Hunting in City Limits in Chillicothe Ohio

Subject: Hunting in City Limits in Chillicothe Ohio June 12th 2008, 8:11 am

Chillicothe City Council unanimously passed a debated ordinance Monday night,to implement to allow a restricted deer hunt in the city limits.

A handful of residents attended to speak on both sides of the deer hunt issue, the opposition continued to ask the city to look at birth control for deer. Tom Trutschel, R-1st Ward, told residents birth control for deer is illegal in Ohio.

Although illegal, James Kerr, of Cadiz, who owns property with his wife, Helen, in the area of Plyley's Lane said after the meeting, he would hope to see the city start asking for that law to be changed.

Council members pointed out the ordinance for the restricted bow hunt is for one year and will be reviewed next year.

"Unless we try something, nothing is going to happen. Over the years, we've done nothing but talk," said Queen Lester, D-3rd Ward.

Although Dustin Proehl, D-At Large, said he was uncomfortable with the deer hunt at first, the regulations included in the ordinance have put him a little more at ease.

"I admit I was concerned ... but as the safety measures were implemented, even I became more at ease," he said. "I feel there are measures that have been put in place that make hunting as safe in the city as hunting in the city can be."

Some of those measures include prohibiting bow hunting on weekends and other days children are out of school and hunter education from both the state and nation hunter education courses. Hunters also will be responsible for carrying a minimum of $100,000 in personal injury and property damage.

Some of the issues Trutschel cited as repercussions of an increased deer population included more coyotes, insurance claims, aggressiveness by deer and property losses in areas, such as gardens.

Although residents such as Ronald Wagner, of Ridgeway Lane, said he has seen the deer population increase around his property over the last 38 years, others such as Bruce Arnold, of Yaple's Orchard, countered he has seen fewer.