grandchildren to visit the parks or to go jogging during the “hunting season”. 26. As helpful as it is to know public support for deer management, I urge the council to prioritize the opinions of topic experts. Ames is in no short supply of wildlife ecologists, and I differ to their consensus as I hope you will. 27. As I left in a comment before, I only support bow hunting if it is done in a controlled and supervised manner. For example if a certain day(s)/times were designated for appointed hunters to do it and the park(s) were closed to the public during those times, and these times were communicated to adjacent residents. The frequency I 41 observe deer in the neighborhood and our garden change quite a bit with the seasons! I see them often in the winter at bird feeders and on the streets. In late summer I see does with fawn(s) in the backyard. A few years ago, all my hostas had been practically moved to the ground by deer, I believe it was a particularly dry summer. 28. As I say, the deer do not bother me at all. They are pretty used to people and will often lie in our back yard and snooze in the warm summer afternoons. We even see them occasionally sleep the night in our back yard, which is also ﬁne. Our back yard opens on to the SW Athletic complex and there is a good sized stand of trees on the ISU CC course and I suspect they spend some time in there and move down our back fence line grazing away. 29. As long as the public is made aware of where the bow hunts are going on. What parks, and what hours, I would stay away from said area, and walk elsewhere 30. At various times during the year we have groups of deer coming through our yard and eating vegetation. They are enjoyable to watch at times but they can also be a nuisance. Some control would be good. 31. Because of urban growth and development wildlife species get pushed out of habitats, however, deer and others become opportunistic feeders. I think education about urban wildlife is important, and urban thinning of deer population is humane (meat can be donated ) Could it be handled case by case with vetted hunters handling urban deer removal?? Safety for both the animal and community is most important. 32. Bow hanging should not be used in parks adjacent to residential properties since sometimes we go into our woods to take care of our properties near the park and it’s very dangerous if people start hunting. Sometime our dogs go off leash unintentionally and I don’t want people to accidentally injure our dogs or neighbor dogs. We should not be needing to be afraid of going to the wooded parks or staying out of our properties to enjoy the nature even the urban bow hunting would be a short periods. I have not seen any increase in deer populations in the last 7 years near the Lee park or Munn woods. I see them in ISU forestry or brookside but not at concerning levels neither. Occasional bow hunting maybe needed but not in the parks. 33. Bow hunting at a Park sounds like an accident waiting to happen!! They has to be a better solution than hunting inside city limits. 34. Bow hunting concerns would be poor aim resulting in painful injury to the deer (I have seen a deer with an injured leg in our neighborhood), and possible mistakes of injury to humans and other animals/pets. I don’t mind sharing with local wildlife. I support the most conservative efforts at population control, if it’s even necessary. 42 35. Bow hunting in Ames came to the attention of citizens when the program was initiated and was widely disapproved in residential areas and parks. Much stricter rules were applied as a result of public concerns. When a deer hunting committee was still in place, we received data regarding ﬂyover surveys of deer populations as well as counts of deer harvested by geographical area. As I recall, the number of deer harvested per year was between 10-15 mostly from undeveloped public land near south 16th. I would support the continuation of bow hunting in undeveloped public lands to reduce auto/deer incidents on highways. However, I am adamantly opposed to expanding bow hunting to parks. Hunters and the public are a dangerous interaction and is unnecessary as hunting is unlikely to result in any signiﬁcant reduction in deer population. 36. Bow hunting in city parks would create a signiﬁcant safety hazard to children, pedestrians, hikers, pets, and other wildlife. Any type of hunting opens doors for injury or accidental death due to loss of control of the weapon. The use of bow hunting can and most likely will lead to non lethal injuries to the deer, causing prolonged and unnecessary suffering at some point. Our parks, especially those like Emma McCarthy Lee park are supposed to be safe places for humans and animals to coexist, where we can learn to appreciate nature and animals, and where animals can feel safe and respected. If there is a need to control deer populations within our parks, I don’t believe bow hunting is the best way to do it. 37. Bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties should be highly controlled and regulated for safety, but I think it would be a useful management practice. 38. Bow hunting in town seems dangerous to the human population. One dead child would be too many. 39. Bow hunting is a safe and effective way to keep the population in balance to urban life styles. But more areas have to be hunted to prevent over population as the deer herds migrate to less pressured areas. 40. Bow hunting is cruel and should never be considered as a "management" practice! It kills the deer and taints the soul of the "hunter." Please, we have enough violence in our society already! 41. Bow hunting is inhumane and stone age in this day and time. It gives kids all the wrong messages, particularly the concept that animal torture is condoned and even encouraged. Good grief Ames GET A CLUE! 42. Bow hunting is permitted adjacent to any neighborhoods, I believe each house should have a note posted on their door prior to “dear season“ announcing what the dates are. 43. Bow hunting is very safe, however, I believe bow hunting within city limits should require passing a proﬁciency test. 43 44. Bow hunting needs to be done safely. It would be unacceptable for a pedestrian to be hurt in a Ames park by a bow. 45. Bow hunting on private property with bow, if the meat is to be consumed 46. Bow hunting should be allowed in all major parks/wooded location in town. Signs should be posted for public awareness regarding hunting being allowed and legal. Also any harassment of hunters will be met with a heavy ﬁne. 47. Bow hunting should not be allowed in munn woods 48. Bow hunting should only be allowed if the population reaches high enough levels to be causing signiﬁcant property damage. Also only experienced bow hunters should be allowed to participate. 49. Bow hunting with ample advance notice to the neighborhood and only during a restricted period. Would like these to be professional hunters. Question 14 would not allow me to give multiple responses. I would be in favor of any method that reduces the number of deer. We are past the point of coexistence. I hope you will use science regarding the health of Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy Lee and not make this decision based solely on a public opinion poll. 50. Bow hunting would have to be extremely carefully controlled in city limits to avoid accidental injury. Teenagers and foragers often move through the woods and could be hurt . 51. Bow hunting zones need to be expanded. The current zones are small, difficult to access, and ineffective. The DNR provides a good program and framework but the city has made it functionally ineffective by the councils restrictive policies. Ames citizens also have the responsibility to protect their own yards from deer. Ames has urban-wildland interfaces and it is unreasonable for anyone to expect they can keep out all inconvenient wildlife, or that it is the cities responsibility to do so. 52. Bow hunting, as I understand it, is permitted in several park areas where human traffic is limited and deer populations are large. You didn't ask about Ada Hayden Park, which I frequently visit. Many people walk there, so hunting should be restricted. 53. Bowhunting is a great tool. Glad it is offered. 54. Certain parks that don't have a lot of residential homes close could allow other types of hunting besides bow. Emma, Brookside, River, Innis, if the park is temporarily closed and # hunters limited. I'm not sure how successful the bow hunting is. Seems like we need to do something more drastic. 55. Children play in the parks and often cut through the woods in various places that adults don't even think about. I can't believe bow hunting is even a consideration and puts people at far more risk then the deer pose. When we do see deer in the 44 neighborhood, parks, or woods - it's very exciting for our family and is what makes living in Ames special. 56. City needs to get involved. I do not want untrained, under educated, inexperienced people using bows where people walk. 57. Concerned about deer ticks and Lyme disease a little bit. Concerned about human injury or death with bow hunting. 58. Concerned about the safety of the community or those using the park if hunting is permitted. The deer add to the park ambiance and it would be a shame if they were eliminated as they are a great feature of the park. We often have deer in our yard, and that is why we chose the property we did. 59. Concerns about safety while hunting 60. Could the hunting be at speciﬁc times? I’d hate to lose the option of ever walking through the woods. 61. Culling via hunting should only take place to manage overpopulation as it relates to environmental balances and environmental management. I do not believe it should be used to protect personal or private property (including commercial). Culling deer because some people feed them, and because they are attracted to gardens and property, is not an environmentally viable reason to take lives unnecessarily. People and businesses can take other steps to prevent deer on their property, but it is not the fault of the deer themselves because they exist nearby. 62. Current practices are insufficient to control the population in the Ontario neighborhood. The effect on gardens and the landscape leads to a blighted neighborhood, with beautiﬁcation efforts constantly being undermined by the wildlife nuisance. The deer interfere with enjoyment of the outdoors, particularly when household pets are considered. On top of that, the population has clearly exceeded carrying capacity for this type of environment, with deleterious health effects becoming an unavoidable future without some sort of increased mitigation. 63. Current rules for hunters, locations, permissions, notiﬁcations, and gathering data all look pretty comprehensive. 64. currently deer population is way to comfortable and don't run or hide from humans and can be an issue as they will get very close. 65. Dear Director of Parks and Recreation, I am writing in response to your letter regarding the Urban Deer Bow Hunt program in Ames. I strongly disagree with this initiative. I believe it is both cruel and dangerous, especially in areas where people walk, exercise, and enjoy nature. Allowing hunting within city limits poses serious risks to public safety. There are more humane and responsible ways to manage the deer population, such as relocation, wildlife contraceptives, or improving natural 45 barriers. I urge you to reconsider this approach and prioritize solutions that respect animal life and protect Ames residents. Sincerely, Cristina Pardo 66. Deer are a big problem for our gardening and landscapeing at 4110 Quebec. 67. Deer are a huge nuisance and we have deer damage worse than friends and relatives who live in rural areas. There are no natural predators within the city and the population of deer keeps growing. They have caused so much damage in our yard that we can’t really have much of a vegetable garden without creating a fortress around it. Deer have eaten the ﬂowers from pots by my front door. Near misses on collisions on Ontario Road and Ross Road. Really a problem in our neighborhood. 68. Deer are a minor nuisance in our news neighborhood near Edwards Elementary, but in our old neighborhood just west of campus, deer herds of 15 or more were in our backyard on a daily basis. The population is way too big. It badly needs to be controlled. 69. Deer are a road hazard on Woodland St. They have become much more numerous the past couple of years. All of my shrubs and small trees have fencing to protect them for grazing and or breakage and rubbing. I gave up having a garden and all plants selected must be deer resistant. I use loud noise to frighten them and other means. 70. Deer are completely out of control in our neighborhood near Emma McCarthy. It is dangerous and costly We have spent thousands of dollars on plantings that have been destroyed by the deer. We need a more aggressive, but safe management policy. 71. Deer are out of control in Ames. They go everywhere and eat anything they want. They are the biggest destructors of our gardens and landscape. 72. Deer are people too 73. Deer bow hunting for the past several years has been ineffective and should be discontinued. Deer hunting should never be allowed in residential areas. 74. Deer do a lot of damage to trees and vegetation in our yards. They are pretty animals and fun and interesting to watch. 75. Deer do not impact our property. I do understand that close by, it can be a problem for many. I want to be supportive of those who are impacted by deer, and those seeking to ﬁnd a solution. 76. Deer eat our apples 77. Deer graze in my yard often when I don’t see them, as evidenced by damaged vegetation. I doubt daily but most likely more often than weekly. 78. Deer have eaten a few of my ﬂowers and they sometimes tear up the lawn, that's it. No big deal. My children and grandchildren enjoy them. We certainly do not need to have bow hunters in our parks. 46 79. Deer hunting is a good solution IF the focus is on lowering the population. There are a lot of small to medium sized deer that need culling. The intent of the hunting needs to be to cull the herd, not bag a big buck for the wall. 80. Deer in Ames are a Huge problem. I joke sadly that if I don’t hit a deer or nearly getting out of my neighborhood I’m good for my entire forty ﬁve minute commute. 81. Deer management is a problem in Ames. I look forward to learning more about the options. I don’t know enough about the type and effectiveness of hazing, sterilization or contraception to express an opinion about those methods. I can’t leave a bird feeder out overnight and bring it in each night. Adding hot pepper to discourage them eating seed but is a hassle. 82. Deer management should be done only for safety reasons...not just to protect gardens. I am against killing the deer by any means. 83. Deer need a predator to keep their population in balance. We like deer but understand their population can grow beyond what is sustainable. If bow hunting is allowed it should be strictly regulated to ensure that the hunters know what they are doing. 84. Deer occasionally walk up and down our road eat ﬂowers and fruits but not a nuisance. Bow hunting seems ﬁne if for meat not just sport. 85. Deer often eat native plants while also avoiding invasives. Sometimes this makes it difficult to establish native plants. 86. Deer were here ﬁrst learn to coexist 87. Deer within the city of Ames present a serious traffic hazard to drivers because they unexpectedly run out in front of vehicles. This happens frequently in Northridge, and is much worse at twilight and evenings. 88. Disallow all bow hunting in Ames! Please call a city=-wide meeting before you change any hunting regulations for the city! 89. Do we have to limit ourselves to "deer management"? What about total extirpation? I would love to bring in a pack of wolves to hunt them to extinction in Ames, or better yet, Story County. 90. Don’t understand why hunting deer to control the population is such an issue, and why the parks/rec director is so timid and tentative to take action with affected areas. Here’s Urbandale’s plan; they’ve been implementing it for years to control deer. https://www.urbandale.org/587/Urban-Controlled-Bow- Hunt#:~:text=There%20is%20also%20an%20inviolate,land%20for%20hunters%20t o%20utilize 91. during a short season with well marked signage! 92. Educate people so they don’t feed wild animals. Vet bow hunters. 47 93. Education to coexist within different species. Children and families visit the parks daily. Any kind of hunting is a menace for our children. 94. Feeding deer should be banned in Ames. Feeding deer may contribute to overpopulation and could facilitate the spread of chronic wasting disease. 95. For Munn Woods speciﬁcally, I think hunting needs to be done. Just one herd near the Hickory access was at 14 does and young last summer and it's even larger this year. There are going to be some miserable starvation deaths the next time we have a harsh winter at that herd size. I would also support harsher penalties for intentionally feeding deer, especially as I suspect some people are hand-feeding based on the deer's behavior. 96. For sure something needs to be done!! 97. fully support decreasing population and allowing hunting of deer in the city to do so. hunting seems to me the only reasonable way to decrease population. 98. Gig'em!! 99. Glad this is being looked into for deer management purposes, at my address we rarely have any problems but where there are wooded areas, this needs to be monitored in my opinion. 100. Happy to see this survey 101. Have you lost your minds? Who are these people who want to bow hunt in city parks? City parks are a respite for the community. NOT A HUNTING GROUND. Somebody will get offended by a dead deer - or the blood left behind after a kill. This is nonsense. Tell the old white men who want to do this to ﬁnd another hobby. Hunters have plenty of places to hunt. There is an incredible Vet med school here. Maybe partner with them regarding the best method for deer control. Keep them out of our parks. 102. Having hunters in these parks, even with bow seems insane. We walk and hike in these woods all the time. 103. How do you keep residents safe with bow hunting in the woods? 