Council Floats Regional Strategy Following Deer Management Presentation

The hot button issue of how to manage the deer population in East Lansing again resurfaced at the Nov. 28 City Council meeting when a presentation was given on the topic. 

At the meeting, Councilmember Erik Altmann floated a new approach of working with Ingham County commissioners to address the problem at a regional level, an idea that seemed to resonate with other members of Council. 

The “Annual Deer Management Report & Introduction of Anti-Tick Research” presentation was given by Michigan State University employees who have partnered with the city and East Lansing Parks, Recreation and Arts Director Cathy DeShambo. It covered damage caused by deer, where deer have been spotted in the city, public attitudes toward deer and research that may eventually lead toward vaccinating deer against lyme disease. 

The city plans to have USDA remove deer in January. 

To open the presentation, DeShambo walked Council through developments regarding deer management in the city, including action by Council in 2020 that authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct a deer cull every year. 

Over the three years the deer cull has taken place, USDA sharpshooters have killed 193 deer in just 10 nights of removals. DeShambo said it was estimated it would take two to five years to see measurable impacts from the cull and, after three years, the city is “on target.”

Deer killed in the cull have been harvested and donated to the Greater Lansing Food Bank, with processing costs covered by Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger. So far, about 6,700 pounds of venison (deer meat) has been donated to the food bank as a result of the cull. 

In 2024, the city plans to have USDA remove up to 80 deer in early January, though DeShambo said this number can be amended if necessary. The city then plans to distribute a survey to gauge the impacts seen by residents living in the removal areas. 

DeShambo said the city is interested in keeping the deer population at a socially acceptable carrying capacity, as opposed to a biological carrying capacity. In other words, the city is trying to keep the deer population at a level that is acceptable to city residents, not at what is biologically possible. The presentation said East Lansing deer have not yet reached their biological carrying capacity. 

DeShambo highlighted four main concerns regarding deer-human interactions that the city has heard from residents. 

The first is car accidents, as deer running into the road and being hit by cars or causing cars to swerve is a major hazard. The second is ecological damage as deer foraging can change the composition of plants growing in an area that has a ripple effect along the food web. 

The third is habituation and aggression with some residents reporting deer causing damage to their property. The final concern is disease, as deer can spread lyme disease, which can be contracted by humans. Additionally, chronic wasting disease is an ailment deer and elk spread among their own populations and impacts their nervous systems. Chronic wasting disease has previously been detected in Ingham County deer. 

DeShambo also highlighted some non-lethal forms of deer management like relocation, contraception and sterilization. However, these forms of management all came with noted downsides, like they aren’t allowed under Michigan law, are expensive or wouldn’t be effective in East Lansing. 

The numbers: Data and deer management in East Lansing. 

Alexa Warwick, a PhD. and wildlife engagement specialist for the Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, took over the presentation to lay out data researchers have collected studying deer in East Lansing. 

Warwick said 17 cameras were set up in 2022 and data is based on the number of times deer passed by those cameras. On average, each camera has been deployed for 112 days. Cameras were scattered throughout the city, with most in city parks or properties and a few placed on residential properties. 

Warwick also highlighted surveys that took responses from 357 residents with verified East Lansing addresses. 

Residents who responded to the survey think there are too many deer in East Lansing, with around 60% of respondents saying the deer population in East Lansing is too high. That number is compared to 6% who said it was too low, 23% who said it was just right and 11% that responded “unsure.”

The cull also hasn’t resulted in most respondents believing they are seeing fewer deer, as about 34% said they have seen more deer since 2020, 32% said they are seeing about the same amount, 20% said they were seeing fewer deer and 14% were unsure. 

The top concerns about deer were deer-vehicle collisions, damage to landscape and plants, and ticks/lyme disease. The top state interests in deer were sharing the environment with deer and having the opportunity to photograph deer. 

Looking further into the concerns, 39 respondents, or 11%, said they had experienced a deer-vehicle collision within the last three years. Expenses related to these accidents ranged from under $1,000 to over $15,000. 

Additionally, 314 respondents, or 90%, indicated they had experienced damage to their landscape or garden over the last three years. Expenses ranged from less than $200 to more than $5,000. 

Deer-related impacts seem to be persisting in the city. When asked about deer-related impacts compared to 2020, 39% said impacts had increased, 35% said they had stayed the same, 9% said they had decreased and 13% were unsure.

Deer and tick researchers from MSU presented to Council. 

A presentation by three members of the MSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife was also given at the meeting. This presentation centered around a plan to test an oral delivery unit system. The hope is the research can eventually be used to vaccinate deer against ticks.

However, the proposed research in East Lansing does not include anti-tick medication, but a biomarker that tells researchers if a deer has ingested a unit. Researchers also hope to assess the number of ticks deer are carrying locally. 

The delivery units researchers would use are mostly made of alfalfa and molasses. The unit would have a biomarker containing Rhodamine B inserted into it. The biomarker would temporarily stain the deer’s mouth, muzzle and organs pink, but it would not harm the deer meat. Researchers could then study deer killed in the cull or observed by residents to see how many consumed the delivery units.

ELi previously covered a presentation about the planned research at the city’s Commission on the Environment meeting. 

In response to a question about whether the sweet-smelling delivery units could be harmful to people or children who stumble upon and ingest them, Matthew Buchholz, one of the presenters, said it would take consumption “far beyond” what they are using to present any health concern. 

Buchholz also said the delivery units would not harm a dog if consumed and would be placed far off walking trails to limit exposure to pets. He said they did similar research in Meridian Township and have no evidence of a dog consuming a delivery unit. 

The research was eventually approved as part of a motion that stipulated that MSU must indemnify the city, which would protect the city from any lawsuit related to the research. 

The cull is approved but not without resistance. Council discussed potentially exploring regional solutions. 

Following the presentations, Council deliberated on the best way to move forward. Altmann suggested the city take a new approach to deer management.

“It seems to me that this is an issue that requires a regional solution,” he said. “Do we know if the county has the authority to do something about this and we can just kick it up a level?”

Warwick responded that this is the approach Oakland County is attempting. She said it seems like a “great idea” to have communities work together. However, she said she believes Oakland County government has not yet taken action, but the communities within the count collaborated on an approach. 

Council eventually approved the deer management program to take place, but first Altmann attempted a motion that would remove the cull. 

“I’m worried that we’re spending $20,000 a year to not solve a problem,” Altmann said, referencing the variability in deer counts. He again expressed his belief this is a problem that should be solved regionally. 

Councilmember Dana Watson, who has voiced a desire to find solutions other than a cull, said she has not motioned to end the cull because she wants to respect the decision that was made with the input of many community members. Watson said she appreciated Altmann’s motion but did not vote in favor of it. She said she would explore regional solutions with Altmann. 

Altmann’s motion did not pass, as the other four members of Council voted against it. Mayor George Brookover mentioned potentially reducing motor vehicle accidents as the primary reason he saw the cull as necessary.  

Counilmember Mark Meadows, who served on Council in 2020 when the vote to pass the cull took place, referenced the many members of the public who, at that time, spoke in favor of the action. He said it was “worthwhile” to explore a regional approach and there are many areas within the county that need to address deer. Meadows voted against the motion. 

Council went on to pass a motion that approved the deer management program, including the cull. The motion passed 4-1, with Altmann voting against.

Correction: In the caption for the lead photo of this story, the deer is in the backyard of a home on Spartan Avenue just south of Burcham Drive. The caption has been corrected.

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