Control the Kzoo Deer Herd

Something needs to be done. This is long overdue!

There is also a risk of disease from the ticks which deer can carry.

I have a herd in my yard every night. I can’t let children play in my yard because of droppings. My trees, bushes and flowers are being destroyed by the deer. The city is not the place for a herd of this side, it’s not healthy for us or the deer.

The size of the herd in city limits and adjacent municipalities is causing ecological unbalance in the area with lack of predatory pressure. With CWD just a few counties away the need to do herd management in a publicly unhuntable area due to human population density is a necessity and the ethical management practice.

It is far past time to thin the herd. Deer are a terrible problem in this neighborhood

Please control the deer population! Flora is suffering and ticks are out of control!

The deer are ruining my weeping cherry tree. I usually have between 6 & 10 in my yard a few times a day. These need to be out of the neighborhood. I had to put up a fence to keep them from eating all my plants in the backyard.

Of my 500+ tulips in the ground, 3 bloomed because the rest were scarfed by the herd, they also ate my pine bushes this winter and all of the bearded irises.

I’m tired of having the deer eating all my plants!

So, so tired of the deer eating everything in our yard!

I spend thousands of dollars for property taxes, yet the city's deer live here for free and take welfare lunches for free every day, while I spend at least another $1,000 a year in sprays and granules that are supposed to aid in keeping them out of my yard. They need to cull this herd, before they start jumping through windows in our homes and damaging our homes. There is no insurance coverage if they come through glass and destroy the interior of a home. That is called an Act of God. They stand right in front of picture windows and sliders and have no fear of people because they are being hand-fed.

Please!

I have seen so many maimed deer this year in Kalamazoo. Please. It is time.

Ticks make me nervous. As majestic as they are the risk of my family acquiring a lifelong disease is not attractive.

This is so long overdue.

There are way too many deer for our area to support. Because of their increasing numbers, they now eat many plants and saplings that even a few years ago they did not touch

The herd must be reduced for reasons of health, safety, ecology, and quality of life. My husband acquired Lyme disease in our Oakwood yard where deer ticks were extremely plentiful this year so we can attest to the health threat. Having invested much time, labor, and money in extensive landscaping over the last 12 gardening seasons, we can also attest to the futility of attempting to grow most plants, especially native plants. This is not just a personal disappointment, it is an ecological disaster. Our partially wooded 2 acres have zero naturally occurring new trees over the last several years due to daily browsing by multiple deer and by antler rubbing. No natural replacement in forested areas points to an ever more impoverished natural environment. Recently the Gazette reported that Portage had the highest number of deer/vehicle accidents in the state last year, a significant safety issue which should concern all motorists. The quality of life we have enjoyed in Kalamazoo has been steadily eroding each year due to excessive deer pressure and as of this summer, fear of Lyme disease necessitates spraying with repellent each time we wish to walk or work on our property, an unreasonable way to live.

They even ate our jack o lanterns and mums this year!

Fed up —- love gardening but all the work and investment net 0 instead of beauty!! The deer eat it all - we didn’t move into the city 40 years ago for this!!

We literally have dozens eating anything and everything!!