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La Crosse Looking at Deer Problem

LA CROSSE, Wis. — It's not uncommon to see deer in our backyards and on the streets; and now a special committee has made a decision on how to handle an overpopulation problem in La Crosse, Wis.

Steve Carlyon says when you have more than one hundred deer per square mile you have a problem. He says La Crosse County has a serious problem.

"We have an over population of Deer the results of that are the population is unhealthy they're over grazing by over grazing they're actually affecting the whole ecology of the Bluff land area that brings in invasive species which change the whole complexion of the Bluff,” says Carlyon.

Carlyon says the city and the department of natural resources have been trying to find a solution to the deer overpopulation problem for years. Now they have a plan.

"The sharpshooters program there are controlled hunts or managed hunts our recommendation is going to be a managed hunt."

The DNR has managed special out of season hunts in the past and Ron Lichtie says he favors having another one this fall if the city and public say yes to the idea.

"I'd like to see some sort of a managed hunt or something that way where we can get some of the general public passing a proficiency tests or something that way,” says Lichtie

But the hunt would only be a short term solution. Carlyon says it could pave the way for out of season hunting in our area for the next few years, and long term control of the deer population.

"Its probably five to ten years we'll have to continue to manage this so that we're able to control this and make sure we don't go out and do something over aggressive ore under aggressive to the point where we're not actually taking care of this,” says Carlyon.

Carlyon says a recommendation by the deer abatement committee will still need to be approved by the city council.