No deer kill for Alpine — for now

ALPINE — Bambi is safe for now.

Alpine leaders aren't convinced they need a state-sanctioned summer deer hunting season to appease the folks living in the upscale city's foothills.

But they do want to find a solution to the problem presented to them at a Tuesday city meeting. That is, deer, lured by the lush grass near homes, attract cougars.

And cougars kill.

"We have to do our research now," said Alpine Mayor Phil Barker. "This is a situation where the solution is not black-and-white. We do live where the deer used to eat."

Steve Weidner and Emily Barlow, Alpine residents who have formed a group calling itself the Committee for a Balanced Deer Population, have gathered 250 names on a petition that calls for government action in dealing with the deer and the cougars.

The group says the deer also eat gardens. Cars also have hit deer, causing costly damage.

"We're not working to do away with all the deer," Weidner said. "My primary concerns now are the cougars."

Barlow said similar wildlife worries are faced by many communities as more people move into the natural habitat of deer and elk.

But deer and cougars lived in the mountains long before people moved there, said Councilwoman Kimberly Bryant.

"It's the price we pay for living here," said Bryant said. "I understand your grief about the plants. I have had a herd of elk in my back yard."

Craig Clyde, a biologist with Utah's Division of Wildlife Resources, said he has recommended an antler-less bow hunt for the area from Provo Canyon to Alpine in the fall with 150 deer permits available.

But he said that won't help much in Alpine if hunters cannot hunt within the city limits.

When a city like Alpine creates regulations that override the division's jurisdiction, the city essentially creates a preserve that is attractive to the wildlife, Clyde said.

"Whenever you provide cover, forage and water, they'll come."

Clyde said it isn't practical to tranquilize the deer and relocate them because deer become stressed and die when moved.

He said if the division gets a written request from the city indicating that the residents want the herd thinned, a limited number of the deer could be shot.

But, he said, that option is unpopular and labor intensive.

"The reason we don't do this very often is, No. 1, we're here to propagate wildlife." he said.

Clyde said he isn't overly concerned about the cougar population, but if residents see cougars close to their homes, they should call the DWR offices. "But we get more calls from this area than from others."

---

E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com