Deer dominate hunting proposals

A proposal to allow additional hunting of whitetail deer on the outskirts of Coeur d’Alene might cause a little relief for property owners pestered by the increasing population of deer in the suburbs.

But Jim Hayden doesn’t expect the proposal would put a stop to problems residents are having with deer munching on shrubs and even attacking dogs.

The regional wildlife manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game said the agency is accepting public comment now on several proposed changes for the coming hunting season.

Though changes are being proposed to address issues with deer, elk, black bears and mountain lions, public discussion has centered on deer overpopulation.

At a joint meeting of the Coeur d’Alene City Council and Kootenai County commissioners on Friday, the topic was discussed at length.

“The deer problem within the whole county is out of control,” Coeur d’Alene Councilwoman Dixie Reid said. “I get a lot of complaints. I live on the edge of town, on Cherry Hill, and there is a herd of 15.”

Reid said she could hardly drive down 15th Street or Government Way without seeing a deer carcass. She also expressed concerns about potential health hazards associated with the creatures.

“We aren’t able to walk in our yard,” she said. “There’s no surface not covered in excrement.”

Hayden said Fish and Game is planning to meet with local officials to discuss ways to address the deer population. Other communities have injected does with contraceptive hormones, hired sharpshooters, trapped deer and set up special hunting seasons, Hayden said.

Fish and Game’s proposed changes would take aim at the doe population, with doe season throughout the Panhandle opening earlier than usual, on Oct. 10.

Normally the season runs Nov. 1 to Dec. 1, Hayden said, and some areas would close to hunting earlier than Dec. 1.

Additional hunting opportunities are being created in other areas of North Idaho.

In Unit 2, which is northwest of Coeur d’Alene and Hayden and from the Spokane River to the Coeur d’Alene River, 150 extra deer tags would be made available.

One hundred extra tags would be available in Unit 5, which is southwest of Coeur d’Alene on the west side of Lake Coeur d’Alene from the Spokane River to south of Desmet.

Hayden said 100 tags would be available in Unit 3 for hunting on private land north of Interstate 90, east of Coeur d’Alene to Cataldo.

Kootenai County commission Chairman Rick Currie said he didn’t think starting hunting season earlier would make much of a difference. Instead, he said people should be allowed to kill two or three deer instead of one.

To that, Reid said, “I’m all for letting (hunters) kill them all.”

Coeur d’Alene City Councilman Rod Edinger blamed development in outlying rural areas for “chasing deer into town.”

Reid disagreed.

“We border a national forest,” she said. “There’s plenty of room for them to go.”