Bow Hunters Take 70 Deer In The Village

Updated on 11/20/08: Granville's 2008 deer management program is in its second month and 70 deer have been taken. Currently there are over 40 bow hunters using 25 zones that have been approved for hunting by the Village. The bow hunting program is controlled and regulated by the Village and is designed to be unobtrusive.

The Village has adopted a multifaceted deer management plan to address problems related to high numbers of deer in several Village neighborhoods. The deer management program includes public education to inform Granville-area residents on what can be done to make the Village habitat less attractive for the deer, to reduce the damage to landscaping and other plantings, and to minimize the other negative impacts of the deer. The deer management program also allows the limited hunting of deer within the Village.

Hunting may be allowed on public property as well as private properties that have been offered for hunting by the property owners. Property owners may still register their property for hunting by calling Mollie Prasher, Clerk of Council at (740) 587-0707.

Hunters are selected by the Village based upon specific qualifications, including total years of hunting experience, prior urban deer hunting participation, and/or a law enforcement background. 52 hunters registered with the Village and 40 were approved. Hunters may still register by contacting Mollie Prasher.

Hunters are expected to follow all Ohio hunting regulations as well as regulations established by the Village. The provisions of Granville's deer management program are summarized here.

Hunting began September 26, 2008 and will end February 1, 2009.

There are no specific surveys of the deer population throughout the Village, but Bill Bullard, Wildlife Division Officer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, estimates the number could be as high as 1,000.

Of the 70 deer taken so far, 60 were does and 10 were bucks. Hunters must take two does before they are permitted to take a buck.

Prasher said, "Twenty of the deer have been donated to the Licking County Food Pantry."

If a hunter chooses to donate a deer, the Village pays for processing and delivery to the Food Pantry. The Village has obtained a price for processing that is less than half the usual rate.

"All of the meat is ground," Prasher explained. "So if you can cook hamburger, you can cook this."

Producing only ground meat obviates the need for detailed preparation and cooking instructions for people who might be unfamiliar with cooking venison.

The 20 deer donated so far will provide the Pantry with nearly 1000 pounds of ground venison.

The Food Pantry Network of Licking County is a cooperative that was established in 1981 to coordinate the acquisition and distribution of emergency food supplies to the financially deprived and otherwise needy in Licking County. The Food Pantry Network operates food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, youth camps and after-school programs. The affiliated pantries utilize over 300 volunteers.

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