Sep 14, 2015 2 min read

As evidenced by the front page of this newspaper, the deer saga in Mt. Lebanon continues.

After last year’s failed trap and bolt attempt – a mere six deer were killed in 11 days, a far cry from the projected 150 – the municipality brought in “Deer Doctor” Sandy Baker to advise on the issue back in April. Things were quiet on the deer front until recently, as Mt. Lebanon commissioners at the Sept. 8 meeting authorized a contract with White Buffalo Inc. for an archery hunt in an attempt to curb the deer population.

At the same meeting, commissioners also voted to apply with the Game Commission for a political subdivision permit to allow for the use of suppressed rifles with high-expansion ammunition and to submit a proposal to the Humane Society of the United States and the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation for funding to support a deer fertility control and sterilization project.

The deer management issue has deeply divided the community – those with gardens that deer have ruined are for the measures, those who have been involved in traffic accidents caused by deer are also for the measures. However, those opposed to the cull will passionately tell you that there is no deer problem, and they will also present evidence that culling the deer is not going to solve the problem – that in fact, a cull could produce the opposite effect as deer over populate to counter the effects of the cull.

The residents of Mt. Lebanon are serious about the deer issue, regardless of where they stand on it.

It is our hope that something, anything, works. Whether you agree with the methods being employed or not, whether you believe there is a problem or not, there needs to be a resolution.

The amount of time, money and effort going to combat Mt. Lebanon deer is off the charts. Once the deer issue goes away, commissioners and residents in Mt. Lebanon will be free to discuss other issues, repair relationships, and hopefully move forward as a united community.