104. How in the world could bow hunting be safe in a residential park?!? 105. How safe will it be to walk in wooded parks if hunters can potentially mistaken person for a deer? 106. Hunters would need to be qualiﬁed and certiﬁed in some way for safety concerns. 107. Hunting is a start with possibly donating the venison to a shelter or distributing it to the public for free. Obviously, the problem is a result of lack of predators and ideal habitat that supports reproduction. There should be a concern about low, genetic diversity in the local deer population potentially leading to disease. 108. Hunting within city limits and within parks sounds like an invitation to hunting accidents. I’m very much against it. 48 109. I am from the Ross rd neighborhood and I would remind the commission that not too long ago (7-10 yrs) we had this exact issue to address. Back then we accumulated hundreds of signatures from around the city that opposed bow hunting in Emma McCarthy Lee park. Moreover some members went down to the park and measured distances from trails, parking areas, shelters and homes and found that there was only an area of about 400 square feet where hunting could even take place. I urge you to look back in your records and review the opposition to bow hunting in Emma McCarthy Lee in the past. Thank you for your attention to this matter sincerely Sheila Coady 110. I am a bow hunter, and I hunt on private property, however, there are bow hunters that are looking for places to hunt and ﬁnd it difficult to ﬁnd private property to hunt on. Having the option of hunting on public property, such as parks in Ames, could be a beneﬁt both to local bow hunters and deer management. 111. I AM ABSOLUTELY AGAINST BOW HUNTING IN AMES PUBLIC PARKS !!!!!!! We often walk in Emma McCarthy Lee woods and live adjacent. These are relatively narrow woods, with centralized paths, with not all that much distance on either side. Please contact ISU statistician Alicia Carriquirri (Ames) for her more precise measures taken last time this crazy proposal came up. The VERY LAST thing we need to worry about in these already worrisome times is some careless hunter shooting someone with a bow and arrow. Who is going to comfort a child for a lost eye, or for a lost parent? Moreover, permitting inexpert bow and arrow hunters to shoot at and wound deer who then run away to die long slow deaths is horrendously cruel. These are beautiful social animals who live in family groups. When I mentioned some time ago to my out-of-state relatives that Ames was considering allowing bow and arrow hunting in public parks, they uniformly thought we had lost our minds. Maybe some of us have. 112. I am afraid that bow hunting would pose a danger to people walking through the parks including children. 113. I am against hunting unless it is for survival 114. I am always nervous when hiking in the fall when I hear shots in nearby areas due to hunting. 115. I am an archery deer hunter originally from Council Bluffs, IA. They use urban deer hunting as part of their urban deer population control and it has been very successful. Maybe look at their program for guidance. 116. I am concerned about deer welfare and using the most humane methods for coexistence. 49 117. I am far less concerned with a deer eating my garden than I am with deliberately killing animals that aren't hurting anyone. I trust them to not hurt other residents way less than I trust people that want to hunt them. 118. I am ﬁne with urban bow hunting but perhaps a special set of safety materials would be beneﬁcial when someone gets a permit to do it. Just some common sense stuff about not shooting into someone’s yard. City might post signs when it’s bow hunting time in those areas etc 119. I am in favor of allowing hunting but not spending tax dollars on contraception or other measures. 120. I am in favor of controlling the deer population. We moved into our house on Oakland St. in 2006. At that time, there were few deer in the neighborhood and it was rare to have them in our yard. In the past 8-10 years, the deer population increased yearly. For the past 4-5 years, we have deer in our front and back yard on a daily basis (in the morning, evening, and overnight). We are now unable to plant anything in our yard; the deer eat everything- even deer resistant trees, shrubs, plants, and ﬂowers. For the past 5 years, the only thing that protects the plants or bushes in our yard is to put netting over everything. The moment the netting is torn off by the deer, our landscaping is decimated. We, and others in the neighborhood, are at a loss as to how to protect our gardens, plants, bushes, and ﬂowers. 121. I am mostly glad to coexist with the deer though know some neighbors more annoyed with the deer in their gardens. Actually I tend to see foxes more frequently than deer this season. If bow hunting allowed in Inis Grove, I do walk there on an almost daily basis and don't need to end up at the hospital myself (or the morgue). 122. I am not concerned about seeing deer every day on my walks in wooded areas, such as Peggy's Trail or River Valley Park. But I see them in my neighborhood, or in my yard, almost daily. They are cute and it's always special to see them. But they are constantly eating my garden, despite all the precautions I've taken to try to keep them out. 123. I am not interested in allowing bow hunting in any City parks. It seems too likely that accidents will happen and people will be endangered. However, I acknowledge that there are probably areas within Ames where it would be appropriate/safer to allow now hunting in certain wooded or prairie areas that are not actively used by humans, especially children. 124. I am opposed to all forms of hunting 125. I am opposed to hunting of any sort anywhere near the parks we walk in. 126. I am opposing to the Deer Bow Hunt program because this is not only inhumane but also is a high risk for people who use public spaces for walking, recreation, and 50 relaxation. Introducing or increasing hunting activities within city limits could endanger residents and create a sense of fear in our community. 127. I am pro- now hunting. But not in city areas nor in forests that are parks and/or are adjacent to residential areas. That seems like too much unnecessary risk of a human being harmed. 128. I am strongly against hunting in public city parks that I visit with my child. I do not believe the deer population is a nuisance and, if it was, a license to kill is not the best solution. 129. I am STRONGLY opposed to bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties. In addition to being dangerous to humans and pets, bow hunting is a cruel practice where injured animals can wander off to die a slow death. This same issue came up about 15-18 years ago. At that time, my husband took the time to measure the allowable hunting area in Emma McCarthy Lee park once distance between hunters and trails, constructions, etc. was considered, and found that -- following those rules -- all that would be available to hunters were something like 200 sq foot. Deer populations are CYCLICAL. The ebb and ﬂow in numbers vary seasonally, and also depend on the environment that surrounds Ames, e.g., availability of food. As we continue to encroach into their territory, deer have fewer choices. I ﬁnd that seeing deer and other critters in the neighborhood is one of wonders of living in Ames. Those who wish to be isolated from wild life, might consider moving away from city parks. 130. I am unsure because I would need to hear about all the safety measures that would be taken for urban deer hunting. I do think that there are way too many deer for the area to support, especially in Munn Woods. It is very common to see several deer grazing in the surrounding neighborhoods, even in the middle of the day. 131. I am upset at neighbors who seem to still feed deer directly or indirectly by excessive bird feeding. Actually, any wild animal targeted feeding tends to create problems with rodents and raccoons. If individuals want to compost their food and cooking leftovers, these need to be done without indirectly feeding wild animals and attract them into neighborhoods. 132. I appreciate that the City is conducting this survey. I love nature and appreciate the role, dear have to play in a healthy ecosystem. Unfortunately, there are no natural predators of deer living in the Munn Woods. The deer not only make it impossible for us to garden and eat our hostas, tomatoes, and peppers, but they also eat the saplings in the forest. I worry about the forest regenerating naturally and I think the deer pressure will distort the forest ecosystem. So, I support bow hunting in my backyard or the City property adjacent to our yard, even though I am not a hunter. I 51 feel like we’ve distorted the ecosystem, so we should try to manage it as naturally as we can. 133. I appreciate the city staff and all the great work they do! PLEASE add to the conversation- land that can be dedicated to wildlife for habitat, that can help clean up our polluted waters and make us more resilient by diversifying the variety and amount of wildlife. There is a corn/soybean ﬁeld directly west of the south Skunk River along 13th street that would be prime land for wildlife habitat and would be a buffer to help ﬁlter/clean water that is ﬂowing into our waterways. The Tedesco Environmental Learning Corridor was a win for ALL living creatures. Let's do more of that work, PLEASE. 134. I appreciate you addressing this issue 135. I believe allowing Bow Hunting within the City Limits is a very dangerous, but easy way to kill. I believe it is an accident waiting to happen. I can see an innocent person be shot and killed. There has to be a non-kill options. I enjoy seeing the dear herds roam down the street or side walk aa they head to Sawyer School yard and back again. We all need to appreciate nature at its best right in our back yards, or front yards. Maybe the City can use some land to make a wildlife park and move any overcrowding to the wildlife park. You can then allow bow hunting in this park, which should be located a bit away from neighborhoods populated withh young families. 136. I believe bow hunting in parks is unnecessary and would create more risks than beneﬁts. Allowing it could introduce serious liability issues and raise concerns for parents. Parks should remain safe, welcoming spaces where kids and families can enjoy nature without worry. 137. I believe deer hunting is a good practice however I am very concerned about the people especially kids who walk through Emma McCarthy Lee Park and Munn woods 138. I believe nature should be left alone and people should learn to coexist with all wildlife. 139. I believe responsible bow hunting with the meat used by the hunter, or donated, is acceptable. More carnivores such as wolves/coyotes seems the next step, and then small pets will become prey. That would be very unfortunate. 140. I believe that using a bow to hunt deer is wrong. I don't want to see deer in my yard with arrows in them. It happens. 141. I believe the city of Ames is great because we have so much natural wildlife. It would be an absolute disgrace to allow any human to harm a gorgeous deer. Please help to keep the deer safe. 52 142. I believe urban deer hunting is the best option to control deer populations in Ames and should be expanded to more parks and natural areas, especially those that are experiencing over population such as Munn Woods. 143. I could support bow hunting as a deer management strategy if done during winter nights by professional deer-removal experts using special night vision siting. The survey did not specify type of night hunting so I indicated that I am unsure. Hopefully the venison would be donated to families in need. 144. I di not want bow hunting in City parks where people use them for recreation. Accidents are sure to happen. 145. I didn't know there was any deer management in Ames. 146. I do not have issues with deer in my North Ames neighborhood but I do see deer a lot of the times go to the listed parks. I believe that thinning out the population by ethically harvesting them with a bow is best for the parks and for the overall deer heard within the parks. 147. I do not have strong opinions on this matter as my personal experiences with deer within city limits do not rise to the level of considering them a nuisance. I also have no opposition to adding additional city properties to the list of those where bow hunting is allowed, provided rules and plans are in place to protect public safety. It would seem that the current rules already do this for other locations, so adapting then would be easy. As far as other actions to control the deer population, my main concern would be making sure the expense matches the bennift or the scope of the problem. For example, it seems that fencing and repellants would be of limited deterrent to wild animals , and that the expense of both would be very high for little bennift, especially in light of the face that, in my experience, deer are not enough of a problem to warrant such outlays. 148. I do not know the risks of bow hunting near where people may be. I would assume people aren't accidentally getting shot. 149. I do not see the deer population in Ames at any kind of a problem. They are a source of delight. 150. I do not support bow and arrow culling of deer in parks that are adjacent to city parks. The danger I believe is too high. I would only support the bow and arrow culling of deer if there was no other viable alternative. 151. I do not support hunting deer. 152. I do not support hunting in residential areas like Emma McCarthy Lee and Munn Woods. 153. I do not support sterilization 154. I do not want hunting allowed in the city parks. 53 155. I do not want the deer to be killed. There are other ways to handle the situation. It is horrible to think that the answer is just to kill them because they are living in "our" space. It isn't "our" space alone. 156. I don’t believe it is safe to allow hunters in wooded parks with trails. 157. I don’t believe that it is safe to hunt in ANY capacity in residential areas regardless of the deer population, it’s extremely risky to believe that there wouldn’t be accidents or that teens, or even younger kids would understand the dangers of being in the woods on the trails while hunting is allowed. 158. I don’t object to bow hunting I worry about accidents with kids getting hit unintentionally when it is done near a residential area. If it were time restricted to very early in the morning, I would probably be amenable. 159. I don’t think bow hunting should be allowed in parks or surrounding woods… what if one ﬂies a stray because someone doesn’t have good aim? Sounds super dangerous 160. I don’t think the deer problem is worth the risk of bow hunters hitting dogs and people. 161. I dont have the expertise to comment but on deer management practices but I dont think bow hunting in residential parks is a great idea. 162. I don't know how you can protect residents and personal property near the adjacent parks if hunting is allowed so my concern is one of safety 163. I don't want to harm animals; they were here in Munn Woods before the developers built our homes. However, there are no natural predators, and they've become a nuisance. 164. I enjoy coexisting with deer and other wildlife in the natural areas of Ames. I wouldn’t feel safe being in munns woods or adjacent areas if there was hunting allowed. 165. I enjoy having deer in the neighborhood. 166. I enjoy hiking on wooded path at McCarthy Lee Park as do many others judging by the number of people I meet on the trail. This is one of the only true hiking trails accessible to me in Ames. I am concerned that bow hunting would not be safe for hikers in the fall, which is one of the most enjoyable times for that trail. 167. I enjoy the wildlife in the community 168. I enjoy walking nearly every day in Ames’ parks. Occasionally, I see deer while walking and I enjoy seeing them! There seem to be fewer now than a few years ago. I’m uncomfortable with killing them, especially in places where I and others enjoy walking. Thank you for your consideration. 54 169. I fear people, unaware of a hunter or a bow hunting ordinance, might be walking in a woods, and could be injured by an arrow. Perhaps signs could be posted during the hunting season to help walkers stay away or aware. 170. I feel nervous about the idea of someone bow hunting when my children and I are walking through Munn woods or playing at a park. 171. I feel that there are more deer than in past as we need to control the population. Bow hunting is the safest option. 172. I feel very concerned about safety of bowhunting near homes and near people walking for recreation. I don't think Emma McCarthy is big enough to allow for hunting 173. I found a dead deer in my backyard this late winter/spring. I appreciated the Public Works service of promptly removing it. They speculated it had been injured crossing Ontario. 174. I frequently take my child to the Munn Woods to walk and play in the stream. I don't want to have to worry about stray arrows while I'm spending time in nature with her. I'm not against hunting in general, but not in the Munn Woods/Emma McCarthy Lee. 175. I frequently visit Emma McCarthy Lee/Munn Woods for nature hikes. Drawing the deer I see is among my favorite past times. They curiously watch me as I walk by, and then go back to their grazing. They seem to be no harm at all to pedestrians or the land. I vehemently oppose hunting them in the wooded area they call home. 176. I frequently walk with my dogs in Munn Woods and like the fact that I don't have to be concerned about hunters mistaking myself or my large brown dog as deer. I understand the need to control the deer population but am hesitant about the idea of allowing people to hunt in the city parks due to safety concerns. 