My brother is an avid bow hunter and he has been salivating and wanting to put in an application to hunt them down. In fact, I live back off Covert Run Pike and its a heavily wooded area where I personally only see 3-4 deer a month. Actually, I think they are the same family and they bed down behind my house. They havent been a problem for me as far as eating my hasta's (sp?) and other landscaping. Occasionally I see a pile of deer poopy but I think having a dog actually keeps them from coming through my yard. I always see them on North Fort thomas Ave.

 

I guess I am one of those Nature loving guys who says leave em alone but I have yet to experience a major issue with them like an accident so maybe my opinion would change if soomething like that happened to myself or a friend, family member, etc.

 

If they decide to rope off an area and hunt them down and something catastrophic happens like a stray bullet or arrow actually hitting someone then the city better be ready to ante up a HUGE amount. I hope they increase their insurance policy before doing this. You can rope off all you want but there are idiots out there that will still find a way to get into harms way.

I guess I am one of those Nature loving guys who says leave em alone but I have yet to experience a major issue with them like an accident so maybe my opinion would change if soomething like that happened to myself or a friend, family member, etc.

Finally! A voice of reason. :thumb:

 

I know that over-population can be a problem. I just don't happen to think it's as big of a problem here as some complainers make it out to be. Some people just enjoy complaining. I also feel that, if it were a critical problem, there are more intelligent ways of handling it.

 

Watusi - I'm not saying all hunters (bow, or otherwise) are hormone driven, over-compensating, weekend Rambo's. But setting them loose on a densely populated area seems hardly responsible. I just think it's an unnecessarily grisly spectacle, and a serious potential danger to the public.

 

 

Now cats...CATS they should shoot! I wouldn't mind the crazed bow-snipers for that purpose.

I would say that 95% of the actual TRUE hunters are ethical and they are passionate about nature, the same as an athlete is passionate about his sport. It does sound like these deer are becoming a problem, and if they are to be killed, this meet should be donated to a local homeless shelter or to some sort of program. I don't see why these deer aren't trapped and relocated to other parts of the state though. Is this a thought that just hasn't crossed their minds? It would eliminate the risk of a stray bullet or arrow in a city atmosphere.

I would say that 95% of the actual TRUE hunters are ethical and they are passionate about nature, the same as an athlete is passionate about his sport. It does sound like these deer are becoming a problem, and if they are to be killed, this meet should be donated to a local homeless shelter or to some sort of program. I don't see why these deer aren't trapped and relocated to other parts of the state though. Is this a thought that just hasn't crossed their minds? It would eliminate the risk of a stray bullet or arrow in a city atmosphere.

 

A few things they discussed.

 

1) They're shooting females only, which is ok with me in any species...

 

2) They discussed shooting the females with 'birth control' but it was too costly.

 

3) They discussed catching and placing them elsewhere but again, too costly.

2) They discussed shooting the females with 'birth control' but it was too costly.

There's a P&R thread lurking in there someplace.

Whatever they do, I hope they donate all the venison to Hunters for the Hungry. :thumb:

 

If they allow actual open hunting, the record bow kill for the state will be broken out of the area.

Finally! A voice of reason. :thumb:

 

I know that over-population can be a problem. I just don't happen to think it's as big of a problem here as some complainers make it out to be. Some people just enjoy complaining. I also feel that, if it were a critical problem, there are more intelligent ways of handling it.

 

Watusi - I'm not saying all hunters (bow, or otherwise) are hormone driven, over-compensating, weekend Rambo's. But setting them loose on a densely populated area seems hardly responsible. I just think it's an unnecessarily grisly spectacle, and a serious potential danger to the public.

 

 

Now cats...CATS they should shoot! I wouldn't mind the crazed bow-snipers for that purpose.

 

What more intelligent ways of handling the problem do you think would be effective?

 

And I would be willing to bet that if any resolution is passed, it wouldn't be in the form of "setting them loose" on your street. It will be controlled and manageable.

