Deer population in Southfield causing major issues
The deer spottings in Southfield are common and so is the damage they are causing. So much so that the issue ended up on November's ballot.
"Our plan had been to humanely kill deer and then use the meat in food shelters," said Mayor Ken Siver.
Siver said 62% of people voted in favor of the plan. But adds that it's a polarizing issue, with many people not wanting to kill the deer. But he doesn't see many options.
"A steady increase in deer-car accidents. And some of these can be very, very serious, resulting in injury or even loss of life," said Siver. "They have devastated the understory, rubbed the bark off young trees, and without bark, it's like losing your skin. The tree dies. And we're seeing, for instance, in Carpenter Lake at Ten Mile in Inkster, that instead of new trees being generated, we're seeing invasive plants come in that the deer don't like."
Siver said Southfield has considered using birth control to manage the deer population but that could lead to other serious issues.
"We're told that the chemical in the birth control can be passed on to humans," said Siver.
Just how bad is the deer problem? It depends on who you ask.
A study done by the Southfield Wildlife Advisory commission said there were 869 deer observed in Southfield in 2021, and 273 deer observed in 2022. But that's only the deer that were spotted and counted officially. Siver estimates there are many more.
"We also know in on the west side of the city, there are square miles where there are over 80 deer and that's not good for the deer," said Siver.
Siver said measures to kill and manage the deer population are not meant to eliminate them.
"It's about reducing so that the deer have a healthier habitat, as well as trying to save some of the native plants and the understory in our in our green areas and in our nature preserves."
Siver said he believes it will take a regional effort to solve the deer problem, as deer travel between neighboring cities in Oakland county.