MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio – Tasked with leading deer management efforts in Middleburg Heights, Police Chief Ed Tomba on Sept. 24 presented an update to the city’s Safety Committee.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Wildlife Services office will conduct a citywide aerial survey in late November or early December using drones and infrared imaging, he said.
APHIS will provide a report some time in January.
“They will tell us where most of the deer congregate,” Tomba said. “If we find out there is an area (where they feed), maybe we can try a different way to mitigate it if culling is not an option.”
He added, however, it is important “to get all the information you can to be able to make an informed decision” about how best to control the deer population.
Councilman Tim Ali stressed he wants “every option evaluated before any animal is killed.” If the data indicates a need for culling, he proposed placing the issue on the ballot to let the residents decide.
Currently, there are no plans to cull the deer.
Councilman Mike Ference earlier this year attended a state conference about deer management. He said the Ohio Department of National Resources (ODNR) emphasized culling is not necessarily a bad thing when taking into consideration the health of the overall deer population.
“In fact, it’s better for the eco-system,” Ference said.
“ODNR made it very clear that the feeding of deer by humans is a really big cause for the problem.”
Middleburg Heights residents could receive a warning if found to be feeding deer. Subsequent noncompliance can result in a citation.
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