 

Do you think the majority of the opposition is from safety concerns or because of the "grisly spectacle" or because residents think it will bring a redneck image to your town or what?

 

Obviously, this is a tricky issue, and I'm strangely interested in it now although I don't have an arrow in the hunt, so to speak.

Do you think the majority of the opposition is from safety concerns or because of the "grisly spectacle" or because residents think it will bring a redneck image to your town or what?

If you're thinking it's about elitism, and not wanting "those kind of people" around, you're not on target. I think it's more about the mental image it puts in people's minds when they think of our city. In that respect, it's a public relations issue. But the safety, and aesthetic concerns are valid as well.

If you're thinking it's about elitism, and not wanting "those kind of people" around, you're not on target. I think it's more about the mental image it puts in people's minds when they think of our city. In that respect, it's a public relations issue. But the safety, and aesthetic concerns are valid as well.

 

I think it has a lot to do with the huge growth in real estate projects in the city. Maybe it wasn't as much of a problem in the past because we weren't running them off from the wooded areas. We're losing a lot of those wooded areas because they are building ginormous houses in those areas.

 

Not saying I disagree with it, just saying that may be why it's a problem...

I think it has a lot to do with the huge growth in real estate projects in the city. Maybe it wasn't as much of a problem in the past because we weren't running them off from the wooded areas. We're losing a lot of those wooded areas because they are building ginormous houses in those areas.

 

Not saying I disagree with it, just saying that may be why it's a problem...

I think that's exactly the problem. :thumb:

 

The deer have always been here. Their population has controlled itself just fine. But now we're taking away their habitat. We're indirectly teaching them to seek food on "our" property. We've chased away all of the predators that once controlled the deer population, and made it easy to find food in our gardens.

If you're thinking it's about elitism, and not wanting "those kind of people" around, you're not on target. I think it's more about the mental image it puts in people's minds when they think of our city. In that respect, it's a public relations issue. But the safety, and aesthetic concerns are valid as well.

 

I don't know if I would term it elitism, and I definitely wasn't trying to paint FT as snobbish or thinking of hunters as lower class.

 

But the city does have an air about it and you defined it well, a certain mental image. Does FT's metal image of itself allow for hunters within the city limits, and would most of the residents think that to be a redneck activity and be worried about the public relations issues involved?

Downtown Somerset a few years back had a pigeon shooting!! They were really bad around the court house. You had every bird lover and protester down there for weeks before it took place. In the end the birds got it. You have to control animal population that's the way it's been for years. We are no longer as dependant on wild animal meat but it does change the fact that it has to take place,

This isn’t just a Ft. Thomas problem. Bellevue, Dayton, Cold Spring, Highland Heights and even Newport are experiencing increased deer populations. I was on Division street in Bellevue yesterday and saw 3 deer just casually walking down the street without a care in the world. I think the above cities along with the Campbell County Fiscal court should get together to come up with a solution. This would take some of the financial burden away from the city and maybe open up different options that were dismissed because of money.

I think that's exactly the problem. :thumb:

 

The deer have always been here. Their population has controlled itself just fine. But now we're taking away their habitat. We're indirectly teaching them to seek food on "our" property. We've chased away all of the predators that once controlled the deer population, and made it easy to find food in our gardens.

 

And that is the crux of the issue. The deer have no predators and their natural habitat won't support them, so they move into the burbs. It is a problem and if left unchecked, the population will continue to grow, food will become even more scarce, deer will do even more damage and they will become underfed and more brave.

 

And you don't want to wait until it gets to the critical stage to try and control the population, then it will be too late. You want to keep them in check and well below the capacity of the habitat available, and a good population control program (whatever it may be) has to be implemented before it gets critical.

 

Again, you said you thought there would be a more intelligent solution, what are you thinking of?

BTW, lots of Kentucky towns don't restrict bow hunting within the city limits, and you almost never see it in your face. The hunters will hunt the wooded areas and as the population shrinks, deer will naturally migrate back there. I don't think it would be as drastic as some people fear it might be.