A New Archery Deer Season May Come To Grand Rapids

Deer are crawling all over neighborhoods and parks in Grand Rapids and now the city is looking at the option of a new archery season to help control the population.

The Big Deer Live in Town

I used to work in Detroit, drive through Oakland and Wayne Counties, and be blown away by the size of the deer I would see inside the city limits where no one was allowed to hunt. When I worked and lived in Indiana, it was the same thing: all the suburbs of Indianapolis were filled with huge deer and overpopulated numbers.

👇BELOW: SEE DEER WITH GENETIC ANOMILEES👇

Michigan's whitetail deer are not just crossing rural roads anymore. I pick up my son at his Mom's house in Walker every other week and while getting there I pass through a city neighborhood and see 10 or 20 deer grazing on people's lawns and flowers. Grand Rapids parks are filled with oak trees that produce acorns the number one food choice by deer. We have the Grand River as a water source and all the creeks near the parks. It's easy to see how a herd of deer not being managed is becoming a nuisance for homeowners and those who hit them with cars.

Read More: 3 Mich. Deer Hunters Dead No One Was Shot Or Fell From A Stand 

The City of Grand Rapids Considering a New Archery Season for Hunters

Many cities in Michigan already have these types of archery hunts in place to manage the herd while keeping residents safe by not allowing hunters to use firearms.

According to FOX 17, the City of Grand of Grand Rapids is exploring options for a pilot program for archery hunters to curb the deer population within the city limits. One location in discussion is the 12 acres owned by the city on the west side of Bristol Avenue and Woodraw Avenue which would be a great spot for archery hunters.

The City of Grand Rapids is looking at an extended antlerless archery season that would run from January 1 through the end of the month. Kent County already has a similar season in place. Many Michigan cities already have this type of hunt in urban areas. This program could open up to private land owners within the city limits with 3 or more acres.