HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Havre City Council will be voting Monday on the potential approval of a Deer Management Action Plan.
As currently written, the action plan would allow for free public archery hunting in open areas of town, as long as the landowner provides permission.. Licenses will be required to hunt. There will be up to 500 additional deer-B licenses valid only for antlerless mule deer within the boundary of the special deer hunt. Licenses that are valid for Hunting Districts 600 and 690 can also be used. Hunters will be required to bag and remove the deer from city property and may have the option of donating game.
The City and County Sheriff may also choose to trap and euthanize a number of resident deer within city limits each year between August 15th and February 15th in order to reduce overall deer density. The number of deer removed will be limited by the terms of a permit issued by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The Hill County Commissioners voted on Thursday to offer their support towards the plan, and the city has been receiving advice from Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials. The plan must be approved by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission before taking effect.
Dozens of local residents attended a town hall meeting last month to voice their concerns about the overabundance of deer in Havre and the problems they are causing.
A copy of the draft plan is available here. Note that this is a draft document and it can be modified.
