Montana Fish and Wildlife mulling decision to allow bow-hunting cull of urban deer in Havre

By COLLIN GALLANT on October 18, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Bow hunters in Havre, Mont. may be issued special hunting licenses to cull urban deer within the U.S. city located south of Medicine Hat.

The plan put forward by Havre city council this summer will be debated at the Oct. 20 meeting of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.

It would allow bow hunters to take animals inside city limits to reduce the number of deer that some residents say damage fences and landscaping and present a issue of public safety.

Havre developed a public hunts plan after a public meeting last spring where most attendees said they supported a cull.

If approved, the hunt would be limited to bows, not firearms, and would take place between Aug. 15 and Feb. 15, with hunters allowed to present unused licenses from two nearby game districts, as well as apply for up to 500 city hunt licenses.

Meat would be donated, and the city and wildlife service would jointly monitor the program.

Feedback to the Fish and Wildlife board ahead of this week’s meeting states general support for the move, but also concern for general safety.

Since 2003, the state government has allowed cities to develop localized plans to control wildlife that presents a danger to property or public safety.

State wildlife policy also states that some interaction and damage from wild game is unavoidable and a fact of life in the expansive, largely rural state.

11
-10