177. I gave up on a garden that was fenced in and plants in my front yard. 178. I had an injured deer in my backyard on a weekend and couldn’t ﬁnd anyone to take my call about it. Luckily it left on its own. 179. I have concerns about individuals not following the rules and trespassing on private property as well as leaving the trails in a park (munn woods) with many signs telling explicitly not to do that. An example of concern would be a hunter shoots a deer in the park wounding it causing it to run to private property before dying where the hunter would then likely enter with out permission. I also feel that oversight of the rules would be an issue as would it be a police or parks and rec issue to oversee these individuals. I feel that there would be better options than allowing individuals with little oversight to carry weapons into parks where the highest degree of care would be required to ensure that people just using the trails in the parks would be safe. As it unlikely that random park goers would be wearing blaze orange or something else highly visible. 55 180. I have concerns about the safety of bow hunting in parks with signiﬁcant hiking trails. Maybe you trust hunters to gauge distance from trails, but the idea of bows being shot where I'm hiking makes me nervous. 181. I have concerns for the safety of our children if now hunting is allowed in Ames parks 182. I have deer in my yard every day! I have to go out with a shovel every other day to pick up deer droppings so I can walk in my yard! I have had as many as 17 deer in my yard at a time. Even though I spray, they have eaten all my hostas as well many other plants. 183. I have not bow hunted deer inside Ames city limits. However, I would be very interested. I have seen as many as 24 deer in my yard and neighbors yard at the same time. I have hit a deer driving down Hyland by the Unitarian church. During rutting season, I have had very aggressive bucks protecting a doe, and when my children were young, they were not allowed to go outside when an aggressive buck was around. 184. I have two small children, and we frequent both Emma Mccarthy Lee and Munn woods. All of our friends in the neighborhood are similar, especially a mother I know who takes her two large dogs and 3 year old son on walks in both areas. One of her dogs has been mistaken for a deer due to her size, shape, and color, and it would be devastating if anyone carelessly injured her, or worse, my friend or her son in proximity. She's up in the early morning dawn and evening dusk, when many hunters choose to be active as well. I know that most hunters, especially bow hunters, are very careful people, and respectful in the ways they hunt. Several of our friends hunt deer, and have even shared their game with us. But, they are hunting in low-population country areas, not the middle of suburban Ames. Therefore, I believe it would not be prudent to allow hunting in these parks. 185. I just want whatever maximizes safety for the most people. 186. I know deer can be very destructive of residential yards. However, one stray arrow, in the pursuit of deer population control, that injures or kills a pet or human, would be a sad and expensive for all concerned. Would bow hunting near residential areas require higher insurance rates for the City? I understand the deer population may need to be controlled, but I hope the City can ﬁnd a less hazardous way than bow hunting to do so. 187. I know some people have issues with deer in their yard, but please: we have some an issue with reduced biodiversity, if you want less deer, reintroduce the wolf to Iowa, I love my foxes, owls and all other animals, we just need to plant what they won't eat. 188. I live across street from Inis Gove Park. When I moved in 12 years ago I would see deer mostly in winter in my yard or walking across Duff late at night. Might see a few 56 during summer months but certainly not on a regular basis. Now I rarely see them and have lost no plants to deer this year. I have planted more things that do not attract deer. Several summers ago a deer gave birth in neighbors yard and we would see them off and on during the year. 189. I live by HWY 30 and while I have almost never seen deer in my neighborhood in the 6 years of living there, I do see them quite often around Munn Woods on my commute. I also see many people of all ages using the paths (and not using the paths) through the wooded area and believe bow hunting there could be a danger, especially to college students who are not familiar with deer control processes in the area. 190. I live in a Coop with 22 units so no yard.I have never seen deer close to downtown! I would not be in favor of killing them but I am not a hunter! 191. I live in a heavily wooded area so see deer regularly. My main worry about a large deer population is environmental damage an over large population would cause. That said, I also know there are coyotes in our area as well. I just don't know if they are able to keep the population down. 192. I live in Munn Woods 193. I live in west Ames and every year there are up to ﬁve deer in my yard, eating and damaging my plants and trees. I had to replace trees that they used for scraping their antlers on during runting season. Tree replacement isn't cheap! They are coming from the proposed park on Ontario St. 194. I live near Emma McCarthy Lee, and I walk in the neighborhood every day. Every time I walk I see at least 10 deer, sometimes in very large groups. I planted a large amount of native trees and shrubs, and have fenced my entire yard with a six foot fence. Deer still get in my yard and when they do, they eat everything. Not only are they a nuisance and so overpopulated they are damaging the ecosystem, but they are a safety concern given the sheer number of deer. 195. I live near miracle park and see deer regularly in my neighborhood. I do have to plant deer resistant plants as they have eaten my landscaping. They are generally enjoyable, though, and not too bold. I would support a hunt if they were overpopulated and causing problems in the community, but my kids do sometimes play in the woods so it would need to be VERY well advertised and preferably on a school day when kids are less likely to be present. I am opposed to spending money on surgical sterilization. That seems ridiculous. I’d prefer to see the animals processed so the meat doesn’t go to waste, bonus points if you could ﬁgure out how to donate ground venison to the food bank. Education I’d actually read- which plants are deer resistant in this growing zone. 57 196. I live near Munn Woods and go on walks with my one year-old son in the stroller weekly through that park. I would be concerned about the safety of my family using that public space if bow hunting was utilized to manage the deer population. We live near the park and frequently see the deer in our yard, but they do not bother us. We enjoy seeing them. They do not pose a threat to our neighborhood. 197. I live near Munn woods, and I frequently go on runs through the parks. People say I look like a deer prancing through the woods on my runs, so you could say I’m afraid of being shot by one of your hunters. Please cease and desist and protect my woodland creatures. 198. I live on Oakland St and the deer population is out of control. I'm one of many who spend countless hours and money putting up fencing all over our yard. Due to the front yard fencing rules, we are unable to fence in the front yard so every plant needs to be individually enclosed by a fence. We have planted 30-40 native trees/shrubs/grasses over the past 3 years and every one of them has to be fenced in, we even purchased ""deer resistant"" ones. Even fencing individual plants, the 4' fence is not tall enough and 6' barely does the job. I have spoken to all my neighbors about this and they all deal with the same thing. On any given day, there may be 5-7 deer in my yard and I'm on the South side of the road, not butting up against the park. Fencing is very expensive, takes time and aesthetically takes away from the trees/shrubs/ﬂowers that all of us our planting. I enjoy seeing deer from time to time but this is on a whole different scale. 199. I live on Ontario Street. It's not uncommon to have deer roaming on the street late at night. About every other day from March to November I ﬁnd signs of deer in my yard. Very frustrating as I spend considerable time and energy gardening and landscaping. 200. I live one block from Emma Lee/Munn Woods corridor and see deer often but NEVER should any sort of weapon hunting be allowed within city limits. Any sort of injectable sterilization would be acceptable or tranquilize and move. This is their home and we just live here. I will of course monitor and report any evidence of chronic wasting disease I see in my neighborhood. I am a certiﬁed master naturalist, conservationist and gardener. Bow, gun or any other sort of "hunting" is not acceptable! 201. I lived in west ames next to Emma McCarthy Lee Park for almost 20 years. There were constantly deer out on the streets and in yards but it was never a problem. I now live in south ames and never see them because they stay in the ﬁelds south of us. 202. I lived on west street the past 3 years and there were always tons of deer in our yard. 58 203. I love being able to live in a city full of parks and woodland. The wildlife that is allowed to thrive here is one of my favorite things about Ames. That being said, the deer deserve the right to live freely here. This is their home just as much as it is ours. I would be absolutely saddened to see people bow hunting the deer I see around my neighborhood. I think that better educating the community on how to peacefully coexist without interfering with the deer’s way of nature would be the best choice. 204. I love the urban deer hunting program. Tag prices are reasonable, while A doe population hunt is a great way to manage numbers. And it provides a great safe place to hunt during the public season Muzzleloader and Gun Seasons. It’s also less intimidating for beginning hunters to be able to hunt locally within short reasonable drives. And provides opportunities for people who wouldn’t have access otherwise. It draws in revenue from tags. Therefore, it’s only deer control method that brings money in as opposed to spending it. I encourage parks and rec to educate the public and promote the urban deer hunt more. The urban hunt has safety regulations and a proﬁciency test that other hunting methods do not. It can provide a wonderful opportunity for new folks to get into the sport, and it is a program that not enough people know about. In Summary, It can bring in an entirely new demographic to participate in the park and rec space and provide more revenue for the City of Ames. 205. I oppose deer hunting of any kind, but especially bow hunting and in city limits. I don't want hunting near my neighborhood. 206. I really don't want people stalking around Munn Woods looking to kill our forest friends. 207. I really the city to do something to lower the number of deer in Ames. The deer population in my neighborhood (west of campus, north of Lincoln Way) has exploded in the last ten years. It is out of control! Besides making it almost impossible to grow many varieties of plants in my yard, I am nervous about wasting disease and a larger tick population—because deer are in my yard every day, year round. My house is not next to a park. I do not feed deer; I use deer repellant on plants; and I attempt to protect some plants with netting—but nothing works to keep the deer away. Two fawns have been born in my backyard. 208. I regularly hike in Munn Woods and am concerned about hiker safety if bow hunting is allowed in the park. I trust the city to determine if the deer population is under control or needs to be mitigated. If the city determined that bow hunting would be the best method for mitigating the deer population in the park, I would prefer that it be clearly posted when, and that it not be during peak recreational times (mornings, after work, weekends). 209. I run through Munn Woods with my dog all the time and am very concerned about the safety of allowing bow hunting in such a small space. I don't trust others to not 59 accidentally hit me or my dog and bow hunting would cause a lot of anxiety and make me feel unsafe in the park. 210. I said weekly for seeing deer, but it's more that I see the results of the deer visiting (plants eaten in garden, hostas eaten) than seeing the actual deer themselves. I also do see deer frequently when walking in the neighborhood along E. 20th Street. 211. I see them occasionally at our property but we live on edge of town. I see them daily /weekly by my parents house on Wildﬂower by Munn Woods. I think people need to be more aware when driving to avoid them. It (in town hunting) doesn't seem needed to me, but I'm not against it. 212. I strongly disagree on any type of hunting within the city limits and putting people at risk, everyone's safety should be our priority. There are lots of designated hunting sites outside the city limits. 213. I struggle with allowing bow hunting in city limits but also realize it may be the most practical. I generally enjoy the deer when I am out walking and don’t consider them a nuisance until they destroy something in my yard or if I see a near miss on the streets. 214. I support bow hunting as long as it is done as humanely as possible (I.e., make sure the deer is killed quickly and it is used for meat, not a trophy). 215. I support bow hunting within city limits, but we need to regulate it fairly. I want people to be free to hunt deer, but I also don't want to put residents at risk of arrows ﬂying into their yards out of nowhere. I don't know whether bow hunting only during certain times of the year, or you have to be so far away from a residential property would be sufficient or not to reach those goals. But I think it's worth looking into if the support is there. 216. I support management of deer population in Ames by bow hunting. I would support doing it in a safe manner. We certainly don’t want to hurt any people in doing so. 217. I support the bow hunting concept by responsible people. Physically removing deer by harvesting is really the only sure way to reduce their population. Relocation makes it someone else’s problem and sterilization does not work. Both remedies are costly & stupid. 218. I support urban bowhunting except in areas where it would be close enough to run onto/ near someone's yard and die there. 219. I take my grandchildren into Emma Mcarthy Lee on a regular basis. I don’t want someone bowhunting in the same park, where my family goes on walks routinely. 220. I talk with wildlife people frequently and my impression is the coyotes have pushed foxes and deer into urban areas. I have several trailcams set up near Ada Hayden, on my friends property, and have noticed a lot of coyote activity in the last year or so. If nothing is done to manage the coyote population then the deer continue to move 60 into urban areas and the solution is to shot them? I live in north Ames near Fellows Elementary and rarely ever see deer even on the trailcam in my back yard. 221. I think allowing residents to bow hunt in their yards with a permit and acknowledgement of their property adjacent neighbors might be good? At one point we had 6 deer grazing through our backyard almost daily. They are a problem. Send some of the bow hunters to the area south of campus!!!!!! 222. I think bow hunting has its place, but it should be limited within the city. 223. I think bow hunting is a natural form of population management, and I’m in favor if we have an actual deer nuisance issue. My only concern is that people don’t hike in bright colors in those woods, and kids play in them a lot, especially near the yards. A stray arrow or a slightly inebriated resident with a bow could cause some tragic damage. I would want to know the laws and limits of bow hunting, and also if we would have a system of tracking the deer population. I doubt Ames could ever run totally run the deer population down; I just wonder what measurable outcomes we would use to determine the efficacy and productivity of increasing hunting locations. It’s too bad we couldn’t introduce wolves �� 224. I think bow hunting is a very dangerous activity within city limits! 225. I think certain times/days only. Also closing entry paths to parks during those times, and publicizing those days/time. So the public knows it is not safe to be in the park during those times. 226. I think deer are wonderful and I have no issues with them in Ames. If they get out of hand I am ﬁne with them being hunted. 227. I think deer hunting is unsafe for not just animals, but for people’s lives. these are community parks and should not be toyed with. They are also the homes of animals. 228. I think deer hunting should be allowed in ADA Hayden Park. Deer populations are healthy and they adapt to urban conditions. I think we should reduce populations and keep them low. We should invest in supporting wildlife that need expanded protected habitat in our parks. 229. I think highly controlled bow hunting could be very effective. Strictly controlled access by highly skilled hunters. Also immunocontraception sounds like a good option. Perhaps those two things together. 230. I think in public parks having bows legal is asking for problems. I understand the possible need; however, Parks need to remain safe for all. 231. I think it sounds really dangerous to allow people to bow hunt where the public is doing other things. It would have to be heavily restricted and monitored, and I don’t think we have the resources to enforce what would be needed to keep people safe. If you restrict it to a certain time, like early in the morning, that’s ﬁne and all, but you might have some people that are at the park that early, even if they shouldn’t be. 61 And then you may also have people hunting during the day when they shouldn’t be, which is while the public would be more likely on the property. I don’t think you can ensure the safety of the public by allowing bow hunting in the parks. 232. I think it would be a great idea to have urban deer hunting at isu campus. From 2- 5am. For years at 4am I walk by deer daily to get to the building I work in 233. I think it would be beneﬁcial to getting rid of the written permission from everyone within 200 yards of a stand location 234. I think it's important to keep the population tightly managed due to chronic wasting disease. In addition, I think there should be education on why feeding deer is a unhealthy practice both for the deer and humans. 