The Bloomington City Council has passed an ordinance that, among other things, prohibits deer feeding within city limits.
Debates over deer in Bloomington have been ongoing for more than a decade — but on Wednesday, the nine council members unanimously approved the ordinance after less than 45 minutes of discussion.
Virgil Sauder, the director of Bloomington Animal Care and Control, said the ban isn’t just meant to reduce human conflict with deer; it aims to protect the animals, as well.
“When deer are fed, they tend to congregate in larger numbers in areas where this artificial feeding occurs,” Sauder said. “Where there are larger groups of deer, there’s actually an increased risk of disease spread between those deer. Also, the feed is not a natural part of their diet, which can cause health concerns for the deer.”
Virgil Sauder (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
The ordinance that appeared before the council Wednesday was an update to that initial proposal.
Under the ordinance, those who feed deer will be fined starting at $50 for their first offense. The fine will double with each subsequent offense within twelve months of the first.
The new rules go into effect on Sept. 1.
The ordinance states, “A person commits an offense by intentionally feeding deer or making food available for consumption by deer within the city.” The word “food,” according to the ordinance, applies to corn, fruit, oats, hay, nuts, wheat, alfalfa, salt blocks, grain, vegetables, and commercially sold wildlife feed and livestock feed.
Changes to the city’s classifications of dangerous animals
Requires microchipping, muzzles and warning signs, or evaluations for some animals based on their danger classification
Fee increases for animal surrenders from outside Monroe County, adoptions, and monitoring of animals deemed dangerous or vicious.
The fees for animal care will be as follows:
Animal surrendered from outside Monroe County:
$30 for dogs or cats over six months old
$35 for litters with five or fewer animals
$45 for litters with more than five animals
Adoption fees:
$120 for cats and dogs
$75 for rabbits
Fees for monitoring:
$25 for dangerous animals
$50 for vicious animals
Sauder said the ordinance simplifies the city’s dangerous animal classifications.
The current categories include different levels for “potentially dangerous” animals. The ordinance deletes those levels and boils it down to just three categories: potentially dangerous, dangerous and vicious.
Despite the council’s unanimous support for the ordinance, a few expressed concerns — some over why the city hasn’t completed a count of the number of deer in the city.
Council member Dave Rollo said he is concerned about the possibility for Lyme Disease spread by ticks, which deer carry, and wants a count.
“Urban deer are really different in terms of behavior than deer outside of the city; that is, they stay put,” Rollo said. “There is a potential for non-lethal control of the population; but first of all, what we need to do is count them.”
Dave Rollo (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
Sauder said a deer count would be required if the city sought to reduce the number of deer but added, “I struggle to do a count if we don’t know exactly why we’re doing the count.”
He also said that the deer population does not necessarily coincide with the tick population. Rollo disagreed and said he hopes a count will be completed soon.
Officials say Bloomington could host a deer population larger than previously thought. There has been a slight increase in the number of deceased deer that animal control has collected over the last six years.
Council member Jim Sims also chimed in on the topic of ticks, adding that the city should familiarize itself with deer migrating patterns.
“If I go over to where (deer) are and do different things, then I know I increase (the chance) for any particular tick that they may have to be a part of me,” Sims said. “That’s totally different than driving down Seventh and Elm by the Banneker Center, and deer are coming over the fence while people are slowing down.”
Jim Sims (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
Only one member of the public — Julie Gray — commented on the ordinance. She commended the city for proposing a deer feeding ban.
“Fed wildlife are dead wildlife,” Gray said. “It’s never a good idea to feed wildlife for all the reasons Mr. Sauder mentioned.”
Julie Gray (Courtesy of Community Access Television Services)
Gray also commented on the deer population issue, calling lethal removal costly and ineffective. She said the city should instead consider fertility control if it wants to reduce the deer population.
