SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Police and Animal Control marksmen harvested 45 deer in Sioux Falls this winter.
Animal Control Supervisor Julie DeYong Says the deer were taken at Tomar and Tuhill Park and at I-229 and Rice Street. DeYong says those areas have a high rate of road kill incidents.
She says during the hunt, 18 deer were killed in the city limits by cars.
Hunters shot deer no more than fifty feet away and used silencers on their rifles to muffle the sound. She says hunters had to endure a variety of complication, most notably a blizzard and more often than not, high winds which make the herd more mobile.
Hunters had depredation licenses from Game, Fish and Parks so they could use bait to bring the animals closer. The tag were for antlerless deer in an effort to take more adult does. DeYong says a few button bucks were taken too.
Over 1,200 pounds of processed venison were donated to the needy and the Sioux Falls Food Pantry thanks to the efforts of Sportsmen Against Hunger and the Renner Locker.
DeYong says the goal is to reduce deer-car collisions and property damage to homeowner’s landscapes