2012 Emerald Isle Deer Population Management Efforts

At the November 15, 2011 Board of Commissioners meeting, Town Manager Frank Rush, in response to ongoing concerns about the deer population in Emerald Isle, provided potential options for the Board to consider as follows:

1) Another targeted bow-hunting effort in Emerald Isle Woods Park only;
2) An expanded targeted bow-hunting effort that includes Emerald Isle Woods Park and other large private properties in the Coast Guard Road area;
3) The establishment of an urban archery season in Emerald Isle for 2013 and beyond, and/or;
4) No action.

The Board of Commissioners, following discussion of this issue, unanimously approved proceeding with the implementation of Option 2 (see attached memo from the Town Manager) and as outlined below:

"The Town, along with willing private property owners, will apply for a special “depredation permit” that will allow the Town to authorize a limited group of bow hunters in Emerald Isle Woods Park and on other authorized private properties during a short period of time this winter. This option will require significant coordination with private property owners to determine their willingness to participate in the program, secure the depredation permit(s), select qualified hunters, and establish other protocols to insure public safety, in time for the January – February 2012 timeframe. This approach is likely to result in the elimination of more deer than the 2010 effort, and will theoretically make a greater impact on the overall deer population. Efforts with this option will be focused on large privately owned parcels only, and also any common areas owned by subdivision homeowners associations. "

The Town will be carefully coordinating and controlling the bow-hunting effort in Emerald Isle, and there will NOT be an open deer hunting season for the general public in Emerald Isle. Hunting of any kind is illegal in Emerald Isle, and violators will be charged by the Emerald Isle Police Department. The Town will be working with individual large property owners to secure their permission to have Town-sanctioned bow hunters remove deer from their property, and will also again conduct hunting in Emerald Isle Woods Park in January and February. The Town's goal is to reduce the total deer population in Emerald Isle from the estimated 174 deer (the highest number since we began keeping track in 2005) living along the Coast Guard Road corridor. All deer meat will be donated to the hungry and/or homeless.

The Town will be carefully selecting a group of bow hunters from "official" organizations specifically requested by the Town. The Town will not be accepting "applications" or "requests" from individual hunters to come to Emerald Isle to hunt on behalf of the Town. The Town has specific standards in mind for the very small bow-hunting group that the Town will choose and will be discreetly recruiting qualified, responsible, and safe bow-hunters through "official" entities only. Bow-hunting will only occur on private properties that have granted specific authorization to the Town for hunting to occur on that property.