The Mount Vernon City Council deliberated on a deer management ordinance that would allow hunting deer with bows and crossbows during Ohio's archery hunting season at its meeting on July 28.
"This was a request that came from the citizenry. And hey, 'Why don't we consider a deer management program inside the city limits?'" Mayor Matt Starr told the city council, as reported in a YouTube video of the meeting. "And so we got together and developed what you see before you, council."
According to the video, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Officer Austin Levering informed the city council that successful deer management programs have been operational in other communities within Knox County and the surrounding region for years. He said that most of Columbus, Ohio, is open for archery hunting. Apple Valley, which he described as densely populated, has permitted hunting with relatively few issues. Hunters in Newark reportedly harvest many deer through archery. Gambier has implemented controlled hunt status, allowing hunting within the deer archery season. Levering noted that the Division of Wildlife increased their bag limits to enable harvesting beyond the county limit to reduce the local deer population.
Levering also mentioned that if approved by the city council, hunters could participate during the regular archery season starting from the last weekend of September until the first weekend in February. Hunters would be restricted from engaging in hunting activities within 500 feet of any inhabited dwelling, building, or public roadway. Landowners must provide permission before a hunter can access their land.
The proposed ordinance stipulates that hunters must have written permission from landowners on an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) permission slip, which they must carry at all times while hunting. All harvested deer are required to be reported to the Mount Vernon Safety-Service Office within 48 hours, in addition to complying with ODNR game check requirements.
Council member Amber Keener, chair of Land Use and Development, requested a 10-minute committee meeting on the proposed ordinance before the upcoming Aug. 11 city council meeting.
