Commission Recommends Non-lethal Treatments for Deer
Deer come to Austin for the 'free buffet,' a Humane Society representative said. Photo by flickr.com/photos/mapkyca.
Austin’s Animal Advisory Commission is recommending non-lethal means of limiting the city’s deer population.
Chairman David Lundstedt says Austin’s no-kill animal shelters for dogs and cats have set an ethical standard for other animal control issues.
“I think that it would be very un-Austinlike if we were to recommend or to endorse any kind of lethal means to control the deer,” Lundstedt said.
A 2009 city ordinance bars homeowners from putting out deer corn or other treats, but the rules have not been effective in reducing the number of deer.
That’s no surprise to Laura Simon, who heads the national Humane Society’s urban wildlife programs.
“We can’t expect deer not to come for the free buffet, which is essentially what we provide when we put out our gardens and all these yummy flowers,” Simon said. “In a sense we’re attracting them in.”
At a city hall meeting tonight, Simon will outline a plan for managing deer through plant selection, barriers, and repellents.
