Last Updated: Thursday, January 13, 2005 11:12 AM CST
Ban on feeding Is it working in city?
by Daryl Youngstrum
Daily News staff
Has the City of Rhinelander's ban on the feeding of deer inside the city limits had any impact on the city's deer population? It's too soon to tell, Rhinelander Police Chief Glenn Parmeter said.
The City Council enacted the ban Oct. 11 of last year, specifying that it is unlawful in the city limits to place in any type of feeder feed such as salt, minerals, apples, corn, sunflower seeds, deer suckers or any type of feed for the purpose of enticing a deer into a specific area of anyone's property. The placement of any feed that may be consumed by deer, whether intended for birds or other animals, must be placed in a deer-proof feeding device or elevated to 6' or higher from ground level to prevent deer from consuming such feed.
At the time council members were receiving regular complaints concerning damage to gardens and ornamental foliage. The ban also acknowledges the hazard deer present to vehicular traffic.
Parmeter suggested the ban when it was hinted to the council that some form of restricted hunting within the city limits would help solve the problem of too many deer. "If you are going to consider some form of hunt within the city limits, you should first get a handle on the feeding of deer in the area," Parmeter said.
"It is hard to tell if the feeding ban has had any impact on the population," he added. "The deer population seems to peak just before the gun deer season (in November), and at that time the deer become real scarce. Then it seems they are everywhere in the spring. Since the ban has only been in place since October, we don't have enough information to know if it has had any effect."
Parmeter said that his office has received few complaints related to violations of the ban, and no fines have been assessed.
"When we receive a complaint, we send an officer out and call the owner of the property where the violation has occurred. The officer issues a warning, and we log the time and date of the warning. So far everyone has complied, and we haven't had to make any return calls," he said.
The council will again address the possibility of a limited hunt within the city limits at a regular meeting early this year.
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