The city of Wildwood in Missouri is gearing up for its second deer culling season in an effort to address concerns regarding high deer density and public safety. Deer culling involves selectively removing deer to improve the overall population quality. Wildwood City Administrator Thomas Lee revealed that the city currently has around 72 deer per square mile, significantly higher than the Missouri Department of Conservation’s recommended 20 deer per square mile.
The primary goal of deer culling operations in Wildwood is to reduce competition for environmental resources among deer and minimize the number of car accidents involving deer, particularly along rural roads like Missouri Routes 100 and 109. These accidents have been a significant issue, with approximately 250 deer-related crashes occurring each year in Wildwood.
Partnering with nonprofit organization White Buffalo, Inc. and the Missouri Department of Conservation, Wildwood aims to cull around 1,000 deer over a five-year period ending in 2028. The deer that are culled are donated to the Saint Louis Zoo or Missouri Department of Conservation for processing and distribution to local food banks or conservation programs, in compliance with state regulations.
To fund these deer management efforts, the Wildwood city council has allocated $1 million from excess funds acquired by the city to establish a deer management fund. The ultimate objective is to reduce the deer population density to a more manageable level of 40 deer per square mile after the five-year culling program.
The first year of deer culling in Wildwood cost approximately $216,000, with funding sourced from the city’s public works operating budget. Lee expressed optimism about the effectiveness of the program, hoping to see a decrease in deer-vehicle collisions in the coming years as a result of the culling efforts.
The city’s second deer culling season is scheduled to take place from January 15 to March 1 of the following year, with a target of culling around 355 deer. Most of the culling activities will be concentrated in the northern and eastern regions of Wildwood. Additionally, an open house event will be held virtually on November 19 for Wildwood property owners interested in learning more about the deer management efforts, featuring insights from law enforcement and representatives of White Buffalo.
Wildwood’s deer culling operations are modeled after similar initiatives in neighboring St. Louis suburbs like Town and Country and Des Peres. By actively managing the deer population through culling, Wildwood aims to create a safer environment for both residents and wildlife.
