Mentor plans to continue aerial surveys of deer population – News-Herald

The Town of Mentor continues to engage in an aerial survey as part of its deer management program run by the Department of Natural Resourcesofficials announced this week.

One of the stated goals of the management plan – which has been around for about a decade – is to conduct a survey at least every two years, officials said, adding that it is a very important part of size monitoring. of the herd.

Deer are classified as vermin, with no natural predators in the area, according to the department.

As a result, over the years, overpopulation has led to a substantial increase in deer-vehicle accidents, in addition to the increasing destruction of plants and trees.

During the collaborative investigation, a helicopter flies over the entire city while a trained observer counts and marks deer sighted from the air on a map, noted Sam O’Connell, the city’s natural resources specialist.

“It is essential that the survey is carried out at this time of year when there is snow on the ground, as this maximizes efficiency,” he said.

The information obtained from the survey is then analyzed and used to inform and influence future management decisions.

“Typically, the inquest lasts all day and usually starts around 10 a.m.,” O’Connell said. “It was scheduled for Monday (January 24), but the afternoon forecast didn’t look promising, so the survey will be postponed to another day this week.

“This is a commonly used method for studying deer populations,” he added. “It provides valuable information on where the deer are and an approximation of their numbers compared to previous years and other surveys we are conducting.

“It is particularly useful when used in conjunction with other forms of population monitoring, including trail camera surveys, vegetation surveys, deer-vehicle collision data and feedback from residents,” O’Connell said.

The city maintains close relations with United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Serviceswho “steals” the investigation at the request of the city.

“We’ve used them in the past and they’ve had excellent feedback,” O’Connell said, adding that the city is still in close contact with the city. Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“We consult with them regularly on how the deer management program is going and how we can improve.”