- East Lansing is closing parks at 6 pm starting this month in an effort to manage the local deer population.
- Firearm-trained biologists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be removing the deer from now until the end of March.
- Video shows more details about the program.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your East Lansing Neighborhood Reporter Colin Jankowski. Parks like this one in my neighborhood will be periodically closed. The reason? An effort to get the local deer population under control.
"My friend saw it from behind me," Jossue Echeverria said.
Living in Michigan, you probably have seen a deer in headlights.
Jossue Echeverria certainly has. He's been in an accident involving deer not once, but twice.
"Still managed to clip it on the right front of my car," he said. "I shattered my front headlight, damaged the side of my fender and also the side pannel of my car."
And he's not alone.
The state reported more than 58,000 vehicle-deer crashes in 2023.
So, the city of East Lansing is taking steps to help counter the issue and lower the overall deer population.
The city says from January 1 to March 31, city parks will be subject to closure from 6 pm to 7 pm for wildlife management.
Firearm-trained biologists will conduct the deer removal, and the city says they've notified neighbors near parks where removal will take place.
Jossue says he thinks programs like East Lansing's can help neighbors avoid future problems.
"You're not trying to take out the entire population, you're just trying to thin them out a bit which is natural anyway."
You can find more information about East Lansing's Deer Management program here.
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