Trib: Colin McNickle's Essay on Mt. Lebanon Deer

Mt. Lebanon officials held a secret meeting this month with the president of Amalgamated Deer Stampeders, Plant Eaters & Disease Spreaders Local 100.

They warned union boss Stag Cervidae that popular sentiment against the South Hills community's unchecked deer population has turned ugly.

"Lots of people want to shoot you," one official told Mr. Cervidae.

"You wouldn't dare," the 10-point buck boss snorted.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/opinion/2006868-74/official-cervidae-deer-community-done-stag-boss-knees-lebanon-slapping (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Trib: Deer culling program weighed in Mt. Lebanon

Torn between tales of disease-carrying deer turning roads into obstacle courses and residents concerned about expert shooters possibly being allowed to fire into private property at night with high-powered, silenced rifles, the Mt. Lebanon commission is weighing whether to resurrect a deer-culling program like those used in Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park and Fox Chapel.

The commission is considering a ban on deliberately feeding deer and will host a town hall meeting in the coming weeks to discuss reinstating some form of population control for herds of deer that live in the municipality's parks and backyards.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/news/1889581-74/deer-lebanon-commission-sharpshooters-clair-culling-meeting-program-upper-kelley (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Trib: Laurels and Lances

Lance: To Mt. Lebanon. Still in denial that deer are out of control -- it says it "has an active deer population" -- the South Hills community is offering tips on how to best hit those deer while driving: Don't slam on the brakes; just run 'em over. We kid you not. Instead of telling you how to more safely bag a buck with your Beemer and fell a fawn with your Ferrari, Mt. Lebanon officials should be culling the herd.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_774203.html (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

Trib: Mt. Lebanon Board rethinks deer culling program

The days of deer peacefully grazing in Mt. Lebanon may end next year.

In discussions of the budget for 2012, the Mt. Lebanon Board of Commissioners has penciled in about $66,000 for deer: $16,000 for a study of their numbers and density in the municipality, and $50,000 for a culling -- or professional hunting -- program.

A similar program was conducted from 2007 to 2008, ending amid residents' concerns over sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services hunting the deer with night-vision equipment and high-powered rifles. The commissioners and residents resurrected the issue this month during the budget-making process.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_768805.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

P-G: Mt. Lebanon again at odds over deer population

The economics and efficacy of deer culling have once again divided Mt. Lebanon residents.

Some residents have told commissioners that something must be done because deer remain a menace on roads and in their backyards. Still others say that dropping $66,000 for a density study and subsequent culling would be an insult during the bad economy.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/pg/11321/1190406-55.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Mt. Lebanon Seeks Ways To Curb Deer Population

Mt. Lebanon commissioners are hearing complaints about deer from residents, so they want to explore ways to control the town's deer population. Two representatives of the Pennsylvania Game Commission visited Mt. Lebanon on Tuesday to talk about deer control.

From 2006 to 2008, the municipality contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to lower the deer population, but it did not enter into the contract this year. "The No. 1 issue for me is that eventually there is going to be a serious accident involving a deer," commission President John Daley said.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/09274/1002072-55.stm

Cats, Deer and Ballfields

Cats, deer and ballfields dominated discussion at Mt. Lebanon's commission meeting Sept. 8. Former commissioner Ann Strader brought several lawn cushions before the board, one that was torn apart and the other soaked with urine she said was caused by Mt. Lebanon's major unseen problem: outdoor cats.

She said the feral cats aren't the problem. Many cat owners let their pets out during the day and they roam neighborhoods, destroying furniture and causing chaos. She left the cushions behind. Officials called maintenance to remove them after the meeting.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/09-10-ML-Commission-cats-and-fields-B

Annual Deer Management Meeting

The annual meeting on deer management will be held 7 p.m. Aug. 25, in the municipal building, 710 Washington Road. Mt. Lebanon's deer management plan, available at www.mtlebanon.org, requires that the plan be evaluated and updated each year.

Mt. Lebanon contracts with the U. S. Department of Agriculture to implement a white-tailed deer management program to reduce property damage, nuisance complaints and deer-vehicle collisions.

