New Cape deer ordinance passes initial hurdle

This story is updated.

After an extensive presentation and ensuing discussion lasting over two hours, Cape Girardeau City Council voted 6-1 on Monday to advance on first reading an ordinance establishing a managed urban bowhunt to thin the whitetail deer population in the city.

The city’s finance director, Dustin Ziebold, who developed a similar ordinance while working for Rawlins, Wyoming, told Mayor Bob Fox and the six ward council members no proposal to reduce Cape Girardeau’s deer population is completely safe.

“There is no option that is 100% when it comes to safety,” said Ziebold, who was designated the city’s “deer team lead” to put together the plan for a five-week archery hunt between Nov. 1 and Dec. 5 and limited to four designated areas of city property: Twin Trees, Delaware Park, Fountain Park and Cape Rock.

Only those who attend and complete a Oct. 26 mandatory orientation would be permitted to hunt and a pill draw would be conducted to assign a designated property to a qualified bowhunter.

Only longbows, compound bows, recurve bows and crossbows will be permitted.

No firearms would be allowed.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, with whom Ziebold said he closely consulted in putting together the staff-recommended measure, there have been more than 100 managed deer hunts in Missouri.

“All have been done successfully,” Ziebold said.

City finance director Dustin Ziebold makes a presentation about a proposed ordinance to control the city's deer herd during a City Council meeting Monday at City Hall in Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel

“Some of these other hunts are massive, with lots of acreage involved and lots of hunters but this targeted plan fits Cape Girardeau,” he added.

Ziebold said there is a cost to maintaining the status quo.

“The deer will continue to tear up grass and trees and will continue to cause collisions with vehicles,” he said, noting city police statistics showing 122 deer-vehicle mishaps in Cape Girardeau in the four-year period of 2017 to 2020.

“This is a controversial and sensitive issue and very emotional,” said Ziebold, adding he was moved by the remarks of a young woman at the council’s Oct. 19 meeting.

“She spoke of being scared of being hit with an arrow,” Ziebold said, adding, “her words never left my head and have been in the forefront of my thinking.”

In 2013, MDC said deer density citywide was 38 per-square-mile.

“There are some pockets, though, where the number exceeded 100-per-square-mile,” said Ziebold.

MDC told city staff this fall a new deer census was unnecessary because the herd has only grown in the intervening years.

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City residents had mixed views on Ziebold’s proposal.

Randall McLain said he has seen 35 deer in his yard at one time and is a managed-hunt proponent.

“(Deer) are everywhere and have destroyed flowerbeds, trees and plants,” McLain said.

Bonnie Coy-Svenson said she is “thrilled” with the proposal.

“I love that you are doing this in a reasonable, thorough and safe way,” she said.

Pastor Renita Green of Cape Girardeau’s St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church takes the opposite view and warned of a “slippery slope” if the bill was adopted.

“I’m not comfortable with urban hunting,” Green said.

“If this (ordinance) passes, I’m sure there will be another referendum if this hunt moves to more populated areas in the city,” a reference to the April 2013 plebiscite that overturned a July 2012 city ordinance that by a 4-3 council vote authorized an archery hunt nearly nine years ago.

Keith Lear suggested the hunting process for the 2021 proposed ordinance needs to be reimagined.

“We need to do something, but bowhunting is extremely ineffective,” he said.

First Ward council member Dan Presson was the only vote against advancing the measure to possible final passage Feb. 15.

“The majority of the proposed hunting will be in my ward,” Presson said, noting Twin Trees, Fountain Park and Cape Rock all lie within the confines of Ward 1.

“I’m not comfortable with this and we’re not fixing the deer problem,” he said.

Fourth Ward council member Robbie Guard signaled his support.

“I would have supported something much more zealous, but I feel this (ordinance) is a great first step for us,” Guard said.

Mayor Fox voted with the majority.

“This (measure) is a good first step and then we’ll have to see,” said Fox, mayor since 2018.

The council amended the hunt proposal to limit the managed deer hunt only to this coming fall, meaning any consideration of a 2022 hunt would require a new ordinance.