Bloomington City Council group tackles deer problem

The City of Bloomington is looking for applicants interested in becoming part of the Bloomington–Monroe County deer task force.

At its meeting Wednesday, the City Council approved legislation to create a task force by a 9-0 vote. The task force will discuss and come up with ways to solve deer-human conflicts that are growing in the area.

The task force will come up with the solutions by September, councilman Dave Rollo said at the meeting.

As the deer population continues to increase, Rollo said, there are more conflicts arising between humans and the animals.

Residents are worried about deer-vehicle collisions, tick-borne illnesses and damage to gardens and safety, according to the City Council’s legislation packet.

Sandra Ducey, a Bloomington resident, said at the meeting that she’s concerned about future interaction residents might have with deer.

“The thought of a wounded deer is a terrible thing to consider,” she said. “I think we need to learn to live with the deer.”

David Haberman, a Bloomington resident and IU professor, said deer often eat things from his garden, but he doesn’t mind because he still has enough food for himself.

“I hope we keep in mind learning to live with the animals in our community,” he said.

Rollo said the task force was created because, although the community was coming to the city with a lot of concerns about the deer, the city didn’t want to jump to a conclusion about what to do.

“I prefer to suspend judgment until the topic is looked at by experts,” he said.
The task force will consist of 11 people from the community, local government and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The City Council will review applications for members who are interested in being on the task force. They are looking for people who have a background in biology, veterinarians, gardeners and law enforcement and animal welfare representatives, according to a City Council press release.

The application, due by April 23, asks applicants for basic contact information, why they are interested in applying for the positions and why they are qualified.

Councilman Steve Volan said the task force is important because they have to decide what will benefit both the community and the animals.

“We can try to kill them all off, or we can try to find some happy medium, which is the task force,” Volan said. “I can’t wait to see what kind of solution they do.”