Cape Council approves amended urban deer hunt for fall

A second urban deer hunt will begin late this fall in Cape Girardeau.

Cape Girardeau City Council members gave final approval to an ordinance Monday night allowing a second deer hunt to start in October. This year's managed bow hunt will differ slightly from the last year's.

Hunting periods will stay seven days long, but a one-week period of no hunting will follow "to allow properties to settle down," city finance director Dustin Ziebold said,

"When you have hunter after hunter coming in, the property doesn't have time to calm down and the animals don't come back through," Ziebold said.

The hunt's amended ordinance allows for hunting to begin Oct. 22 and end Dec. 23. Five seven-day hunting periods will take place during those nine weeks.

Last year's hunt lasted from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5 and resulted in the harvest of four male deer and nine female deer.

Ziebold spearheaded last year's hunt along with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). He researched what changes needed to be made to the Urban Deer Hunt Program in coordination with MDC staff.

The next hunt will remain restricted to five closed-off areas within the northeastern part of the city.

Two areas of the hunt, called Twin Trees 1 and Twin Trees 2, will each have one less hunter.

Harvest limits have also changed. Originally, hunters were permitted to harvest two deer with an antlerless deer first. The limit has changed to three deer with an antlerless deer first. Hunters are allowed to harvest a maximum of one antlered deer.

Permits will be issued by the Missouri Department of Conservation through a lottery system.

The effect of the urban hunt will amplify over the next few years, Ziebold said. By 2026, he estimated the hunt will eliminate close to 60 deer.

Other action

• Council gave final approval to appropriate $59,400 of American Rescue Plan funds to cover the installation and implementation of the ShotSpotter gunshot-detection system.
• Council gave final approval to a resolution allowing Alliance Water Services to continue operation of the city's water department. The resolution also allowed Alliance to take up the operation and maintenance of the city's wastewater collection mains and manholes, tasks formerly the responsibility of the city's sewer crew.
• Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox proclaimed the week of Feb. 1 to 7 as National Gun Violence Survivors Week.

From left, Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox, Leslie Washington, Felice Patton and Geneva Allen-Patterson pose with a document proclaiming Feb. 1 through 7 as National Gun Violence Survivor Week.Monica Obradovic