Syracuse formally announced deer culling plans, adds new method

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — 109, that’s the number of deer culled in Syracuse last year using sharpshooters. But this year, the city will be implementing a new pilot plan that will make targeting hotspots easier.

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The plan is called ‘trap and euthanize.’ Deer will get caught in a net trap, and then a wildlife management agent is alerted and will euthanize the deer. A meeting was held on Wednesday morning, September 11, to introduce the idea to the Syracuse Common Council and the public.

The city believes the method will be their most successful effort yet.

“It’s important to know that this is work that is required because of the public health and safety concerns that neighbors and residents face in the city,” said Chief Policy Officer Greg Loh.

The Syracuse Police Department acknowledged that it can reduce the number of vehicle and deer collisions.

“Just off the top of my head, I would say the eastside has the most, and then Burnet Park is also really heavy,” said Richard Shoff, the first deputy chief of the Syracuse Police Department.

The new plan would allow the city to target more populated areas and neighborhoods. They say it would help keep the local ecosystem in check and reduce public health risks like Lyme Disease. It’s something Brian Underwood with the U.S. Geological Survey agrees with after witnessing the population grow.

“In the early 80s, I used to spend a lot of time walking all the green spaces in the city of Syracuse and watched the deer population really grow from very low abundance to very high abundance,” he said.

That growth he attributes to our habitat blooming before it became overpopulated.

“The existing green spaces got greener, better and any new ones that are created. For example, there are a few more golf courses out here now than there used to be,” Underwood said. “Golf courses represent really good deer habitat.”

The city will continue to use sharpshooters this culling season in addition to the traps. If the pilot plan does see success, they will continue to employ it and move on from using sharpshooters.

All meat from euthanized deer will be donated to the Food Bank of Central New York so it doesn’t go to waste.

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