08-13-1990 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORONO REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING HELD AUGUST 13, 1990 . FACILITIES CITIZENS REVIEW COMMITTEE CONTINUED It was moved by Mayor Grabek, seconded by Councilmember Goetten, to establish August 22, 1990 at 7:30 p.m. as the date and time to meet with the Facilities Committee in the Council Chambers. Motion, Ayes -4, Nays -0. Motion passed. BOW AND ARROW HUNTING Bernhardson said, "Chief Kilbo had approached me regarding his concerns about bow and arrow deer hunting. Over the last 3 years there have been only 5 takes a year. The number of road kills have been 20 to 25 deer per year. In order to control the process and address our concerns about safety, the City limited the number of sites and the number of hunters per site. Staff was involved with allocating time slots for the hunters. Chief Kilbo believed that because of the low number of kills the City may not need to be so involved. We have received letters from the Butterfield and Dumas families requesting that the City continue to allow bow and arrow hunting (see Loren Butterfield's letter of August 10, 1990 and Kathryn Dumas's letter of August 10, 1990). Staff is recommending that we continue to allow hunting this year without limiting the number of sites. Persons requesting that hunting be allowed on their property must be able to demonstrate a problem with the deer. The City will not regulate the numbers of hunters on each site. That will be left to the discretion of the property owner. The City will continue to issue a license to each hunter." • A person in the audience stated that allowing more hunters would defeat the purpose. He said, "The deer will become nocturnal which will make it increasingly difficult to hunt them. The problem will only get worse. I believe that the present policy of allowing one hunter for every ten acres will be more successful." Bernhardson replied, "It will be up to the property owner to decide how many hunters he /she will allow. If the situation gets out of hand, obviously the City will have to step in." The person in the audience said that the 5 deer per year taken by bow hunters, resulted in an 18% success rate when compared to the number of licenses issued. He stated that 18% is the average State success rate for bow hunters. Another interested person asked whether this change in policy will apply to private property as well as the commercial properties such-a Dumas fipple House and Butterfields. Bernhardson replied, "In the past we have allowed hunting to occur on properties with a demonstrated problem with deer. That does not-apply to crops only and would not change. 4 Goetten asked whether there should be any concern, from a - 17 -