Town of DeWitt discusses deer management program

TOWN OF DEWITT – The DeWitt Town Board took a series of actions at its Nov. 22 meeting in order to insert its 2022 deer management program.
Now entering its fifth consecutive year, the municipality’s culling program is part of a combined effort with the City of Syracuse, the Town of Manlius and the Village of Fayetteville to reduce and control the deer population in the area safely and productively through the winter.
As of the Nov. 22 meeting, 320 deer have been removed within the town’s boundaries since the beginning of the program. As a result, 9,523 pounds of venison have been donated to local food banks and food pantries.
Over the last two years, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported that more than 15,500 meals have been provided to the greater community through DeWitt’s deer management program alone.
“We continue to hope the numbers increase and that we can make the program more and more effective,” said Nick Quilty-Koval of the town’s planning and zoning department during a presentation to the board on Nov. 22.
Asked if the town is culling the maximum number of deer possible and, if not, whether additional funds for more sharpshooters would lead to a greater yield, Quilty-Koval said the bigger issues lie in finding allowable locations for sharpshooting and figuring out the most efficient stretch of time to cull deer.
He said he had not been made aware of the exact overall deer population figures and how steadily or significantly they have increased over the years.
According to the “White-Tailed Deer Management” page on the town’s website, it is estimated that there are up to 85 deer per square mile in some areas of DeWitt.
The town is approximately 40 square miles in size, and its paved streets, dense wooded areas, numerous parks, various green spaces, food resources and bedding areas contribute to an “ideal habitat” for white-tailed deer, a Department of Agriculture project summary report mentions.
The “unusually high” population of deer, as the website states, has given rise to concerns regarding Lyme disease as well as damage to ornamental and native plants and shrubbery.
During the Monday meeting, the town board adopted an updated deer management plan revised in November. The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) determination for the implementation of the plan and a permit application with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) were also authorized.