The city’s Deer Ad Hoc Committee discusses getting other municipalities involved in curtailing the deer population in the greater Jamestown area. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

To possibly curtail the deer population in the city of Jamestown, other neighboring municipalities might need to get involved.

That was one of the topics the city’s Deer Ad Hoc Committee discussed during its first meeting Thursday. Jeff Lehman, city public works director, suggested that other municipalities, specifically the town of Ellicott, should be involved in curtailing the deer population in the city because the animals travel from neighboring municipalities into Jamestown. Brent Sheldon, Ward 1 councilman, also suggested that Busti officials should be brought into the conversation because the town is the city’s neighbor to the south. The committee also discussed that Celoron officials should be a part of the discussion because of the bait and shoot programs the village has operated in the past.

“We should also bring in someone from the (state Department of Environmental Conservation),” Sheldon said.

Tom Nelson, Ward 6 councilman and Deer Ad Hoc Committee chairman, said he would contact neighboring municipal leaders and the DEC about joining the committee’s next meeting, tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 10.

Another topic discussed during the meeting is to educate the public on how safe a controlled archery hunt on city parks property would be handled. Matthew Larson, committee member, said bow hunting is very safe, with a low number of hunting accidents reported annually. He said most hunting accidents usually involve someone falling out of a deer stand.

“When you educate people about how educated hunters actually are, you can educate people who don’t have a hunting background,” Larson said.

Robert Johnson, committee member, said archery is the safest way to do a controlled hunt and Jamestown wouldn’t be the first municipality to do it with several communities throughout the state operating programs to try and control the deer population. Nelson said the idea proposed last year, which the Jamestown City Council didn’t vote on, for a controlled hunt would be for 12 city-approved archery hunters to operate on city park land.

“(The hunters) would need to be approved by the city,” he said. “It wouldn’t just be anyone who wants to go out (for the hunt).”

Nelson said he spoke with Tim Jackson, Jamestown Police Department chief and city public safety director, about the possible controlled antlerless deer hunt in the city. Nelson said Jackson has concerns about deer that don’t drop straight to the ground after being hit by an arrow and would then run into neighboring backyards or onto city streets. However, Nelson said the chief might be in favor of a program if the city park land selected has more than 100 yards for the deer to run after being hit so it would stay in the park and not die in a property owner’s backyard or run onto a city street.

Nelson said the Jamestown City Council will have final approval of the plan created by the committee.

“I think the council would be open to something, if it’s safe,” he said.