STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — It’s nearly deer season for the City of Stevens Point.
The city’s Deer Management Committee held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss plans for the upcoming harvest, with planners hoping to take as many as 45 bucks to help thin the urban herd.
“Our first concern is motor vehicle accidents,” said committee Chair John Okonek. “Secondly, we’re looking to deal with problem deer within areas of the community.” He says that means deer that are getting into people’s gardens and damaging other backyard fixtures.
He says the goal of the city is to reduce the number of deer versus vehicle accidents to a dozen every year. Through the month of July, the city was already at 15 such accidents with six months to go in the year.
Any deer taken as part of the harvest will be processed and checked for Chronic Wasting Diseases. If they are clean, the meat will then be donated to food pantries across Portage County.
Okonek says the processing for each deer will run the city around $120, meaning if they do take all 45 deer this year’s hunt will cost an estimated $5,400.
