Redux: Cape Council to consider new ordinance to control deer in city

Dustin Ziebold is finance director for the City of Cape Girardeau, but Monday, he’ll be wearing a different hat as he presents a proposed new ordinance to control the city’s deer herd to city lawmakers at their scheduled regular meeting in council chambers.

Designated as the city’s “deer team lead,” Ziebold brings previous experience to the task.

The native of Red Bud, Illinois, began his present job in September and came directly to Southeast Missouri from the Far West.

Ziebold is the former finance chief and, for nine months, also the city manager of Rawlins, Wyoming — a city of 8,500 along the Interstate 80 corridor in the southcentral part of the self-dubbed Equality State.

During his two years in Rawlins, Ziebold helped develop a deer ordinance for that city, too.

The particulars

A preliminary measure to establish a managed hunt to control Cape Girardeau’s deer population is being circulated this week to Mayor Bob Fox and to each council member in the city’s six wards — a statute put together with significant input from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

Depending on council reaction, the details of the ordinance may change by the time of the Monday meeting.

The City Council will consider the measure on first reading Monday.

The ordinance will come up for second and third reading, meaning possible passage, at the next council session Feb. 15.

As it stood in draft form Tuesday, an extensive “urban deer management program” includes the following features:

• A managed archery hunt this fall in four designated areas of city property: Twin Trees, Delaware Park, Fountain Park and Cape Rock, in five designated hunting periods from Nov. 1 to Dec. 5.
• No firearms allowed; only longbow, compound bow, recurve bow and crossbow permitted.
• A mandatory orientation meeting for all interested hunters will be held Oct. 16, at which time a pill draw will be conducted to assign a designated property to each bowhunter.
• Elevated stands at least 10 feet off the ground must be used; no ground hunting.
• All arrows taken into the field must have labeled in permanent marker on the shaft the Missouri Conservation ID number of the hunter.
• Hunter permits are valid for seven days.
• Permits will allow the taking of two deer; the first must be antlerless, the second may be of either sex.
• The city will strictly limit the number of hunters who may be in the field in the designated areas/days.

Initial reaction

Fox said the proposed ordinance bears little resemblance to the original 2013 deer ordinance.

“They are completely different,” said Fox, adding the 2021 statute will provide “a lot more control,” noting the required October training by MDC.

“We will evaluate the harvest on a yearly basis to see how many deer were taken,” added Fox, mayor since 2018.

“I wholeheartedly support and commend the council and the mayor for going forward with this,” said former Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Cape Girardeau resident who brought the issue back before city lawmakers in October and asked for reconsideration.

Other methods

Ziebold’s presentation considered — and ruled out — other methods of reducing the deer herd in city limits, believed responsible for causing significant landscape damage in the municipality and as many as 38 deer-vehicle collisions as recently as 2019.

Among the methods rejected were the use of trained marksmen (sharpshooters), trapping and euthanizing, trapping and relocating and sterilization.

History of the deer ordinance

In July 2012, by a 4-3 vote, the City Council approved an archery hunt, but 4,000 signatures were soon gathered on petitions in protest.

A year before the council’s vote, the Southeast Missourian reported municipally-permitted hunting for whitetail deer in several Missouri cities — St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia and Jefferson City.

Cape Girardeau City Council members, none of whom is still serving today, chose not to repeal the ordinance, so the matter went to a referendum in April 2013, resulting in a 1,485-1,279 vote, 53.7% to 46.3%, in favor of rolling back the decision — the first time in municipal history an ordinance had been repealed by plebiscite.

“As I recall, the ballot language back then was confusing and could have made people think a ‘yes’ was a ‘no’ and a ‘no’ was a ‘yes,’” Kinder said.

“I happen to have talked to a number of city residents who say they voted ‘no’ last time who say they will vote ‘yes’ this time should the matter go to a referendum again,” he continued.

The City Council meets for a study session at 5 p.m. Monday in council chambers, followed immediately by its regular session.

Both sessions are open to the public at City Hall, 401 Independence St.