In 2007, the municipality obtained a Pennsylvania Game Commission Special Use Permit to remove no more than 150 deer from within municipal limits. By the conclusion of the program in late spring 2008, the USDA had removed 146 deer.

The Aug. 25 meeting will begin with a presentation by representatives of the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. A public comment session will follow and each resident may speak up to five minutes.

The USDA report for 2008 will be posted at www.mtlebanon.org.

USDA Misses Dead Deer In Mt. Lebanon

When Micah Wolf walked out his front door to head to work March 7, he was saddened to see a dead dear lying in his Lindendale Drive yard. His assumption that the deer had been struck by a passing vehicle changed quickly, when he walked to his car.

"There was a good size pool of blood about half a foot from the house," reported Wolf.

Upon closer examination, it was evident that the deer had been shot in the neck. He called for animal control to remove the deer from the property owned by his parents.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/03-19-ML-deer-issue-B

Deer Cull Starts Again Next Month

Mt. Lebanon's Deer Management Program resumes next month with a cull conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As with last year's successful program, trained sharpshooters from the USDA's Wildlife Division will follow strict guidelines, including operating only from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Dates will be announced shortly.

Commissioners recently authorized the department to cull up to 150 deer in response to safety concerns from residents, including reports of dozens of car accidents, property damage and health concerns related to the town's deer overpopulation.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07325/835533-55.stm

Deer Cull Likely In Mt. Lebanon

In the past five months, 23 collisions between deer and motorists have been reported in Mt. Lebanon. Such numbers have risen steadily since 2000, when police began tracking incidents, with 34 that year. In 2006, there were 62 incidents, none involving serious injuries to humans.

No surprise then, that a deer management meeting last week indicated the municipality will likely conduct further deer culling in parks and on private properties that agree to the shooting.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07277/822543-55.stm

The Deer Return

Today I received an email from an organization that calls itself the "Coalition for Neighborhood Safety & Awareness." The name is misleading. This is a group that wants to stop the deer eradication program in Mt. Lebanon, but it's acting primarily out of concern for the deer, not primarily out of concern for neighborhood safety.

Agree or disagree with the idea that Mt. Lebanon should be hunting deer, the fact that deer themselves are CNSA's priority is clear from the identity of the inaugural CNSA speaker.

From the email:

"On Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 7:00 pm Environmentalist, Anthony Marr, will be speaking about alternative approaches to managing deer in Mt. Lebanon. See details below (flyer attached).

Keep Our Neighborhoods Safe!!

Use of high-powered rifles compromises our safety and is poor use of our tax dollars

You’re invited to attend a FREE Seminar on the truth about deer control in our townships

Anthony Marr
Preservationist and founder of Heal Our Planet Earth to speak on co-existing with local deer

When? Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Time? 7:00 p.m.
Where? Mt. Lebanon Library, Room A
16 Castle Shannon Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15228-2252
RSVP: info@cnsa-mtlebo.org

Marr has worked as a field geophysicist and an environmental technologist.
He’s conducted high profile campaigns in Canada for the bears and seals
and has been to Japan to speak on behalf of the marine life.

For more information visit: http://www.cnsa-mtlebo.org

We hope you join!"

Anthony Marr's biography is here. He is an accomplished and interesting person, but he is an anti-hunting activist, not a neighborhood safety expert.

Deer Management Meeting Rescheduled

Mt. Lebanon Municipality has rescheduled the public meeting on deer management that was originally planned for Wednesday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building Commission Chamber. The meeting date needed to be changed because of schedule conflicts among key participants.

The new date for the deer management meeting is Wednesday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building Commission Chamber.

Last year at Mt. Lebanon's request, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a study that confirmed the number of deer in Mt. Lebanon exceeded the community’s “carrying capacity.” Mt. Lebanon contracted with the USDA for a controlled hunt conducted by certified sharpshooters, and the herd was reduced.

The public is invited to hear a discussion of the USDA's final report on last year's program and the agency's recommendations for deer management in the coming season. Craig Swope of the USDA will be present at the meeting. Following his presentation, Mt. Lebanon Commissioners will hear public comment.

The USDA’s final report will be posted on www.mtlebanon.org on Tuesday, September 5. For further information, contact Public Works Director Tom Kelly, at 412-343-3869.

