Survey Counts More Deer In Ann Arbor Than Previous Flyover
ANN ARBOR (WWJ/AP) - An aerial survey of deer in Ann Arbor has counted more deer than the last time the city conducted a helicopter flyover in March 2015.
The results of the Feb. 18 survey showed 202 deer were counted, according to a report in the Ann Arbor News. That's up from 168 deer counted last March.
The city says the count isn't meant to be a comprehensive census of deer in Ann Arbor, but rather give a sense of the minimum deer population in certain parts of the city at a point in time.
The city is in the middle of an effort to reduce the deer population in city parks. Hired sharpshooters have killed 51 deer in city parks this winter as of the end of last week. Venison had been donated to a nonprofit food rescue and food bank program.
The cull continues through March 1, and 14 parks will remain closed from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays.
The cull was ordered after more than a year of city discussions and study. Complaints from some residents about damage to landscaping and concerns about deer-vehicle crashes prompted study of the issue. An aerial survey on February 10, 2015 counted 116 deer and the second survey on March 6, 2015 counted 168 deer. The animals are concentrated in the north and east sides of the city, as well as areas along the Huron River.