Oh Deer! What To Do

Sioux Falls, SD

Sioux Falls city officials are seeking the public's input on a plan to reduce the deer population inside city limits.

They'll be sending out a survey to homeowners in the southern edge where a lot of deer like to roam around the Big Sioux River. As you're about to see, some people like them, others  see them as pests.

Oh dear, what should the city do about the growing deer population within city limits? 

Working with the Game, Fish and Parks Department, the city has a plan to reduce the herd.  One idea is to ban feeding them.

"Do you feed them? No, not willingly.  They eat our garden in the back," Maria Putholf said.

Maria Putholf says she's tried many desperate measures to keep the deer out of the garden; including human hair and deer repellant.  But now she's put a fence around the garden and added blaze orange tape on top to try and scare the deer away.

"Tried tons of different things to get them away from it, nothing you can really do," Putholf said.

The city wants to know how the public feels about the possibility of thinning the herd by shooting some of them with high-powered rifles.

"I'm kind of on the fence about that, I'm pro for them, but yet they are getting a little out of control, sometimes you'll get packs of ten of them up here within the yard and eating stuff, makes me a little nervous shooting them around here," Putholf said.

Bob Obele who lives across the street feels differently.

"We love to see the deer, we have seven little ones running around and with three does with twins and a doe with triplets, they get into everything; flowers, tomatoes, and vegetables," Obele said.

That's why he's not opposed to shooting some of the deer.

"I'd just soon see them moved out into the country, but if they have to shoot a doe here and there, I guess that would be alright," Obele said.

Whether or not it's alright with everyone remains to be seen.

If you'd like to take the survey click here.

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