Marsh Island deer control options weighed

ORONO – Findings from the Marsh Island Deer Committee recently were presented to town officials from Orono and Old Town, and the committee has come up with three possible solutions to the island’s deer overpopulation problem.

The committee was formed in September 2002 as a collaborative effort between Orono and Old Town to address complaints surrounding the overplentiful white-tailed deer on the island.

State Rep. Matt Dunlap, D-Old Town, who serves as the House chairman of the joint committee of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, presented findings to Orono council members on Monday and to Old Town officials last week.

Deer hunting has been banned on Marsh Island since the state declared it a wildlife sanctuary about 40 years ago.

Since then, the deer population has continued to increase, creating driving hazards, an increase in the risk for Lyme disease, property damage and an overall social problem more than a biological one on the island.

Previous statements from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife say that an average of 15 deer per square mile is adequate for any given area of land.

The low-end estimate for Marsh Island puts the deer population between 45 and 65 deer per square mile, and that number could be even higher, according to Dunlap.

The options the committee presented to the councils are to:

. Do nothing. Understanding that the issues around deer are less a biological problem than a social one, it may be entirely possible that the public is not yet ready to accept a hunt on Marsh Island.

. Hold an October hunt, a relatively short hunting season that is archery only and that permits only the taking of antlerless deer. The focus would be on the removal of breeding deer rather than on a trophy hunt and would provide an avenue for frustrated residents to find some relief.

. Hold a controlled hunt, a hunt that would take place in the winter months and would be limited to archery only; however, multiple deer could be taken. This method would speed the removal of deer but would need to be followed up with a regular hunt, such as the October season, to maintain the population at a target level.

Dunlap suggested that both councils hold public hearings on the committee’s findings as their next step. He stressed that it’s important that residents have a chance to discuss the three options presented to them.

“What we’re searching for is some way for deer to become deer again,” Dunlap said. The major social problem on Marsh Island is that with so many deer in such a small area, they become fearless of people.

Before a hunt is held, it will be necessary to get accurate deer census numbers so that the hunt can be tracked and a target number for deer population can be identified.

By using resources at the University of Maine and DIF&W, that likely could be done at no cost to the towns.

Dunlap urged officials from both communities to continue to work together.

“Where towns don’t agree, you don’t move,” Dunlap said.