235. I think opening bow hunting in our local parks will do more harm than good. I trust hunters who know what they are doing but there will be amateur's who head to the park and then the situation is left to the detriment of the deer. Ames parks are beautiful the way they are. I don't believe we want hunters crawling the woods while hikers with their families are enjoying a day in the woods. 236. I think Responsible hunting by qualiﬁed hunters that maintains healthy ecosystems in an urban setting is important. Deﬁnitely need to set up guidelines for what happens if a deer is wounded and wanders onto private property-how do we make sure the animal doesn’t suffer. Also, what is done with the meat/carcass? Would like to see it utilized by the hunters or ﬁnding ways to get meat to food insecure people. Education is important. I know a lot of people who are against hunting but don’t understand what animals go through when the habitat can’t support the animal population. 237. I think some people are fearful of bow hunters because they don’t understand that the city will vet the hunters and require them to follow guidelines about when, where and how they will hunt. If you haven’t had a hunter in your yard you might be fearful. The city needs to educate yo eliminate fear and anxiety. 238. I think that allowing deer hunting with proper tagging/permitting could be a good compromise for local population wishes and deer population management. My main wish would be for the solution to be research-backed. Anecdotally, it seems that the local pop of deer is growing which I imagine will increase auto accidents and damage to local properties. If this is true, it would probably be wise to introduce methods to bring them back in line with earlier numbers. I would probably not endorse changes to current policy if we do not know for a fact that the local deer population is climbing. If it is, I think balancing the needs of local residents against the most research-backed approach to deer population management would be valuable. 62 239. I think that deer management is decent where we are. Deﬁnitely lots and lots of them near roads throughout Ames. Something humane should be done, or some more lenient with hunting. Possibly longer seasons or something like that. 240. I think that, as long as the bow hunters are appropriately vetted with the proper tags and safety trainings, it makes sense to allow people to hunt them. Bow hunters in particular are respectful of both the land and the deer themselves and the deer will likely go to much better use than if some of the other management options. A meat donation option could also potentially be created that could be used to help others that may be struggling with food availability. 241. I think the bow proﬁciency requirement addresses a lot of the concerns I would normally have. 242. I think there needs to be more ﬂexible rules around fences surrounding gardens- especially gardens in the front of properties. It’s extra surprising since Ames claims to be a pollinator friendly city but there are such limitations on protecting those pollinator friendly plants from deer. To be clear I do not think deer are necessarily a problem, the city is continuing to develop on areas that they live in such as the plans on development in the woods across from munn woods, kum & go, and apartments (corner of North Dakota Ave and Lincoln way) and encroaching further out towards McFarland park- almost exclusively developing single family homes and blatantly ignoring the increasing lack of walkability in the city. The city seems to be focusing on eliminating green spaces (as also shown in the suggestion of developing the pool on a public freaking park) despite boasting of their focus on greening, beautifying and protecting these spaces. 243. I think this is such a dangerous thing to bring to parks where families and children are around. The deer aren’t hurting anyone, let them live. 244. I understand that at a recent Parks and Rec board meeting, Ames residents proposed the use of snipers in local parks to curb the deer population in their neighborhoods. I can't stress enough how shortsighted and dangerous I view that proposal. No matter how strategic the plan, the odds that humans won't be injured or worse are too high to even consider this suggestion. 245. I understand that injured deer may need to be euthanized, but I think that a way to control the reproduction is a much better option than killing them. They are gentle and add so much joy when we see them in our yard at least several times a week. We also appreciate that they clean up the vast majority of the acorns for us (with help from some of the other wildlife). 246. I understand this is a real issue. Car accidents are serious issue. Land and plant issues...it's iowa Can normal hunting season be changed to take more?? Culling not in the city? 63 247. I use e collars for my dogs so they can stretch their legs and run through the trees and their color is similar to a deer, so I’d be afraid they’d be mistaken for deer and shot. 248. I use Munn Woods many times a week. I live near there and the deer are a huge headache. I do not like the idea of hunting in a city park so close to homes and kids playing. But I would be interested in relocating or using other population control methods for the deer. 249. I visit Emma McCarthy Park twice per week, and I really do not know how I would feel if I saw individuals bow hunting at the same time. Would parks be closed to the public during bow hunting periods? 250. I walk many of these parks with my 3 year old son weekly if not daily. Allowing bow hunting would make it dangerous, and could ruin the paths more than some have already been damaged. There are already public hunting spaces - please let these trails currently safe spaces to walk in nature without having to worry about the dangers of hunting. We live less than a block from the public access to Munn Woods and the deer are present, but I've had not problems co-existing with them. 251. I walk these woods daily, and see the deer plenty. They don’t cause any harm to our yard or property, and I haven’t seen them outside of the forest or on the road. I enjoy coexisting with them and would hate to see any harm done to them. 252. I want people to be able to bow hunt deer in the parks, just as long as there is signage while hunters are in the area 253. I will admit I am not super knowledgeable on the topic, but I think the deer are very prevalent and could cause many issues. I think creating predator friendly areas or otherwise encouraging predators could also be a decent solution. Separately, maybe all (or most) deer hunted in city limits could be donated to local food pantries to support families or students in need so they can have a source of fresh protein. 254. I will never forget the news story of a woman sitting at her kitchen table for breakfast who got shot in the face by an arrow, from someone hunting deer. 255. I worry for people who sleep in the parks accidentally being killed or injured 256. I would be in favor of bow hunting in a very speciﬁed area, as long as the meat was being used. My only worry is, if people would hunt too close to trails/playgrounds where people might not be easily seen. The deer are beautiful and I enjoy them, but they do make a substantial mess in my yard and eat my plants, more so in the last year than previously. Perhaps work with some local fencing companies that would provide a discounted rate for local residents. 257. I would be in favor of hunting if the deer population was sick, it doesn't seem to be the case outlined here. 64 258. I would change certain responses if there is a threat of starvation or deer illness due to the population. I would still not support hunting but other types of control. 259. I would feel extremely unsafe in Ames parks if deer hunting was allowed. Hunting inside city parks is dangerous and awful. I would stop visiting Ames parks if hunting is allowed. 260. I would feel safer if you reintroduced wolves and mountain lions than if you allowed citizens to hunt in our parks. It won't make a signiﬁcant dent in the population as the deer will just have more offspring the next season. Sterilization and contraception seem far more prudent. Also, education about coexisting with wildlife should be more prevalent and obvious in all our wooded areas. 261. I would have liked to check more options on question 16, but there were radio buttons instead of checkboxes. I would have also checked "Public education on coexistence", "Relocation", and "Surgical sterilization". 262. I would like to allow hunting on private property with the owners permission. 263. I would love the opportunity to bow hunt Munn Woods! 264. I would not feel comfortable walking in parks where bow hunting was taking place. We walk a lot in the fall/early winter months. This seems unsafe so close to residential areas. 265. I would not want bow hunters in the woods adjacent to my home. I have seen far too many accidents, even from experienced/trained hunters. The risk exceeds the reward, especially since deer populations APPEAR to have plummeted over the last decade in our neighborhood. We used to routinely see herds of ﬁfty or more deer in our yard (often more than 1 such herd at a time). For the last few years we have rarely seen more than 3 in a group. The deer ARE hard on our landscaping (ﬂowers, plants and young trees, especially), but that is simply part of the deal when you CHOOSE to live in a wooded area with a healthy ecological balance. 266. I would only support bow hunting in nearby parks IF there was a speciﬁc time of day that it was allowed and there were plenty of signs posted to state those hunting times. Also there should be hefty ﬁnes for people who violate the bow hunting rules. 267. I would probably feel comfortable with bow hunting in deeper parts of the forest but a lot of e.g. munn woods has trails and is next to parks, houses, etc. and I wouldn't like hunting to be close by. 268. I would support bow hunting on 1 condition: A. That the neighborhoods adjacent to the hunting grounds were giving 7 days notice on their doors or in their mail that hunting season was about to begin, and that highly visible signs were placed at the parks throughout the duration of the hunting season. I also recommend that not all parks be open to hunting at the same time. 65 269. I would support deer hunting but would want it to be obvious when it is allowed for safety reasons since I walk in Munn woods often 270. I would want to know what happens to killed deer? Is the carcass disposed of and the meat used! 271. I’m comfortable with bow hunting if we can ensure safety of the public. 272. I’m concerned about the safety risks that bow hunting in local parks poses, particularly for children and other park visitors. I believe there are safer and more humane alternatives to managing deer populations, such as public education programs or other non-lethal solutions. 273. I’m concerned how the city would regulate bow hunting in parks and residential areas. I live near Emma McCarthy Lee Park and there are extensive wooded areas. People walk through these areas. They walk their pets through these areas. Bow hunting I think poses a risk to both people and pets. 274. I’m mainly concerned about the possibility of missing the deer by the hunter accidentally hotting a person. Or by mistaking a person for a deer and not missing the shot. It makes me afraid of my own safety and especially of my kids if there are hunters in public parks using deadly weapons. I’m not quite sure how to make the hunting safe within Ames. I read the test about hunting and I’m surprised that it looked like the test does not test shooting at 75feet which is the maximum distance the hunters are allowed to use. 275. I’m new to Ames, recently bought a home. I enjoy seeing the deer and would not want hunting around our homes, parks, neighborhoods and etc. They are not bothering us or the neighborhood we all like them. I do not think it is necessary to have hunting of deer here in the city of Ames. I plan on visiting all the parks for walking and recreation. I have just recently started daily walks. We kayak at Ida Hayden have not seen deer there. I’ve walked in IdaHayden in spring and did not see deer. I’ve been to Brookside and McCarthy (I believe it was named east and little north of Ida) not seen deer there either. 276. I’m not in favor of bow hunting within the city limits. 277. I’m not necessarily opposed to bow hunting, but in cities and park areas adjacent to neighborhoods I consider it to be dangerous. 278. I’m very concerned about the human safety aspects of bow hunting in public parks, near residential areas, where children play and folks do recreational exercise. There’s got to be a safer way. 279. I’ve been a member of a local weekly hiking group for ten years. Our group has encountered sizable herds in Pammel Woods and at Ada Hayden, but outside of this we usually see no deer or only a handful of deer while hiking in Ames, Story County, and Boone County. If others are reporting overpopulation, deer problems, or deer 66 vs. vehicle collisions, I deﬁnitely support bow hunting in select areas as long as there’s signage to alert hikers and neighbors. Public education would have to be aggressive due to children playing in wooded areas. 280. I’ve lived in Ames for 40 years and only see them on Ontario between Stange and Toronto. Saw 3 families the other day crossing Ontario at noon to go back to the woods to rest. 281. i’ve never seen or heard of the deer as a problem. but i’d have a big problem knowing someone had a weapon anywhere near a park i’m at, especially with my children. 282. I’ve seen fewer deer coming across the street from Emma McCarthy Lee Park this year and last compared to prior years. The number of people in the park, the traffic, and the noise has greatly increased since pickleball courts went in. We often hear loud music and inebriated people late into the night. I am very seriously concerned that allowing any hunting in a location so integrated with residential areas and a diversity of users creates danger that far outweighs the potential population control beneﬁts. A targeted reduction in population by wildlife officers might be an option but it would be much better to use more modern approaches to population control. 283. If bow hunting is allowed in parks adjacent to residential areas, I hope the city can adequately inform residents of when to exercise caution and avoid a hunting area. 284. If bow hunting is allowed, please display large signage warning visitors. This signage has to be readable and displayed at Park entrances. My biggest fear is someone going to a park and being injured by an arrow or whatever device is used. I haven't seen any damage or bother from deer. I love seeing deer. Property owners can use whatever they need to do to not allow it to be a nuisance. 285. If bow hunting MUST happen, based on support from other members of population, I am STRONGLY against doing so in parks adjacent to residential properties. This would open up a large area of liability. 286. If deer are an issue bow hunting is ﬁne but not in City parks. Too much of a risk 287. If it were allowed, the time should be limited, neighbors informed and visible signage at park entrances put up 288. If local deer populations are actually a serious problem (like vehicle accidents are serious, shitting and grazing in a yard, not so much) then we should make efforts to humanely control the population via established, effective methods. It doesn't seem like bow hunting is a meaningful method of population control and there are afaik plentiful places nearby to do that activity. I also don't want my chill walks through parks disturbed by dead deer 289. If near residential properties then a letter in the mail should be sent to home addresses listing the speciﬁc dates that bow hunting may occur nearby. 290. If safety issues are addressed, I support bow hunting 67 291. If the deer population has been quite high for a few years then I guess I'm ﬁne with bowhunting. If it might be a temporary uptick in population then I would rather take the wait-and-see approach. I border Emma McCarthy Lee Park and since I gave up gardening due to shade, I now enjoy the deer. But I don't feel I'm seeing more deer now than I did ten years ago. 292. If the public were given adequate information and a set date for hunting, public safety can still be maintained while addressing the overpopulation of deer. 293. If the purpose of bow hunting is to thin out the deer population, I'd like to know what that means in numbers. The deer seem to move around to different areas; Ada Hayden, Stone Brooke, creek areas, farms, etc.. How do you determine the number permits to thin out the population? 294. If there’s bow hunting in public parks and there happens to be an accident that results in casualty will there be consequences to those hunting? 295. If you are allowing bow hunting will you also allow crossbow as some of us have difficulty using regular bow 296. If you are going to allow bow hunting near residential areas, I think it should be very controlled and just a few allowed to shoot. No more than 5 and they must be previous bow hunters. I think those deer should be dressed out and processed and the meat distributed to food banks and food on ﬁrst 297. I'm a avid hunter but by no means should you allow hunting in city parks. A couple issues from a hunting perspective. 1. I don't want my kids when I'm out on a walk with them to see a hunter ﬁeld dressing and bringing a deer back to their truck that's bloody and mangled. Many kids below the ages of 8 don't understand and shouldn't be exposed to that end of hunting. 2. Deer in Ames are comfortable with humans and introducing hunting will make them skittish and create issues with deer running onto roads. If the reason is to prevent the spread of CWD I can see a point to do this but from the sounds of the survey its more of ""my garden is getting eaten by deer"". You need to tell the ISU profes... I mean residents in Ames that these animals were here way before you were and if you don't like deer eating your garden then move to an area of town that doesn't have that issue. Also when you kill one deer that doesn't mean more wont move in from surrounding areas. 