Information on the Cost of Controlling Deer Using Sharpshooters

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Information on the Cost of Controlling Deer Using Sharpshooters

Some links may no longer be active, but the original article can often be found by typing the title into a search engine.

Sharpshooters Kill 66 Deer In 4 Months February 20, 2023 Missouri,  Webster Kirkwood Times 

... “In the past four months, we’ve removed 66 deer, with 55 through the sharpshooter initiative ... Schaefer asked the board if it wanted to continue with the sharpshooter initiative, which  costs $50,000 a year.  [$909 per deer] ... 


Des Peres, Firm Hired To Reduce Deer Population March 6, 2020 Missouri, Webster-Kirkwood Times

... resolution allows the board to hire White Buffalo Company to conduct the hunt for up to 50 deer at a cost of $50,000... [about $1,000 per deer or more] ...


Mercer County deer management program has began October 29, 2019 New Jersey, NJ.com

.. Hiring a professional culling company would cost the Park Commission a minimum of $700 per deer,” ... The commission has selected 10 to 14 licensed hunters ...


Colorado Springs,  Officials set tentative timeline for culling August 3,2018 Colorado, Colorado Springs Independent

... State Parks and Wildlife has said that in order to reduce Colorado Springs' deer population (currently 2,700) by one-half, 200 does would need to be "harvested" every year for the next five years. Alternatively, 95 does could be harvested each year for the next 10 years. Cost estimates calculated in March showed that culling 200 deer would cost the city between $115,000 and $250,000... ($575 to $1250 per deer)


Wildfire, deer, governor close eventful week in southern Colorado April 13, 2018 Colodrado, KRDO

...  three contractors  ... would charge as much as $700 per deer ... would use firearms to shoot deer  ... A Parks and Recreation official said because city parks are popular locations for deer, he's not comfortable with using parks for hunting or culling ...


Deer sharpshooting operation ends in Mt. Lebanon March 9, 2017 Pennsylvania, The Almanac

... the removal of 55 deer ... spending $44,868  ... [$816 per deer] ...  “The game commission’s first method of deer management is hunting, until there is a philosophical shift that won’t change.” ...

     Mt. Lebanon sharpshooting program ends March 11, 2016 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

... an unofficial count of 115 animals culled... will be charged $74,375 for the service ... [$647 per deer]  


Princeton, Council hires hunters to thin the deer population November 22, 2016 New Jersey, Packet Online

... a Connecticut-based deer management company, received a no-bid contract capped at $64,530 from the Princeton Council on Nov.14 to cull the herd from early February to the middle of March. The goal of the hunt is to kill 125 to 150 deer ... [$430 to $516 per deer]


Cranbrook deer cull completed and comes in under budget January 22, 2016 British Columbia, BC Local News

... The program was completed under the $15,000 budget at $10,374.00 or $494 per animal. Built into the cost includes: placement and tear down of each clover trap, purchase of bait and supplies, liability insurance, provincially mandated equipment training, mileage, vehicle cleaning ...


Sharpshooters take aim at Avon Lake deer starting Wednesday December 4, 2015 Ohio, Cleveland Plain Dealer 

...  sharpshooters to kill an estimated 80 deer on city-owned properties... It will cost an estimated $500 per deer, a cost that includes paying the sharpshooters, buying bait and baiting areas to lure the deer, renting a refrigerated truck to take the deer to be processed ...


Deer culling in Avon Lake, Bay Village to start next week December 1, 2015 Ohio, The Morning Journal

... cost to the city from their first time culling from Feb. 27 to April 11 this year was $8,557.81... 19 deer were taken down [$450.41 per deer]


Town and Country to again use sharpshooting to control deer population November 25, 2015 Missouri, St. Louis Post-Dispatch 

... The White Buffalo firm based in Connecticut will get a $65,000 contract to kill up to 175 deer [$371 per deer] ... 