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Update from Mt. Lebanon Municipality: Mt. Lebanon residents are invited to comment on the municipality’s deer management program at a public meeting to be held 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26, in the Commission Chamber of the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 710 Washington Road.

Last year, at Mt. Lebanon’s request, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a study that concluded that the number of deer in the community exceeded the local “carrying capacity.” Mt. Lebanon then contracted with the USDA to reduce the size of the herd using certified USDA sharpshooters.

At the September 26 meeting, Craig Swope of the USDA will discuss the agency’s final report on last year’s program and make recommendations.

A public comment session will follow. Commissioners hope to hear from residents who were satisfied with last season’s effort, as well as from residents who have concerns or wish to suggest ways in which the deer management program might be improved. In the interest of time, comments will be limited to five minutes per speaker. The USDA report is posted at www.mtlebanon.org.

Lebo Deer Population May Trigger Controlled Hunt

Controlled hunts might be needed for the next several years to bring deer roaming Mt. Lebanon to a manageable number, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said. Sixty-nine deer were killed during hunts at public and private sites in the municipality over seven nights in February and March. The venison was donated to food banks.

But Mt. Lebanon's deer count remains five times higher than it should be, said Craig Swope, a wildlife biologist and local supervisor with the Department of Agriculture.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_520598.html

Sixty-Eight Deer Killed During Cull, Officials Pleased

Sharpshooters for the U.S. Department of Agriculture have virtually wrapped up their cull in Mt. Lebanon, with 68 deer taken over seven days since February.

In a summary given to Mt. Lebanon Public Works Director Tom Kelley, the USDA tallies list the kill totals as: seven adult males, 14 juvenile males, 30 adult females and 17 juvenile females.

"It went exceptionally well," said Craig B. Swope, a district supervisor and wildlife biologist with the USDA. "I could not have dreamed of a better outcome."

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07095/775164-55.stm

Group Wants New Commissioners To Stop Deer Culls

After failing to stop a deer-culling program in Mt. Lebanon, a residents group is turning its attention to three commission races. The Coalition for Neighborhood Safety & Awareness hopes to work with commissioners to find nonlethal ways to control the deer population, said co-founder Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo. Commissioners will be elected in the 1st, 3rd and 5th wards.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/today/s_501025.html

Deer Kill Stands At 29 Since Feb. 28

The municipal deer cull in Mt. Lebanon has been under way since late February with 29 deer killed and no reports of complaints or accidents. Mt. Lebanon Public Works Director Tom Kelley said sharpshooters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were out in the municipality on three dates and killed the following:

Feb. 28: 14 deer taken, in Rockwood Park, McNeilly Park, the Mt. Lebanon Public Golf Course on Pine Avenue, and a municipal compost pile in Robb Hollow Park.

March 6: One deer taken, at Hoodridge Park off Connor Road.

March 8: 14 deer taken at Williamsburg Park and Rockwood Park. Five of those deer also were taken from the yard of a private residence off Bower Hill Road.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07074/769504-55.stm

Deer Culling To Start Soon

Officials say it is only a matter of days until the deer-culling program in Mt. Lebanon begins. Public Works Director Tom Kelley said the municipality had received its permit from the State Game Commission and that staffers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture had identified locations to shoot the deer. They have begun to bait the area with the intention of beginning the shoot within the next week and a half, Mr. Kelley said.

Opponents of the $19,999 cull have organized, calling themselves the Coalition for Neighborhood Safety and Awareness of Mt. Lebanon. The group, which staged a demonstration in Bird Park last week, said it might file for an injunction with Common Pleas Court to stop the cull, but it has not done so. The group is worried that the shoot is not safe for people or pets and that shooters will be too close to homes, among other concerns.

The cull permit will allow 70 deer to be shot. The USDA estimated the town deer population at 90.

Link: www.postgazette.com/pg/07060/765641-55.stm

Deer Shooting To Begin Without Public Notice

In Mt. Lebanon, it's all over but the shooting. The municipality will have sharpshooters from the Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture begin to cull the deer herd within the next two weeks. Residents will not be notified, but municipal officials have said they have taken steps to ensure public safety.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07032/758260-55.stm