298. I'm admittedly not very well-versed in deer management policy, but if it's anything like controlling stray cat populations within city limits, I understand how important proactive management is to public safety. Based on what I know about stray cat management, I would support sterilization and public education because I feel it is the most humane way of decreasing the population naturally. I'm not entirely opposed to hunting, but I'm worried about safety in parks and residential areas, especially for children. If the city were to go ahead with bow-hunting in city limits, I'd 68 like for there to be clear communication about safety protocols for non-hunters and clear boundaries for hunters. 299. I'm in support of deer population management. I'm not a bow hunter so I don't know the potential range of an errant arrow. Seems a bit risky around neighborhoods, but maybe bow hunters are responsible enough to be extremely cautious to make this a viable approach. 300. I'm not opposed to hunting, as we have a large deer population and no native predators to handle them. However, I don't really see deer where I live and it's important that the hunters are adequately trained. Compound bows take extensive training to use properly and if used improperly, we'll end up with wounded, suffering deer in our parks. 301. I'm on the very west end of Munn Woods (Arizona Circle), I'll feed you pizza and you can hunt from my yard! My.neighbors ﬂanking me are all in agreement these deer are invasive and should be thinned. 302. In favor of bow hunting in Ames parks 303. In the 15 years that we have lived on Oakland streets n a property that backs up to Emma McCarthy we have watched and experienced a signiﬁcant increase in deer population. They now walk with impunity through the lawns, across traffic, down the street. They are a nuisance and a public hazard. We have complete changed the plants in our landscape. We have added fencing to protect plants in our front lawn where we cannot completely block the deer. I also worry about deer ticks and the effects on unsuspecting humans. 304. In this past year, we've had regular deer visits in our backyard ... I live south of campustown and my backyard looks out at the ISU rec softball ﬁeld and beyond that is the ISU cross-country track - I think this 'wilder' section is where they actually live. A few times, the deer were actually in the front yard and this worried me because we live on Hayward Avenue, which gets quite a bit of traffic. Generally, I do not mind the deer - it is the same family each time (mother and two fawns) and they drink out of my bird bath and nibble on low hanging branches. but last autumn 2024, they ate my hostas down to the nub and I was worried that they would not grow back, but the plants ﬂourished and returned ... I did give up planting a vegetable garden and putting out other perennials this 2025 summer because I think the deer would eat them anyway. But I'd rather go to the trouble of putting up fencing, rather than kill them, sterilize them or harm them in any way. Thank you 305. In this survey there should be more than one option for item 16. I envisage both bow hunting and immuno contraception as viable options. Given that there are no apex predators and many does have two fawns, the population needs to be controlled. Most of my experiences deal with living in the Oakwood forest neighborhood 69 (Oakland street) for 15 years. After my divorce last year I move to another part of town where I see fewer deer. 306. Infections of deer that have been found dead or diseased near various bodies of water in the past year. Disease is becoming a problem with deer. 307. Investigate hiring professional hunters like some other communities do. Fences do no good if they are under 6ft. Deer simply jump them. Educating others about co- existence might help. We co-exist with the deer family that jumps into our yard. We don’t feed them, but they eat our shrubs. We also don’t spend thousands on gardening and landscaping materials like some people in Ames. 308. It has to be safe to take my kids and let them loose in parks without bow hunters. 309. It is very difficult to control deer populations in Ames because abundant habitat and forage support twin birthing and low mortality rates. I have observed effective bow hunting use in other urban and orchard environments. We suffered severe deer impacts in Ithaca, NY and the DNR used extra hunting permits and bow hunting in rural settings with good success. I hunted deer regularly there and in Nebraska before moving to Ames in 2014. 310. It is very easy to cohabitate with deer. We have lived with them for decades and consider their presence to be one of the reasons we live on our property. I have a trail camera to monitor their movements. Visitors are thrilled to see the deer. We also have coyotes, foxes, groundhogs and many other critters for a good diverse habitat. 311. It would be great if harvesting deer contributed to local food programs, perhaps with charitable support from meat processors. 312. It's is barbaric to introduce bow hunting. It's not their fault that Ames is encroaching on their habitats. 313. I've witnessed horrible accidents on 13th/Ontario around the cross streets of Wisconsin and west of that street, where the cornﬁeld is on the north side of Ontario. I've also often had to slow down for deer crossing with babies, mostly, at certain times of day there and nights. That area could beneﬁt greatly from contraception efforts for deer. A few other places in Ames as well, but it is really bad there. 314. Jax sold the bow license. Where is it now sold? 315. Just want clear signage and very strong safety protocols for any hunts 316. Keep the hunters out of our parks and away from our precious deer. We can coexist. 317. Killing animals for just exsisting in their natural habitat is absolute cruelty. Humans take and destroy wildlife homes and then have the audacity to be upset when they see a wild animal in "their" neighborhood. We have to do better as a species. You can't change the world in one day. But change a community into a place of 70 coexistence for all humans and animals and who knows, maybe the world will follow. 318. Killing living creatures because they are a nuisance is a sad commentary on human values. Imagine if someone thought you were a nuisance and decided to eliminate you because you were eating certain ﬂowers in their yard. 319. Killing within the view of the public is traumatizing. These are beautiful living creatures-- I don't want to watch them die in a park I'm trying to relax in. 320. Large deer population that crosses many times during the day on Ontario 321. Leave the deer alone. 322. Leave them alone, they are not hurting anything! 323. Let them be 324. Let them be. Use contraceptive means if necessary. We have pretty much destroyed their habitat. Stop planting plants they like to eat. It is possible to have a nice looking yard without planting these kinds of plants. 325. Let's focus on the safety of all residents, kids and entire families spending lost of time outdoors. I am strongly disagree on allowing any type of hunting within the city limits or parks where many people spend time and make great memories with our their children. 326. Let's try non-lethal means ﬁrst. We should keep all lethal options such as hunting as the very last option. 327. Live in Parkview Heights, and do not see a problem here. See a deer in or near my lawn only every few years, and enjoy seeing them. We are taking their homelands, and now need to share ours. 328. Living right near Emma McCarthy Lee park is something we love. Our kids enjoy using the park. We would not feel safe if people were in the park bow hunting, especially near where our children spend time. If they saw anything related to hunting it would potentially traumatize them as they love all animals. We really enjoy all of the deer in our neighborhood and get excited every time we see them! It would be such a mistake to harm these animals. We see them daily and multiple times a week in our yard and we have had no issues with them. 329. Local does don’t pay much attention to local humans. They will come up on my patio and look in den to see if your there I guess. Got a small dog I’ll let out to chase them off but they normally just circle around a few yards and go back to there business. Does are smaller and buck’s antlers are stunted. Much larger bucks move in during rut. Couple of good ﬁghts have occurred in my backyard. I can hear them ﬁghting in the distance (Munn Woods) during rut. I love watching them but they are over populated. Prescribed burning would help the food situation. My granddaughter knows them and has given some of them names. 71 330. Managed bow hunting can help manage deer and can also supply food. 331. Management practices should aim towards education and non-lethal methods if possible. I do think bow hunting close to neighborhoods is a dangerous practice and should be avoided at all costs. Although hunting season is in winter, children, pets, and all members of the community frequently use public areas and parks on a daily/weekly basis. 332. McCarthy Lee is right in my backyard. Unlike most of the homeowners adjacent to the park, I do have buildings that are even with the park instead of up the hill. What is the city's responsibilty should any damage occur to my property or to people? I feel that any deer mitigation should be on the outskirts of town. I have personally taken steps to mitigate deer damage in my own yard. As have my neighbors. We have been coexisting with the herd for years. We enjoy seeing them every day; seeing the fawns in the spring and the bucks in the fall. There are probably less than 10-12 individuals in this particular herd this year. Down from previous years. Certainly not enough to be considered a nuisance. Please dont allow hunting in this particular park. Thank you 333. Me and my two small kids regular hike through munn woods and the highlight is always seeing deer. I would be very worried about the safety of my family If bow hunting was allowed there. 334. More deer would be taken if you made it easier on the hunters to gain access to ground 335. more proactive steps are needed by the city of Ames to monitor and control populations of deer in the city for safety of vehicular traffic, and to support yard plantings 336. Munn Woods is highly interspersed with private property. The boundaries of these private properties are not discernable to runners and walkers who regularly run/walk on the established trails that run through the ravine. Critically shot deer will not necessarily die within the boundaries of the publicly owned properties. Harvested deer may have to be transported (dragged) across property boundaries to efficiently remove the carcasses from Munn Woods. All landowners adjacent to E. Lee Park and Munn Woods need to be on board with the objective and method of take. Differences of opinion exist even within the same households. Personally, I ﬁnd the abundance of deer and the little browsing they do acceptable and tolerable in exchange for their presence and having a little wildness and this aspect of nature in my nieghborhood and backyard. 337. My acre property of hardwoods joins munn woods. People do not respect property lines. We’ve had adults and children in our yard right next to our home , vagrants living in the woods, and people shooting ﬁreworks in the woods close to our home. I 72 do not wish to deal with people with weapons shooting in our direction. Will the city be liable for damage to our property , pets, etc? 338. My answers related to frequency dependent on time of year. Active ISU student presence slows(not prevents) deer activity in the spring and fall. The frequency and group number has increased in recent years. Births taking place in the backyards. Human population density is too high in our area to risk any type of hunting. However, hunting the semi-wooded/rural area just south of the populated part of Ames would limit wildlife numbers on this side of town. The former Golf and Country club/disc golf area seems like a good potential bow hunting area if it could be thoroughly publicized so it could be free of any risks to walking humans. Thanks for your work. More publicity of any deer/human negative encounters is needed - i.e. traffic accidents. I do not think residents think of potential danger driving at night. We owe it to new residents to caution them - ISU students need to know of deer potential when traveling by car, bikes motorbike, scooter, etc. 339. My concern with bow hunting in adjacent residential properties is that they can be heavily used. If so, I'm concerned about safety. 340. My concern with bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties would be the potential injury to Ames residents walking in those areas by the hunter. 341. My family and I speciﬁcally do not want bow hunting to be allowed in Emma McCarthy Lee park and Munn Woods. It is essentially our backyard. We walk through to work on campus and walk on the trails in Munn Woods for recreation daily, with our 1yr old and 6yr old. It would be disturbing and potentially dangerous for our kiddos to see bow hunting of deer from the trails. 342. My greatest hesitation with respect to bow hunting is public safety for those recreating within these areas. Many pedestrians may be unaware hunting is taking place and not highly visible to hunters. If the parks were to be closed during hunting periods, it takes away from those using the parks for recreation. 343. My main concern with allowing bow hunting is the idea of undertrained archers injuring someone in a public space. Munn woods are frequented by many people. 344. My main concerns about allowing deer hunting in Emma McCarthy/Munn Woods are the proximity to residential areas, blurred boundary lines, and the frequency of the trail use through the woods even throughout winter. There is general confusion about the property lines that separate the public vs private property. Our home backs up to the park and we are often in the wooded area of our property with our young child. The potential for a hunter so close to what is essentially our backyard or coming upon a wounded and panicked deer is concerning. I would also be interested in learning more about how the current hunting guidelines are enforced. I understand the frustration of deer eating landscaping plants and it was a learning 73 curve when we moved to the neighborhood. We have found success in choosing deer resistant varieties. Thank you very much for seeking feedback! 345. My neighbor feeds them and she won’t stop. They destroy everything in their path to get to the food. There needs to be penalties for this if there aren’t already. 346. My only concern with bow hunting is the accidental shooting of pets. 347. My problem with bow hunting is that there are not enough bow hunters to kill enough deer to help a serious problem. The deer have vandalized my property daily costing thousands of dollars in damages. Please do something! 348. My property backs up to Emma Mcarthy Lee Park. It is busy at ALL times, even after hours. My animals, children and friends would all be at risk for bow hunting. What needs to be done, and what we have said MANY times, is to put Deer Crossing signs on Hyland. Maybe two. We've lived in our property for 10 years and never have had an issue with the deer. Please don't start killing them. 349. My property is adjacent to Emma McCarthy Lee Park. There are signs designating where private property begins but there are times the signs are missed or ignored. I would be concerned if bow hunting occurred in our forest preserve while my children are playing. 350. My son hit a dear at night last week while on a moped near Brookside. He was fortunate to not be killed or seriously injured. 351. N/a 352. Na 353. NA 354. NA 355. Need information on how the bow hunting would occur safely and what would be done with the meat. 356. Need to control deer. A huge herd roams Northridge daily. My garden is destroyed 357. No bow hunting in these parks as it will be a concern for me and my family to visit knowing hunting is taking place. 358. no comments 359. No deer hunting within city limits. 360. No hunting period. I am tired of humans interfering and always thinking that their opinion is the only one that matters. 361. No hunting should be allowed in residential parks! 362. No one should be hunting with any weapon in the city limits or any city park in Ames. 363. none 364. Number of deer in the streets and yards keeps increasing. This summer there have been 3-4 sets of twin fawns grazing with their moms and older siblings. We have planted "deer resistant" plants that were decimated. We have to fence and net 74 everything except daffodils, basil, rosemary, and garlic. Mostly we have given up growing ﬂowers and vegetables. 365. Omg!! So against any kind of hunting within the city limits. So dangerous. I live in a high deer populated area of Ames and near parks. There are so many kids and people outside. It is so scary to think that some idiots would bow hunt around all of this. Just opens the doors for bad accidents to happen. 366. One wonderful thing about Ames public parks is the abundance of native wildlife. I do not support allowing bow hunting within city parks for 2 reasons. #1: I am concerned about safety of humans within these parks. Children enjoy running and playing in the woods, and unfortunately hunting accidents do happen. #2: I enjoy how the deer within city parks, especially the Munn woods, do not see humans as a threat. If bow hunting is allowed within parks, those deer will come to fear humans and will run away and hide, which will deny Ames residents the chance to observe these animals in their natural habitat. 367. Only reservation for fencing is that it can block deer into unwanted areas (such as on roads) and away from wooded areas where they are not an issue 368. Open areas sooner for the urban Bowhunting, some areas don’t hold deer after foliage has fallen and they move into private areas that will not allow permission 369. Our family loves the deer in our community, neighborhood, and yard. Our children look for them daily. I am a hunter but don’t want to see deer killed or relocated in our neighborhood. 