Ann Arbor OKs controversial winter deer cull November 6, 2015 Michigan, Detroit Free Press

...  spending up to $35,000 to hire sharpshooters to lure and kill 100 deer at night in city-owned parks and natural areas. ... [$350 per year]


Mt. Lebanon, Mt. Lebanon could add sharpshooting to deer management September 28, 2015 Pennsylvania, The Almanac

... a request for proposals pertaining to a sharpshooting program as part of the municipality’s deer management efforts.  White Buffalo Inc., the nonprofit organization assisting with the current controlled archery hunt in Mt. Lebanon, submitted a proposal with a total cost of $80,750 ... to “safely remove 150 deer” ... [$538 per deer]


Deer culling begins at Weiss Field in Avon Lake March 13, 2015 Ohio, The Chronicle-Telegram

... Two sharpshooters, who the city paid the U.S. Department of Agriculture $15,960 for ... they will shoot at Weiss Field and the city landfill on weekdays in the evening until the 20 deer tags he provided are reached... [$798 per deer]


Fort Meade targets 1,000 deer January 15, 2015  Maryland, capitalgazette.com 

... The herd inside the fenced boundaries of the post has been growing since hunting was last permitted decades ago ... The operation will be conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture marksmen and will cost $73,877 [$739 per deer] ...


Mt. Lebanon, Technical issues could delay Mt. Lebanon deer cull March 9, 2015 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

... Brian Benner of Wildlife Specialists in Wellsboro, Tioga County, said Sunday that some necessary equipment wasn’t in place... contracted to receive $500 per deer up to $75,000 per year ...


Avon Lake looks to expand deer culling May 20, 2014 Ohio, The Chronicle-Telegram 

... USDA sharpshooters killed 16 deer at Weiss Field and volunteer archers killed three deer ...  15 were found to be pregnant ...  $8,557 for sharpshooting services, storage of killed deer and processing of venison. [$450 per deer including the archers]

     Costs of Avon Lake deer cull less than expected May 7, 2015 Ohio, The Chronicle-Telegram

... an initial service agreement with the USDA to spend up to $15,960 for sharpshooting services, but the actual cost came in at $8,557 for the 19 deer that were killed ...  more than $450 per deer ... A total of 696 pounds of venison was donated ... roughly $12 per pound...

Tega Cay leaders share underwhelming results of deer culling operation February 21, 2024 South Carolina, WBTV Charlotte on MSN

... just 38 deer - far below the city’s goal of 160... ($2,500 per deer) with a price tag of nearly $95,000... those behind the program blamed the shortcomings on limitations put in place due to safety concerns...


Des Peres, City Partners For Annual Deer Culling December 18, 2023 Missouri, Webster Kirkwood Times

... could reduce the deer population by up to 30 deer, only 12 of which can be antlered. The city’s contract with White Buffalo for deer culling is not to exceed $35,000... The city will not conduct a deer sampling census this year, but will instead conduct the census next December for $9,500...


Shaker Heights council votes to continue deer culling partnership with Beachwood October 24, 2023 Ohio, Cleveland.com

...The cities of Beachwood and Shaker Heights will enter into their second year of a joint deer sharpshooting program, with an initial permit that will allow for up to 70 deer to be culled in total. But the cost has increased by $30,000 to $140,000 for this season... [at lest $2,000 per deer]

     Beachwood awaits Shaker Heights’ council approval to continue deer culling program October 2, 2023 Ohio, Cleveland.com

... two cities plan to cull a total of 70 deer -- the same number as last year. A year ago, Beachwood and Shaker Heights each paid $60,000 for the service; this year, they will pay $70,000 apiece... ($2,000 per deer)  If 30 more are culled, it would cost each city an additional $30,000...


Richmond Heights deer count to take place in late November, culling could follow shortly after October 6, 2021 Ohio, cleveland.com

... Richmond Heights City Council’s Safety and Recreation Committee heard from the USDA’s Caleb Wellman about the next step toward culling -- performing an infrared count of the city’s deer... The USDA has offered to cull Richmond Heights’ deer -- up to 50 this year -- for $35,000.  ($700 per deer) ...


