Duluth being overrun by deer?

[Lee Borgersen]

Is Duluth being overrun by deer?

They walk among us — white-tailed deer that seemingly are becoming ever more comfortable living in Duluth’s urban core.
 
  By: Lisa Baumann, Duluth News Tribune


 
Bill Ziebarth of Duluth stands near a shrub severely damaged by hungry white-tailed deer at his home this winter. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)
Duluth deer hunting zones
 
Duluth deer hunting zones
  In Waseem Khan’s Duluth neighborhood on London Road at 54th Avenue East, a group of white-tailed deer have “camped out” in his neighbor’s yard all winter.

Recently, several broke through his fence to eat his hedges.

“You see them standing in the middle of London Road and they just stare back at you,” he said. “We make light of it, but it’s a huge problem.”

In upper Piedmont Heights, avid gardener Bill Ziebarth is upset about the deer that have overrun his yard, causing damage to his hydrangeas, azaleas, lilacs and coniferous trees.

“I have 14-year-old trees they’ve never eaten, and now they’re deformed,” Ziebarth said referring to Austrian and mugo pines they’ve devoured. “It makes me want to cry.”

Increased concentrations of deer that congregate near homes in broad daylight and check for traffic before they cross the street could be, in part, because of efforts in control their numbers.

Rich Staffon, Cloquet Area Wildlife manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, said it’s possible that city bow-hunting in the wilder parts of the city is pushing deer deeper into Duluth’s more-settled areas.

“So there may be fewer deer (overall) but more in the city,” he said.

Staffon also said a winter with early snowfall may have made it tougher for deer to survive, and that may be contributing to added damage seen by homeowners this year.

Duluth City Councilor Jackie Halberg said she’s been researching methods to curb the population, including the increase of bow-hunting in neighborhoods identified as “hot spots” for deer. Currently, residents can request that bow hunters come to their neighborhood, but they have to do it before hunting season begins or wait until the following year.

Halberg has heard that some would like to give the Arrowhead Bowhunt Alliance more flexibility to respond to resident requests within a particular season.

“I would absolutely be willing to explore the idea,” Halberg said.

She added that she intends to get other city councilors and officials involved.

“I’ve heard people say residents should just build a fence (to keep deer away), but I don’t think it adequately addresses this,” she said. “We need to sit down and have a conversation.”

STAKING A CLAIM
The deer in Ziebarth’s yard in the 2600 block of 16th Street — he’s seen up to nine at a time — have left abundant tangible evidence of their visits. It doesn’t take more than a couple steps into his yard before one starts stepping gingerly to avoid all the deer droppings.

“Would you let children play in this yard?” he asked.

Down the block, James Grassinger said he can identify 12 deer that he and his wife call “the band of ruffians.”

“They are taunting the neighbors,” he said. “They shredded everything in my garden, too.”

In his back yard, which is fenced, he’s seen his 80-pound dog nose-to-nose with deer. He thinks both are trying to put their claim on the yard.

“When we built our house two years ago, it was a bedding area and crossing area for deer, so we’ve taken their territory,” Grassinger said. “They’re here literally every day in good numbers. They have become pests and there has to be a balance.”

Ziebarth was upset enough to contact Halberg, who said she spent part of a Sunday looking at the damage in Ziebarth’s and neighboring yards.

“A lot of his trees and vegetation are destroyed,” she said. “I really feel bad for the residents.”

Halberg said she was well aware of the city’s deer population. She’s had to stop her vehicle on Superior Street near the Incline Station while several deer crossed the street.

“It’s surreal,” she said. “They look before they cross.”

Staffon said that’s because recent generations of deer have been born and raised in Duluth and they’ve adapted well to urban life.

“It’s called habituation,” he said. “They lose that normal fear and learn how to survive.”

Nobody knows exactly how many deer are in Duluth because the city can’t afford the cost and time required for a survey, city forester Kelly Fleissner said.

He said he hasn’t heard more deer complaints this year than in past years, but said he’s surprised at how many deer live in Duluth despite the high numbers harvested by the Arrowhead Bowhunt Alliance.

In 2010’s fall hunt, 339 hunters harvested 602 deer, the most taken since the bowhunt began six years ago, according to ABA statistics.

“It’s extraordinary how successful (the bowhunt is) and, despite that success, we’re not quickly shrinking the deer population like we thought we would,” Fleissner said.

For his part, Grassinger would welcome hunters. “They could come and sit in my backyard and shoot,” he said.

Kahn would also like to see a more liberal bowhunting policy in the city.

“It’s a no-brainer,” he said.

In the meantime, Halberg encouraged people to refrain from feeding deer, which is illegal in the city.

“If you are feeding deer, please stop,” she said. “It’s fundamentally wrong to feed them and increase the harvest.”