370. Our garden cameras are like a nature channel, starring a recurring cast of 1-2 deer and a crafty fox every few weeks. Their script is always the same: enter from Homewood, trek through the gully, cruise past our house onto Oneil, and jaywalk across Duff at the crossing light. It's been a peaceful show for 20 years, and the neighborhood audience loves it. I'm pretty sure the deer I see down in River Park on my bike rides are the same ones begging for a starring role. Now, for my proposed season ﬁnale: we paintball them with different colors and give them names to create a official database. That way, if they ever become more than guests, we’ll know exactly who’s coming to dinner... 371. Our house has about 5 acres that backs up to Emma McCarthy. Our kids play outside all the time and people are often confused that it’s private property. I would be terriﬁed if bowhunting was allowed in Emma McCarthy area or Munn woods. I don’t feel like I’d be able to let my kids play outside. 372. Our property backs up to Munn Woods. If deer were harvested in the woods, how would they be removed? It would be a challenge as the terrain is so steep. We wouldn’t want any hunters passing through our property to access a downed 75 animal. The deer population has increased in the past decade, however we choose to live in this environment easily coexist with the growing population. 373. Our property goes up against Ann Munn woods / Emma Mcarthy Lee park. The deer population is very large and we see multiple herds of deer a day. Most in neighborhood are annoyed at the deer and the damage they cause to landscaping and fences. Our private property is a part of Munn woods and could be easily and safely used to bow hunt. 374. Over the past several years, we have been invaded by large numbers of deer in our yard/neighborhood (sometimes 15-20 gather across the street from our house, then migrate to our property). We have had hundreds of dollars in plantings destroyed (many "deer resistant" varieties) and have given up planting in many areas, installed fencing, used various repellent sprays——but nothing really helps for long. We had to extract a dead fawn from our fencing, we remove deer scat from our yard at least weekly, and we try frequently to chase them from grazing on our plants. We would greatly appreciate the city taking action to help us with this problem. 375. People shooting arrows in a public park just sounds like a bad idea. I don’t want to fear getting shot while I’m walking or riding my bike. But, maybe I don’t know enough. 376. Please allow bow hunting/deer reducing efforts near Ada Hayden. There are way too many!! 377. Please allow Mike Augustin can bow hunt in Emma McCarty Lee 378. Please do not allow bow hunting in our parks. I would not feel comfortable using the parks at all if this was allowed. We walk our dogs (on leashes) in these parks daily. If hunting was allowed in these areas, I would refrain from using the parks and consider leaving Ames. I don't want to worry about my safety or my dogs from an accidental hunting incident. 379. Please don’t allow hunting in parks where children play. 380. Please don't allow hunting in the public parks. 381. Please no hunting. We need to ﬁnd non-violent ways to deal with this situation. Also we had a bad situation with a hunter and my dogs. So my past experience on this topic was quite traumatic. I visit many of these parks daily with my kids. I would like to keep it a positive experience for them, and not have to explain why we are killing the animals they have seen growing up. 382. PLEASE please please do something to reduce the deer population! They have blocked my driveway, jumped in front of my car while backing into/out of my garage and driving down my street, decimated all of my gardens, broken my deck, and more. They have cost me thousands of dollars in damages and it's only a matter of time before I have a major car accident with one of them in my driveway. I have tried 76 everything to get rid of them too and nothing works! I have two different deer alarms, two different chemical repellents, planted "deer-resistant" plants, installed fencing, and more and they still are daily pests! 383. Please please please take zero action on the deer population. There are no good options, so just leave them be. 384. Please read the research on the effectiveness of deer killing for controlling various deer issues. Killing deer as an effective solution is not supported in the research for reducing conﬂicts. Research supports the ability to coexist with deer when using humane methods.https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/what-do-about- deer I use the parks regularly to run and do not feel safe with people bow hunting. More importantly the research does not support it as an effective intervention. I do think we need more signage that alerts drivers to SLOW DOWN during the hours of high deer movement- sunrise and sundown. Using similar technology as the police light radar signs could help with this and could be powered by solar. 385. Pls.no deer hunting of any kind within the City of Ames 386. Posted signs for safety of hikers or other animals please! 387. Provided there are safe hunting practices, I think it is necessary to help control the population. I think some kind of sterilization will also help. We have lived in our house for 8 years and only this past summer, we have seen deer in our backyard. 388. question 16 above which states check all that apply only allows the selection of one option. 389. Question 16 allowed only one response. I’m ok with bow hunting but that is only part of the solution. Education on the use of fencing, repellents and other deterrents is also required. 390. Question 16 did not allow multiple responses but I would support any control method. My neighborhood does not get deer but I have family who live by Munn Woods. Deer can regularly be seen in their neighborhood and fencing is not always effective. Deer browsing has also harmed native wildﬂowers in the woods. 391. Question 16 does not allow for multiple selections. 392. Question 16 says select all that apply, but only lets one be selected. Here is my full response: a. Urban deer hunting b. Immunocontraception c. Public Education on coexistence 393. Rabbits and deer in my yard and neighborhood have become almost tame and are a nuisance. I no longer do any in ground gardening as they have destroyed plants and even trees. 77 394. Re question #16: is surgical sterilization realistic? Is sterilization through other means possible (injection? introduce orally through feeding areas? etc.) 395. Reactor woods also has a large number of deer 396. Repeating my comment above: Bow hunting could be acceptable if *strictly* regulated and *only* when monitored by appropriate authorities. 397. Responsible bow hunters with adequate supervision and vetting can help ameliorate some of the overpopulation of deer in Ames. I would suggest issuing multiple doe tags to each hunter. Thank you for addressing this issue before it becomes a public health issue. 398. Safety of public in hunting areas, posted signs. Almost daily during daylight hours deer are seen roaming streets and yards around Munn Woods and Emma McCarthy parks and eating and pooping in yards. When walking through the woods we see numerous deer. Driving through the neighborhood I have had several near accident encounters with deer. Too many and not enough forage. They get hungry and eat even plants that are supposedly deer resistant. 399. SBHOA has an unusually large population of dear adjacent to Adah Hayden yet there is no question about the deer population in Adah Hayden here. I said he needs to control it better in the park. 400. Senegal years ago I lived in an area of Minnesota that decided to allow bow hunting to cull the deer population. Throughout the season we often saw deer who had been struck but not killed by arrows and were bleeding, had an infection from the wound or otherwise maimed. It was always difficult to see this; especially so for children or those who were very soft hearted towards animals. It was not an efficient or humane method to address the deer population. Please do not allow bow hunting as a means to address this issue. 401. Several neighbors are also "at war" with the deer after experiencing complete garden destruction and heavy landscaping damage beginning last year. The block is constantly alive with alarm sounds from deer-repelling devices, which, in turn, drives other neighbors bonkers. Regular 4-foot? chain-link fences dividing property lines get jumped by deer constantly. I personally install chicken wire compounds around most of my vegetables to prevent them and the rabbits from trashing everything. 402. Several years ago a road ( service?)was built in Munn woods and the population exploded in my neighborhood and surrounding streets. I have lived on Story St since 1960 and on Oliver since 1986. Deer population has exploded with Ames Urban development in West Ames from North Dakota over to County Line. I don't hunt, but deer population needs to be culled. Deer wasting disease, Lyme disease and ticks are an increasing problem. My family has dogs. Deer are prevslent in all hours of the 78 day. They are not startled or fearful of humans. Sometimes I see groups of 7 to 10 at a time in my yard and neighbors yards on Oliver Ave , Oakland, Mary Circle and Crane. They are a problem and I'm pleased to see that the City of Ames is trying to resolve the problem. Thank you for asking for my input. 403. Should not allow bow hunting in parks visited by lots of people: Emma, Moore, munn, 404. Since jax has closed where can urban hunters get yearly urban hunting shooting recertiﬁcation done at? 405. Slow the speed limit in those areas of higher population and put a ﬂash on the sign at dusk 406. Smart bow hunters will know how to control and take dear of the land without effecting nearby parks and housing 407. So many children and adolescents hang out around Emma McCarthy and Munn woods. Never in my life would I have considered this a safe place to deer hunt. Iowa is so massively covered in ﬁelds and surrounding woods are we being so for real we want to hunt in town?? I rarely ﬁll out surveys like this but this is genuinely one of the least smart ideas I’ve ever heard. 408. Some o f the ideas need more explanation as to what and how they would operate 409. Sounds like a terrible idea for the safety of children and people in the area. 410. Sterilization seems like a good idea. I see about a dozen deer in my yard daily, this now includes bucks and fawns—rare a couple of years ago. Deer ticks are another concern. 411. Stop residents from feeding the deer. 412. Thanksgiving weekend 2023 a doe died (result of broken leg) along the creek near Veenker Road and Pinehurst Drive. Attempts to contact DNR: no result. Called City of Ames and learned that reporting through the Police Department resulted in city employees being sent to retrieve the carcass. This was a three day process due to the holiday weekend. Instruction in public/park literature would be helpful. Twins are regularly seen in Moore Park area. Breeding sterilization??? 413. The amount of damage and destruction to my landscape has increased signiﬁcantly in the past 5 years. In the 22 years we have lived in this neighborhood, we have always seen deer, but not at this level of density. The damage to my landscape is indicative of that. Daily I see a heard of 5-10 deer in my back yard and on Scholl Road. The bucks should be harvested annually, as should a number of females. This year alone I saw 7-8 fawns in the spring- just in my neighborhood. Those new offspring combined with the large population already will create more intense pressure on residential landscapes as well as increase the incidents of vehicle-deer accidents. It is dicey coming over the bridge on Minnesota in the evening since there 79 are often deer in the road or along side of it The population must be actively managed and controlled for size. 414. The area I live in is right next to Reactor Woods and so I fully expect to have wildlife in my yard and enjoy seeing the deer wander through our neighborhood and my yard. In fact this is a huge positive for me, even if they do eat some of my plants. I do support culling the herds if necessary to protect the overall deer population against disease and other problems. 415. The bow hunting season dates posted prominently in neighborhoods would be helpful. 416. The City should actively pursue educating the residents about deer-resistant plants, especially native plant species and should support that by holding plant sales at parks where there are a problem. 417. The City's codes (fence, gardens) don't account for deer pressure. The 8'x8' area above fence height policy doesn't account for 8' cntr-to-cntr post spacing is a common building size, such that the out-to-out dimension >8'x8'. If the City doesn't have the resident support for hunting and/or cannot effectively control deer damage, then residents in affected areas should use fencing that is adequate to keep deer out. This is 8' high. The City Community Garden on North Dakota uses this height, so you acknowledge that this is the necessary height to exclude deer. Our non-conforming garden enclosure was cut down to meet City height requirements. We now have temporary fencing (that is less visually appealing) to exclude deer to the original height. Co-existence policies (fences/height) are a no-cost to the City item that empowers owners who care, to beautify and grow food within city limits which is a prosocial and community building policy, consistent with Ames 2040 Plan. 418. The common result of bow hunting deer is wounded animals that must then be chased down and destroyed. I also feel the risk to humans given the location is too high. I would favor relocation and birth control with treated feed. 419. The control of deer population by bow hunting is selective and works well in Scott County Park ( Scott County Iowa , near Davenport) it keeps the population controlled safely and is limited and safely conducted. 420. The current Deer population control is good. 421. The dear in our neighborhood are brazen and unafraid of people and vehicles, even during daylight hours. 422. The deer are a city nuisance. Not afraid (due to inbreeding or just used to living among city life for too long.) Biggest concern is when they interfere with traffic. Our college students (foreign and from the city) do not know how to drive with the deer 80 crossing the street. And with many using motorcycles or mopeds, deer can be very dangerous. 423. The deer are eating over half of my ﬂowers in all of my gardens 424. The deer are getting out of hand and we need to get rid of them. I spend hundreds of dollars on deer repellent and it is gone every time it rains. It is unbelievable how much poop I walk through every day and when mowing. The raccoons are a big problem also 425. The deer are just doing what deer do. Iowa has the most changed landscape of any state in the nation. If Ames doesn't spray for mosquitos, is the need to kill deer any grater or is the risk to residents greater than West Nile or other insect transmittable diseases? 426. The deer are not a problem. They are not harming anyone or anything. I personally love to see them especially when there are also babies! My children also love seeing them. They are apart of this world and deserve to live with all of us also. I could understand if they were harming someone but they are not. 427. The deer at di thick I often see 7 - 8 just in my 1/2hr walk. They have even tried to run over me as a pedestrian 428. The deer have deﬁnitely gotten more numerous and become more of a nuisance since 2020. Urban hunting is necessary to control the population. 429. The deer need to live in there natural habitat, that we have invaded. If deer are a nuisance to certain areas, then those concerns need to be addressed. But I worked at FireStation #2 and early one morning, I saw a deer randomly walking around out on Welch Avenue. A deer in that area is very rare and nothing needed to be done do it. It was just a animal that somehow took a wrong turn. 430. The deer population in Ames is out of control. There needs to be better management methods. This spring alone, we have seen at least a dozen fawns in the Westwood Dr neighborhood. If the population grows at this rate, which seems to be the trend, then the local Ames environs will not be able to support the feeding habits of so many deer. The deer are not afraid of people, so running them off of property requires one to approach the animal closely and make lots of noise. Plus, the deer spread ticks and other disease, as well as invasive and noxious plants through their feces and seeds coats that stick to the fur of the animals. The deer this summer have been loaded with begger's lice (Hackelia virginiana) that stick to the fur; when the deer shed this fur, the seeds will disperse even more. Please take down the population of urban deer. 431. The deer population in and around Munn Woods seems to have grow greatly in the last 5 years. They have broken our fence three times and multiple bird feeders and stands. Killed an entire hedgerow we tried to grow along with many other plants in 81 our yard. Our yard is constantly full of deer droppings. And doe have nearly trampled our small dog because they had a fawns hidden in our yard. 432. The deer population is a problem!! It’s time or past time for action! Deer must be killed! 433. The deer population is deﬁnitely a public nuisance and has become dangerous. 434. The deer population just feeds on the surrounding grass and minds their own business. We can deﬁnitely coexist together. 435. The deer really don’t bother me but I understand control is important. 436. The deer suck. 437. The idea of any kind of hunting within city limits, in city parks, or near city residential areas makes me uncomfortable. Whereas many people hunt responsibly, some people do not, and this makes me concerned for safety. 438. The last few years we have seen more doe and fawns in the residential areas, and now they pretty much live in our yards. We would like to coexist but with few natural predators they are getting over populated and then expand into new habitat looking for food. Winters seem tough on them. Work with Story County for areas near city limits Thank you for addressing this concern! 