Budget Restaints Harness Culling Project
By Jacob Mathias City-Times Staff
The Deer Management Committee of Stevens Point met Thursday to determine the group’s best way to increase funding and secure tags from the Department of Natural Resources for this year’s deer culling.
In years past, the committee was budgeted $3000 per year to fund the annual culling, which reduces deer- related vehicle accidents and other nuisances.
The committee’s budget was cut entirely from the 2012 city budget.
According to Elbert Rackow, committee chairperson, 13 local auto insurance companies were approached to donate funds for this year’s hunt. Rackow said the committee hoped auto insurers would be anxious for a successful culling, which would in turn reduce auto accidents. About half the companies responded, gaining the committee only a portion of its usual annual budget.
According to seventh district Alderman Roger Trzebiatowski, the committee has raised $900 through donations from auto insurance companies, auto body shops and private donations.
The culling goal this year is 10-20 deer according to Rackow. As years pass and culling continues, the number of deer to be culled has decreased. From 2009 to 2010, 26 deer were culled, 18 deer from 2010-2011 and 10 deer were tagged last year.
With the current $900 budget balance, 12 deer can be culled as the licensed culler receives $70 per deer.
“If we stop culling it wouldn’t take long before we’d be neck deep in deer,” said Rackow. “They’re protected and they eat very well in the city.”
The deer culling takes place during the archery season. According to Trzebiatowski, the city contracts culling services, and individuals allowed to hunt the deer must pass a background check, and also require a special permit to fire weapons inside the city.
Absolute Wildlife Control currently holds the contract for culling within the city limits. Local hunters have come forward to volunteer culling services, but according to Trzebiatowski, the city requires a culling contractor to carry a $1 million policy of liability insurance because the hunting takes place inside the city limits.
“We like to seek a balance between those who like to see deer and those who don’t like their gardens eaten up nor hitting them with their cars,” he said.
According to Rackow, his research said deer- related damage to a vehicle can cost $500 to $20,000.
The committee arranges with a deer processor to donate the venison to the Hunters for the Hungry program. Rackow said the DNR picks up the cost of the deer processing, and the harvested venison goes primarily to the Interfaith Food Pantry of Portage County.