The controversial deer kill at two preserves in the Metroparks of the Toledo Area system has ended with 195 of the animals being removed by sharpshooters, park district officials said Tuesday.
The deer, 145 does and 50 bucks, were killed between Jan. 6 and Feb. 8 inside Oak Openings Preserve in Swanton Township and Wildwood Preserve in Sylvania Township, said Scott Carpenter, a Metroparks spokesman.
He said sharpshooters killed 30 deer at Wildwood Preserve during one night and 165 were killed over three nights at Oak Openings Preserve.
The month-long kill was part of the Metroparks’ deer-management program that began three years ago to control the white-tailed deer population on its properties and reduce damage a burgeoning herd does to the habitat.
Steve Madewell, Metroparks executive director, said the killing was done without disrupting park services or jeopardizing the public.
“We wanted to make sure it was quick, it was safe, and didn’t disrupt anybody,” he said.
The four nights used for the kills were far fewer than the 22 nights permitted under the agreement with an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that killed the deer.
“The $70,000 estimated costs will be reduced significantly since that was based on a 22-night hunt and this took only four days,” Mr. Madewell said.
Park officials had planned to carry out the kill after park hours in January, February, and March. Both parks are open daily from 7 a.m. until dark.
The killed deer were taken to three U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved processors and the 6,740 pounds of venison were donated to local homeless shelters and community kitchens.
Cherry Street Mission on Monroe Street on Tuesday received a donation of 2,100 pounds of the deer meat. Helping Hands of St. Louis Church and Toledo Gospel Rescue Mission also received deer meat.
Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry picked up $11,640 of the $17,880 venison processing costs charged to the Metroparks.
Mr. Carpenter said 7 percent of the 44 fawn does killed at Oak Openings were pregnant. That compares to the 58 percent average for fawn does in western Ohio in a 2004 Ohio Division of Wildlife study.
“That indicates there would be more pregnant does if there was more food and less competition from a naturally large deer population,” he said.
Contact Mark Reiter at: markreiter@theblade.com or 419-724-6199.
First Published February 17, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