439. The negative economic impact of deer on my property has been large. Some years I've spent over $500 trying to control them: they've destroyed 2 oak trees I've planted in the last 5 years, browsed perennial plants to death, and they destroy my hobby of breeding plants by eating off buds and seed pods. You pay once for the original plant, then again for the replacements, then you pay for LiquidFence or chicken wire fencing/stakes or whatnot, but they don't work. Deer-resistant plants are not deer- resistant. I called Ames Animal Control once, they said I should be HAPPY to have all this damage because the deer feel safe in my yard...it was insulting and unhelpful, I'm paying taxes for them to control animals and instead the City uses that money to insult me 440. The overpopulation of deer in my neighborhood deters any thoughts of area beatiﬁcation as they just destroy most of what we try to do to improve the image of the area. 441. The population in Munn Woods is out of control. Deer are constantly on my property, even come to my front door. They have destroyed my plantings and won't even run from my property if I chase them. Their coats are mangy and they are a total nuisance. I have found ones in the yard that appear to be sick. I see twins born all of the time so the population here is doubling quickly. I would love to see something done to control the population and prevent home owners from suffering damage from them. I have not had an accident with them, but have come close 82 many times and also see problems with cars and the deer almost every day. Please do something. 442. The PZP immunocontraception is much less expensive than surgical sterilization for does, but I presume the latter would mean castration for some of the bucks. Road construction has altered deer travel in northwest Ames (Stange/Dakota; Lincoln/24th St). They may be coming into neighborhoods more often because of that. ***Bow hunting is unnecessarily cruel.*** Shouldn't be shooting guns or arrows in proximity to houses, so other solutions to reducing deer population would be relocating, or sterilization. 443. The requirement to ﬁeld dress deer offsite is overly restrictive 444. The safety and responsibility of bow hunting and hunters. 445. The safety of clear back stops needs to be made very important especially within a populated park. 446. The woods in our backyard blend it into Emma McCarthy Lee/Munn woods. Thus we have deer trails in our backyard. We support the right for the deer to be there. If people have an issue with the deer they need to build fences or move. The deer were here ﬁrst. 447. There appear to be too many deer, so we need to do something. This could include limited hunting, relocation thru hazing, etc. 448. There are far too many because we have no natural predators 449. There are far too many people and domestic animals (dogs, cats) to allow bow hunting within Emma McCarthy Lee Park and Munn Woods. 450. There are too many deer now and the population needs to be managed, contraception is indiscriminate, hazing is temporary and fencing would be ﬁnancially difficult. Hunting is a good answer as it is controllable and easily variable relative to the population. I like having the deer around, but too much of anything is not a good thing. High deer population leads to endemic disease which we do not want here, not to mention automobile accidents and lawn and landscape damage. I have run into multiple bow hunters behind the golf course, they are all super nice guys, well organized and make good use of the deer they harvest and talk highly of the program. More bow hunting makes sense. 451. There is a deer herd in west Ames that roams the sunset ridge subdivision and Daley park. 452. there should be more zoning exceptions for deer fencing around front yard gardens 453. There should be NO hunting in city parks and areas intended for Ames public recreation where children and community members could be present. 454. They are so numerous in my neighborhood that they're dangerous. Especially at dusk it's routine for one to run out in front of my car. A few months back I hit two 83 deer who were standing in the middle of Highway 30. It would have been a very dangerous accident if I hadn't seen them at the last second and reduced my speed a lot before impact. 455. They didn't do anything. 456. They eat every "deer-resistant" plants I have tried. 457. They have heards of deer in the woods behind the middle school 458. they were here before us and will be here after. 459. This is a concern as deer are vermin and need to be removed like rats. 460. This is also a public health issue. My neighbor's abandoned back yard is a deer haven, and the animals are vectors for ticks that transmit human diseases including, Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. We have vegetable and ﬂower gardens so we are outside all the time -- right next door to this neglected back yard that deer regularly come bolting out of. 461. This issue must be addressed immediately and aggresively. The deer population is a major nuisance and safety/health hazard in the city. We deal with this nuisance on an almost daily basis. Expanded hunting in city parks is not the answer, as it can be dangerous and not bring the problem under control. The deer population must be reduced in an agressive snd deliberate manner. Please, please, do something about this problem. 462. This past spring I probably saw over 100 deer 463. Though I don't support bow hunting from the general public as a method of control for the overpopulation of deer within city limits, I would support a city-led, (staff of Parks and Recreation department) highly trained individual(s) to do the work. 464. To bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties the hunter must use a deer stand above a height of 16 feet and not take a shot of over 25 yards, this will greatly reduce the risk of stray arrows. 465. Too dangerous to residents. If you leave it up to individuals, they won't follow through and who will police this? Just put them on pill. Also, we near south more park see deer all.summer.. they wander around yards for years. 466. Too many deer around high school and eat ﬂowers at Northcrest. Often have to avoid deer in morning when going to work 467. Unless bow hunters are city employees/contractors trained to hunt in "urban" areas I would not favor any other form of bow hunting. Sterilization, contraception and relocation seem to be much safer avenues for containing the deer population. 468. Urban deer are nuisances to homeowners and potentially hazardous to motorists. I often have to avoid deer on 13th, Ontario, and Hyland while driving especially prior to sunrise. In the Munn woods area in particular, there seems to be an extremely high population. It would be beneﬁcial to reduce or remove this population. I have 84 noticed that populations south of train tracks in west Ames have little fear of people or vehicles, whereas north of the train tracks around ISU Applied Science Center, deer are much more likely to maintain distance from people and vehicles. Deer population in Munn woods needs to be removed. 469. Urban deer hunting is the cheapest way for the city to regain control on the growing deer population. It’s a win-win solution as there are many people who enjoy hunting and would pay to hunt in city limits. Hunters are also able to donate meat to the HUSH program and put food on the table for lower income people. 470. Urban deer management via well regulated bow hunting is a clear success in Polk County 471. Urban deer notoriously travel at night and do damage to landscapes and gardens. 472. Utilize known herd management techniques. These are largely adopted already, but greater public effort on ensuring that deer are not dependent on residents for feed would also assist with controlling deer movements within parks and private properties. 473. Very concerned if bow hunting would take place in Emma McCarthy because of how close we are to there and because of how it borders a residential area. We walk there all the time. People go through there all day. I would be afraid of an accident or someone being careless. All it takes is one person doing something stupid. 474. W 475. We appreciate the city looking at options. While we love the proximity to the woods and don't mind an occasional deer, we are frustrated with the increase in the population. We have no hostas and have had to remove several bushes due to the deer nubbing them down to nothing. We've started to convert to more deer resistant plants. 476. We are occupying their habaitat.......... 477. We coexist with deer since we live near the Arboretum and they have come on our property to eat from the bird feeders once that we saw. 478. We create any issues with wildlife by impacting and reducing their habitat. We should be, and I believe the city is by asking with this survey - thank you - stewards of the land and habitats. Likely, feeding and access to trash, are as much reasons to understand how to live properly with deer. These animals were born here, been here long before the city, grow up here, raise their young here, and live with us as part of Nature. Nature operates in balance. What right do we really have to murder them for any reason? Especially for folks who wish to do so out of sport. This is totally unacceptable. As a tax paying citizen of Ames, I am absolutely against hunting or sterilization. In this day and age, we need to stop our disrespect of life, and be stewards of this planet. Sometimes that means to put aside the ""cheapest"" 85 answers to live peacefully with Nature. This is essential for Earth, the children and the world we leave them for a future. Thank you city of Ames. 479. We do not mind the deer. Typically one doe & fawn per year. (Twins this year that have been a joy to watch. ) At most during rutting we may have a herd of six-eight go thru our back yard but they don’t linger. Moore park / Veenker area 480. We do NOT support this! 481. We don’t feed them but deer ate all our hosta leaves so indirectly yes our property was / is a feeding ground since hostas cover a signiﬁcant portion of our yard 482. We encourage hiking and use of public parks to our community. It would be tragic if someone died from a stray arrow. Also, I want to be able to use my local parks without concern of being injured. 483. We enjoy seeing the deer and would be sad to see the deer and fawns we have watched grow and change be killed. 484. We had more deer problems when we lived in west Ames as our yard was more wide-open. We gave up on vegetable gardening when we lived there due to deer. Our north Ames home is a townhome with a large brick fence around community property. 485. We have a deer path between our property and our neighbors: the deer regularly walk through our yard AND walk down Ridgewood Avenue and through Orchard Drive, eating their ﬁll on my buffet of ﬂowers and plants! 486. We have had 21 deer in our yard in one day. We have deer poop all over. We at least want to have taller front yard fences to keep them from getting into our garden. I worry about deer-borne diseases. 487. We have had thousands of dollars in damage to landscape and lost trees and vegetation. The deer herd up twelve to twenty at a time in the winter and will eat or damage everything. They are here every day multiple times. Repellents are not effective. They fear nothing and this year the droppings (which can carry and spread diseases to pets) are more than we have ever had. Something has to be done 488. We have invaded their space and bow hunting seems cruel considering many aren’t good enough to prevent the suffering of the animals. 489. We have lived at 4024 Arkansas Dr. for over 18 years. The past 7 years we have seen deer more deer in our neighborhood than any other time. We have seen them in our backyard, front yard, walking down our street in broad daylight. Sometimes 5-6 of them. Last year they ate our hostas to the ground. What is the current deer population in Ames? I had heard at one time it was estimated around 350. That was back in 2009 approx. It was around that time that another Bow hunting experiment was attempted without much success unfortunately. Maybe 5-6 deer harvested. I hope and pray that this one would be much more successful. We need it. 86 490. We have lived at our address since 1988. We rarely saw deer in the neighborhood the ﬁrst several years, but the last 15 - 20 years, there has been a huge proliferation of deer in our neighborhood and in our yard. They have destroyed many of our bushes and shrubs, they have destroyed many of the replacement trees and bushes we've planted that are supposed to be deer resistant, they have defecated daily in our yard, and they are becoming more and more brazen to the point where it has become unnerving to see how little they react to a human presence. They cross the streets with little attention to vehicles, and I have always been concerned a driver is going to get killed running into them. I don't know how it would look, but I would very much appreciate any efforts that could be made to lessen the deer population as long as it doesn't put community members at risk. 491. We have lived in Ames for 11 years, and the deer pressure has deﬁnitely increased. I appreciate being able to see the beauty of wildlife here, but it comes with responsibility for HUMANE management and no risk for citizens due to that management. Bow hunting, with the possibility of witnessing injured or dying animals due to lack of skill, dead animals on truck beds within town, etc., is NOT appropriate. We have gone from weekly extensive spraying of repellent in summer (4+ months) + fencing speciﬁc planting areas to fencing off the back yard along with several other neighbors. It all has been a really signiﬁcant effort for both me and my husband. Nonetheless, humane management is most important to me;I do not want to see injured, mutilated or dying animals within city limits. 492. We have lived in the south campus area for 40 years and had seen deer in neighborhood only very very occasionally. That changed a year or two ago… some weeks we see them in our yard every day or two… then we won’t see them for weeks. We assume the expansion of housing north & south of “town” have pushed more into town 493. We have observed them looking both ways before they cross Ontario St. 494. We have over built and into the land the deer live and lived. Rabbits cause more damage at my house. Leave the echo system and wildlife to Mother Nature! Do not allow Bows in parks, someone will get hurt, and not ok. The deer have always been there you see more because Ames has over built!!! 495. We have too many deer living in our neighborhood - and right next door in the completely unmanaged back yard. There are people who feed them (and people who put out food for any wildlife that happens by). Including next door to us. 496. we live across the street from mine woods, we see dear every evening. The neighborhood kids enjoy watching them and learning about them and remember which ones they see. I think they would ﬁnd it pretty scary to know that humans are hunting them in their neighborhood. I also think if someone shot one with a bow and 87 it got away that anyone seeing it with a arrow hanging out of it would be traumatizing, and obviously very unfair to the deer who would be suffering with it 497. We live by the other Moore Park off Beach Ave and there are several families of deer we see daily. They have become completely tame and unafraid of people. They spend hours a day in our front and back yards eating our plants and trees, napping in our yard, and living their best life. They are cute but a problem particularly crossing Beach Ave where the students drive fast to get to class. 498. We live in a city full of trees and parks which we have chosen. Why would we expect not to have the wildlife that comes with this environment? 499. We live next to Munn Woods and bought our house for that reason. NO deer hunting in the woods, please. I see very few deer while walking through the woods to Emma McCarthy Lee Park, and very few deer in that park. I see more deer in our yard and suspect that our neighbors at 235 Trail Ridge Rd. are feeding them. Please tell them that is illegal! If you allow hunting in these locations I would be terriﬁed to walk through there, and very angry if I would be denied the possibility of walking through them. 500. We live on a two-acre property adjacent to Munn Woods. Because of the proximity of Munn Woods to our backyard, we are against bow hunting in Munn Woods. The city maintains service roads on our property, and many visitors to Munn Woods ignore the signs designating private property. So we have a chronic problem with trespassers on our property. We already feel the city could and should do more to protect our property from tresspassers, especially since its service roads contribute to the problem. Given the routine tresspassing that occurs, we expect that bow hunters will hunt on our property, against our wishes. If the city can't control tresspassers without bows, how is it going to protect us and our property from bow hunters? There have to be other measures the city can take without exposing us to the risk of injury from bow hunting. There is no reason we need to be subject to risk on our own property. 501. We love having the deer in our yard every day and seeing them daily. PLEASE DO NOT BOW HUNT THEM!!! 502. We moved to Ames 1 year ago. During this time, we have seen the deer population increase exponentially. During the past year, we have installed a deer fence across the back of our property as well as gates across the front in order to reduce the traffic from the ever growing herds of deer that come through our property. We are only trying to protect our investment in our lawn and landscaping. I support any humane action to reduce the population of deer in the Ames city limits. 503. We need to be killing the adults, the babies, the male and female deer. We need to expand the hunting season. We should provide bounties for deer shot in city 88 borders. We should also hire sharp shooters to control the herds. While surgical sterilization is an option, providing food with birth control would probably work better. This should be done in conjunction with hunting. 