Sunset Hills bow hunters kill more than 50 deer

SUNSET HILLS, Mo. -- Bow hunters killed more than 50 deer in a new effort to stem Sunset Hill's growing deer population.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunset Hills is among the St. Louis County communities to allow hunting to reduce the deer population. Other area cities that allow bow hunting include Ballwin, Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, Ellisville, Manchester, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights and Wildwood.

Opponents worry about safety and advocate for other methods to reduce the deer population, but supporters say the hunting is needed to help stem the growing population. In Sunset Hills, 2012 studies found 72 deer per square mile in a four-square-mile area. That's more than twice the rate at which deer are considered a nuisance.

The bow-hunting season ended Wednesday with 54 deer killed in Sunset Hills since October.

------

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com