Cranbrook, City to lobby provincial government for urban deer population management September 15, 2020 British Columbia, Cranbrook Townsman

 ... The City of Cranbrook has conducted a number of culls over the last decade to manage the urban deer population, however, results have varied ... spent over $100,000 to remove 150 deer ... ($667 per deer, Canadian)


Deer cull by sharpshooters approved in Muskegon despite some citizen opposition January 15, 2020 Michigan, MLive

... a plan for sharpshooters to kill up to 30 white-tailed deer ... will cost about $20,000... pregnant does would be targeted... [about $667 per deer]


Charlottesville to Implement Deer Population Management Operation February 12, 2018 Virginia, NBC 29 News

...  Under the cover of darkness, trained sharpshooters hope to take down between 125 and 150 ... will be suppressed rifles ...  will cost the city $50,000... [$333 to $400 per deer]


Bloomington, Total Cost Of Deer Cull At Griffy Preserve: Over $43000 January 23, 2018 Indiana, Indiana Public Media

... killed 62 deer ... each deer killed cost the parks department around $700...


Scientific report finds controversial urban deer culls don't work - Tax dollars wasted on costly and ineffective programs October 18, 2017 British Columbia, Canada NewsWire 

...  "The culls are about killing deer, not resolving conflicts." ... For example,  Oak Bay spent $16,000 to kill 11 deer... [$1455 per deer]


Avon Lake deer cull starts today at Weiss Park March 12, 2015 Ohio, The Chronicle-Telegram

... Councilman David Kos, 4th Ward, was the only member to vote against sharpshooting. He said Wednesday that he feels culling at Weiss Field, on the western end of the city, will do little to address the areas most affected by deer... $15,000 spent, almost $1,000 per deer, to kill deer in a park area where we kind of want the deer to be ...


Bloomington, Canceled deer cull cost city $3,530, killed no deer May 27, 2015 Indiana, Herald Times

... Bait corn, site security, signage and consultation services all contributed to an expensive hunting trip that ended without a trophy...  final tally of the canceled 2014 Griffy Lake Nature Preserve deer cull program to the city parks board. It cost $3,529.98 to close the park, stock bait sites with corn, secure those sites and use the services of White Buffalo Inc. in evaluating a potential cull...


Conserving Tradition Inc. Opposes Federal Government's Proposed 13361% Increase in Mass Killings in New York State January 15, 2016 New York, PR Newswir

... With Wildlife Services often paid for mass deer killings directly by municipalities, local taxpayers are expected to be burdened with a minimum of $300 per deer killed by the Federal Government. Moreover, according to the Federal Government, the impact of these mass deer killings, would only be temporarily effective in reducing local deer populations: " ...


Will County forest culled 200 deer this season June 10, 2016 Illinois, Chicago Tribune

... The district spent $29,400 on its sharpshooting staff and another $18,200 for operational costs, such as processing, ammunition and bait, for an average cost of $239 per deer ... 200 deer were culled in the 2015-16 season ... In the 2014-15 season, 201 deer were culled ...

Costs for Other Approaches


Trap and Bolt

Lyndhurst, City's deer management program result of years of discussion: Mayor Patrick Ward, Lyndhurst March 27, 2016 Ohio, Cleveland Plain Dealer

... After much discussion, our city was granted a permit by the Division of Wildlife to cull a small number of deer by trap and euthanizing... In total 13 deer were culled ... The total cost of the program was $4,500 – including processing the meat to be donated. ... [$346 per deer]


Cranbrook, Council approves another deer cull November 21, 2017 British Columbia, E-Know.ca 

...  permits for the capture and euthanization of up to 50 mule deer or incidental white-tailed deer... assuming that 50 deer are captured, is $27,500 or $550 per animal...


Volunteer Costs Can Also Be High


Blue Hills, Animal rights advocates opposed to bow hunting in the Blue Hills July 8, 2016 Massachusetts, The Patriot Ledger

... neighbors opposed to a controlled hunt in the Blue Hills find the proposal to allow bow hunting especially troubling. They argue that the method is inhumane and ineffective, turning a population control program into a sport... The 2015 hunt cost the state about $141,000 ... The hunt yielded 64 deer ... $2203 per deer ...