504. We see deer in our yard and/or in our court several times a week. Currently there's a mother with two young deer that come around often. They, unfortunately, eat a lot of our plants/ﬂowers. It's not ideal and I'm not pleased with the added risk of ticks in my yard because of them. However, "I" personally don't want to hurt them. 505. We see EVIDENCE of deer having grazed on our plantings overnight, thought we may not see them daily, I believe our yards on Michigan Ave feed deer every night, as evidenced by droppings, bitten Hosta foliage, Hydrangea stripping, protective cages knocked over, tracks in snow, etc. as well as multiple sightings in daylight, & fawns nestled in our early Spring foliage! 506. We take away their land, we need to learn to live with them and coexist. Unless it is to control diseases, deer should not be controlled simply because we don't want them in our yards. I plant a ton of ﬂowers and spend hundreds every year. I use a motion sprinkler and haven't had one thing eaten by deer this year. Learn to coexist and stop complaining. They were here ﬁrst. 507. We took their habitat not the other way around. Leave them alone 508. We walk through these city parks daily to enjoy being close to nature and that deﬁnitely includes watching the deer. I understand that the herd size needs to be watched so the size of herd stays within the limits of resources in their habitat. Whatever method is considered the most humane to the animals would be my preference. I do not support bow hunting given the close proximity to homes and park visitors as well as the animals suffering after being shot and before they die. 509. We've had deer give birth to fawns in neighboring yards - especially those where there are back buildings or extended brush. We've seen deer with fawns in our yard during spring and late summer; almost never in winter. 510. What is the long term result of bow or other hunting. What are the results and costs of other methods of deer control? this will affect what we choose to do, if anything. I have seen up to seven deer on our property in the afternoon.. We see evidence of their presence daily, but don't always see them since they forage at night. It seems that no plants are safe from deer if they are hungry. We have to fence and put nets on new plantings to keep them from being eaten or destroyed due to antler rubbing. Does the city plan provide for deer corridors along and across streams? What is the incidence of Lyme disease, caused by deer ticks, in Ames. This infection can cause lifelong disability if not identiﬁed and aggressively treated. this is a concern when using our outdoor parks throughout Ames. What do medical professionals in Ames 89 advise? I wouldn't trust the health department recommendations under Gov. Reynolds. 511. When a hunter ﬁeld dresses a deer, what happens for clean up? if it is not cleaned up it can attract other wildlife and pets. It can also be problematic for children to see. 512. When I lived at 4207 Westbrook Drive. HERDS of deer go through our yard and I couldn’t feed the birds. Even cayenne pepper would not stop them. They ate everything. Bucks would ﬁght and chase each other. 513. Where are people suppose to dispose of the entrails and carcass? 514. Where the deer population is a problem, allowing bow hunting won’t make much of a dent. Has the city considering working with the DNR to capture the deer and possibly euthanize them? I lo 515. While I generally support bow hunting to control urban deer populations, I think the city and hunters absolutely need to be in agreement on hunting practices including respecting property rights, absolute line of sight for targets, and cessation of hunting due to other folks in the park. I have seen both nonchalance from city staff and a real 'bubba' factor among hunters in other cities. Both groups need to step it up a couple of notches. 516. Who is permitted to hunt needs to be tightly regulated. 517. Wildlife existed here before we settled here a long time ago. Can we ﬁnd some way to live together? I live in an area that is somewhat conducive to wildlife and I enjoy watching them. I do not feed any and have not had any problems with my plants being eaten other than be the chippies! 518. Would like to see some type of practice to reduce deer population. Most of the deer in our neighborhood have no fear of humans and often run around in herds. 519. Would love to hunt 520. Yes I think the deer are a pain to have eating plants around my home, however bow hunting in parks that my family walks through almost daily isn’t the solution. Bow hunters can continue getting permission from farms and acres to hunt on their grounds and leave public parks open to the public to use safely without hunters 521. You have families and children enjoying our parks. What makes you think allowing now hunting for deer near a park is a good/safe idea???? What if the hunter misses and the stray arrow hits a person while visiting the park. NOT A GOOD IDEA. We can't even control guns in this country, I don't think we need to allow bow hunting to control the deer population. Also, technically animals were in this neighborhood before humans were. So, leave the beautiful animals alone. 522. You're seriously considering drugging or surgically altering deer? That's insane. 90 Summary: 1. Deer Population & Impact • Most agree there are too many deer in Ames, causing signiﬁcant damage to yards, gardens, and landscapes. • Many report deer causing safety hazards, especially vehicle collisions and risks to pedestrians. • Concerns about deer as disease vectors, particularly for tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. • Some emphasize that deer have lived here long before humans and urge coexistence. 2. Deer Management Methods • Bow Hunting Supporters: o Many see bow hunting as the most practical, controllable, and cost-effective way to reduce the population. o Hunters are described as respectful and responsible. o Support for regulated, professional hunting programs, with strong safety measures. o Some advocate for expanded hunting seasons, bounties, or sharpshooters for population control. o Urban bow hunting seen as a success in other counties (e.g., Polk County). • Opponents of Bow Hunting: o Strong concerns about safety risks of bow hunting in parks and near residential areas—fear of stray arrows or accidents. o Worries about injured animals suffering and public trauma from witnessing hunting. o Many prefer non-lethal options like sterilization, contraception, or relocation despite acknowledging their limitations. o Some outright oppose any hunting due to ethical or moral reasons. • Non-Lethal Methods: o Contraception and sterilization considered by some as humane but expensive, slow, or not always effective. o Relocation and hazing seen as temporary ﬁxes. o Fencing and repellents often reported as ineffective or ﬁnancially difficult. o Suggestions for public education to reduce feeding and habitat attractants. 3. Safety & Regulation Concerns • Widespread insistence on strict regulation of hunters, including training, licensing, and ensuring line-of-sight safety. • Concerns about trespassing on private property by hunters and other park users. 91 • Many ask how the city will manage carcass cleanup and avoid creating hazards or disturbing neighbors. • Calls for clear rules on when and where hunting is allowed, with buffer zones near homes, schools, and parks. • A signiﬁcant portion of respondents say bow hunting in public parks where children and families recreate is too dangerous. 4. Ethical & Community Perspectives • Some respondents believe humans have a responsibility to coexist peacefully with wildlife, not kill for sport. • Others stress the damage deer cause justiﬁes population control—even aggressive methods if necessary. • Many express sadness or discomfort about killing deer they enjoy watching. • Debate exists over whether deer are “vermin” or valued native wildlife. • Calls for humane treatment and ethical considerations in all management decisions. 5. Community Experience & Observations • Many report seeing large herds daily or weekly, indicating deer are well-established in neighborhoods. • Numerous anecdotes of deer eating “deer-resistant” plants, gardens, and landscaping. • Several note deer are unafraid of humans, crossing streets carelessly, increasing risks. • Concerns about deer habituated to feeding from humans and unmanaged properties attracting large numbers. 6. Other Suggestions & Requests • Interest in more zoning exceptions or allowances for deer fencing in front yards. • Requests for the city to increase enforcement against illegal feeding and educate residents. • Calls for better monitoring and data collection on deer populations and impacts. • Suggestions for hunting only by trained city employees or contractors, not the general public. • Worries about whether the city has considered all costs and public health implications thoroughly. Overall Takeaway: • There is broad concern about overpopulation and impacts of deer in Ames. • Opinions sharply divide on bow hunting, with many seeing it as necessary and others fearing safety and ethical issues. 92 • There is support for exploring a mix of management tools, balancing humane treatment, public safety, and effective population control. • Public engagement, education, and clear regulations are vital to any successful deer management strategy. 93 PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT URBAN DEER HUNT SURVEY EMAIL AND PHONE COMMENTS Dear Keith, I got the survey about deer management with bow and arrow in Emma Mccarthy Lee Park. I did not answer it for the simple reason that Yes, living where I do on Oliver Circle I see deer quite frequently - in my yard and elsewhere.But the idea of having deer shot with bow and arrow in the park is utterly ridiculous! I can't imagine who came up with such a foolish idea. So please accept this as my opinion without my filling in the survey. Thank you Rhoda (Urie) _____________________________________________________________________ Dear Keith, thank you very much for your email. I wondered how all this had happened. And of course you have to do your best with collecting data and so forth to make recommendations. I just think shooting deer in the park is an awfully bad idea. They eat things in my yard - but I just. try to plant trees that they don't eat - and Steve Weiss who does my tree work is most cooperative about this. Indeed he placed barriers round my pine trees when it became clear the deer liked them. Unfortunately I am not sure what the answer is- except I personally would just put up with them and chase them when I see them. There are two of the cutest little Bambis at the moment with their spots. - alas, they grow up! I am sorry I am not being much help - and I do apologize for the abruptness of my last email! Yours most sincerely, Rhoda _____________________________________________________________________ Hi, Keith-- The problem with letting people "vote" on which type of "control" they prefer is that they lack both knowledge and context. They have NO understanding of immuno-contraception in wild animals, yet that is the one they'll definitely vote for. Each animal has to be captured yearly, administered the drug, and released. Depending on the type of contraception, it may require sedation. Some animals die, as a result, of stress. AND, most importantly, it is only effective in reducing populations in captive situations like islands or high-fenced enclosures. It is NOT effective in wild, free-ranging populations. To make it even less attractive and practical, all that work is very expensive. I would leave the voting to professionals, not the public. My 2 cents, Jim (James Pease) _____________________________________________________________________ "Yes, I am calling about the deer. I am more than in favor of anything that will get rid of deer. My number is 515292337. Jackie Conzemius. If you need to contact me otherwise than that, yes, I am in favor of them. A thank you." _____________________________________________________________________ 94 Hi Keith, Thank you very much for sending this survey and checking in on the over-population of deer in Ames. I live near Munn Woods and there is a family of five deer trying to live in my small yard who commit destructive and dangerous acts daily. Is there a way I can volunteer to have the bow hunters come to my yard? I desperately need them. Cheers, Kristin _____________________________________________________________________ Dear Keith Abraham, we just received your letter regarding bow hunting deer in Ann Munn Woods, we totally disagree with this as the hunting would be too close to our home, too risky for pets close by and or people walking , residents. Not worth the risk. As for the deer we have them throughout our yard and they do not hurt a thing. They are very tame and beautiful creatures. We love right next to the Ann Munn trail at 407 Hickory Drive. This cannot happen. Sincerely Clifford and Jackie Abbott. _____________________________________________________________________ “This is Douglas Provo at 3,655 story Street West. As I have a problem with the deer, they my tomato plants. And they they roses when they are rooming, they is each of us. And they sleep in my backyard and ****. And my neighbor had a problem with her her bird feed. I do not know what you could do about it, but it is a problem. Bye. My telephone number is 515-292-1892 bye.” _____________________________________________________________________ “Generals Provo at 3,655 story streets. Iowa and the west north of Mcdonald's. I have a problem with the deer. They are eating my tomato plants. And they when the rose red rose bloom, they will eat the red rose. They sleep in my backyard and your lee **** all of the fish. And my neighbor has a problem with the They are eating the bird feeder. I wish the city would do something to cut down on. The deer population rapidly expanding. And my name is Douglas Pro and my telephone numbers 515-292- 1892.” _____________________________________________________________________ “This is Douglas Provo at 3,655 story Street West. As I have a problem with the deer, they my tomato plants. And they they roses when they are rooming, they is each of us. And they sleep in my backyard and ****. And my neighbor had a problem with her her bird feed. I do not know what you could do about it, but it is a problem. Bye. My telephone number is 515-292-1892 bye.” _____________________________________________________________________ Yes,yes,yes We live at 310 Hickory Dr. We are overwhelmed with deer. In our yard, driveway, street. Please get rid of some of the deer! 95 Thank you Greg Larson and Karen Miskell Larson _____________________________________________________________________ "Hi, Keith, Keith, this is Betty Horace and I live at 2001 Indian Grass Court and I filled out your survey, walked gently through our backyard, stopping to Chomp on the hosta as they went. And I can't tell you how strongly I feel about we need to dramatically reduce the number of deer in as if this were a private business that. Let animals run and destroy property. We would do something about it. So anyway, my thoughts if if you are interested. But I did fill out the survey, but I could not add. The drama that I feel in my voice anyway. Hopefully the survey will indicate that we need to take action. And if you have any questions or want to talk to me further? My phone number is 515-233-6454. Thanks, Keith." _____________________________________________________________________ I sat down to fill out the survey tonight and discovered I'm too late. I live at the northern entrance to Munn Woods (Phoenix Street). We have seen the deer population in the woods really increase in the 25+ years we've lived here. We see many daily in our backyard. The neighborhood seems to have one doe each year with a badly injured leg, probably from a run in with a car. Driving in the neighborhood at dusk is tricky. If there is a safe way to reduce that herd, I would be in favor of that. I think it has outgrown the area it occupies. Some years ago, bow hunting was authorized in Munn, but was not successful as hunters couldn't find areas to locate a tree stand that were far enough away from a public path to assure safety. At 96 that time, my husband was walking to work at ISU through the woods, and was asked to wear blaze orange in order to be seen! We have many regular users or the N entrance, many of whom are walking to campus through Munn/Emma. We also have families with small children, and groups of teens that use the entrance steps with frequency. If hunting were allowed, a very strong safety plan would need to be in place and the area monitored. Good luck with your efforts. Dianna Nelson _____________________________________________________________________ I am sorry I did not get to survey about this before it closed. There are definitely too many deer in Ames, causing a safety hazard for traffic and wreaking havoc in yards and gardens. Something must be done to lower their numbers. However, I’m not sure hunting in public spaces within the city is a wise idea. Surely there are resources at Iowa State University we could take advantage of to solve this problem through other means that would be safer for the human population! Thank you. Kevin schilling 1208 Quebec Cir, Ames, IA 50014 _____________________________________________________________________ 97 Do you support the use of bow hunting as a method of deer population control in the City of Ames? = Yes = No = Unsure = No Opinion Map 1 98 Do you support bow hunting in parks adjacent to residential properties within the City of Ames? = Yes = No = Unsure = No Opinion Map 2 99 Car/Deer Accidents 2023 100 Car/Deer Accidents 2024 101 Car/Deer Accidents 2025 102 Car/Deer Accidents 3v1ews Last edit was seconds ago <2> � Add layer ,:.+ Share 0 Preview (!12023 v j!i lkliform styie 9 All nems (17) � 2024 v i' tm;form style 9 All rtems C73) 0 2025 v f' lnform styie 9 All rtems (28) Base map 0 .... 1 � , �1 t I�• O�T!t.Rl9 8 0 " 0 8 0 9 �0 ; 9 9-9» 0 9 99 - 0 .. � 9 '11111 9 9 0 9 !I , r 0 .. 9 ' ( 90 9 90 9 0 ,-"\ AMPIJS �, ( 9 9 - :\_ "\ 9 '-9 8 9 9 9. 9 ... 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