Urban Deer Town Hall reviews archer program

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Almost every small community in the Highland Lakes is struggling with an invasion of deer and Granite Shoals residents gathered Saturday, June 27, to hear about the their city's effort—the only archer program certified in the state by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD).

About 65 citizens came to the Town Hall Meeting on Urban Deer, where the city's Wildlife Advisory Committee (WAC) reported on the first year of the pilot program. The committee had been formed in March 2014 on the recommendation of TPWD experts on urban deer who had urged two essential elements in reducing urban deer—community education and a “no deer feeding” ordinance.

If this meeting was any indication, the education effort has begun work.

Some in the crowd had attended informational city council meetings, WAC meetings and a previous town hall that featured a mobile TPWD exhibit to illustrate reports of wildlife biologists. A number had responded to the city's survey that indicated 75 percent favored action, whether because of traffic hazards, deer health or losing their landscape or gardens that supplemented their grocery bills.

Some who voted in a petition-driven election that removed the city's “no deer feeding” ordinance by two votes said they had begun to reconsider their opposition.

“The committee has been working to find a deer management program that will work for 'us,' the city and the citizens, and that does not induce financial strain on 'us,' the city and the citizens,” said WAC Chairman Janson Brady.

Many seemed never to have heard what other cities like Lakeway and Horseshoe Bay were spending on ridding their streets of roving herds of deer or considered that Sunrise Beach, Cottonwood Shores and even Marble Falls and Austin struggle with the problem.

“I am highly complimentary,” said one listener. “Granite Shoals has done more than any other small community around here has done for $5,000, compared to $100,000 or more.”

In its first year (Oct. 4, 2016-Jan. 12), the program, conducted only on isolated properties by archers from a stringent qualification/re-qualification process, removed 75 antlerless deer. Their field-dressed weight of 56 pounds pointed to the depleted health of the overcrowded herd.

“When this first came up, I was totally against it,” said former city council member Merilyn Nations. “Now I am beginning to see how the animals suffer.”

“I only opposed the no feeding ordinance because I feed abandoned cats and orphaned squirrels and I saw no way who was feeding what would be identified,” said Laura Campbell. “I didn't know it wouldn't be for pets and birds.”

Unfortunately, restoration of an ordinance now would be for a significantly different ordinance enacted by the city council or another vote by petition.

Two facts drew the most attention—the personal cost to committee members and archers and the benefit of food for the hungry.

Archers spent hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours grooming the program to meet TPWD standards; training for state and their own program certification; buying feed, blinds and special tethered arrows for hunting sites; reporting to hunt and transporting donated game.

Venison, by state law, cannot be sold but the estimated 1,485 pounds harvested was estimated at a value $19,290. The meat has to be processed immediately after a deer is killed, so the recipient has to ready to accept it immediately or have donated processing funding in place for it to go to charity.

Although some who accepted deer donated the meat on their own, the WAC tracked 395 pounds going to Abundant Heart Ministry and 105 pounds to Joseph's Food Pantry.

“I know of a family who literally had not food in the house when they received some,” said one audience member.

“I would have donated to a pantry,” said another.

Ideas from fundraising for the hunter and committee expenses to funds to support processing for charity were soon buzzing through the room.

The Granite Shoals City Council responded Tuesday night by placing on their next agenda an examination of how private donations might be directed to the program.

“It was a very good meeting,” council member Todd Holland reported.

Holland, now the council liaison to the committee, was formerly a WAC member and he and Brady bore the expense of becoming certified archery trainers to save the cost of traveling to the ends of the state to get the training they are required to have for the program.

The committee now includes Brady, Robbie Boswell, Sandra Campbell, Tena Collier, Steve Hougen, Willie Packand Doug Ripple.

Details of the meeting and the first year of the pilot archery program can be found as “Deer Management” under the “City Services” heading at the city website, www.GraniteShoals.org. To inquire about supporting the committee and its work, contact City Secretary Elaine Simpson at city hall 2221 Phillips Ranch Road, 830-598-2424 or citysecretary@graniteshoals.org.