COOK – Cook may join a growing number of northern Minnesota communities that have turned to managed hunts to thin the deer population in city limits.

Councilors plan to proceed exploring the idea for next year, citing dozens of deer roaming the city park, causing damage to gardens in town and creating traffic hazards.

The city would likely hold a public hearing on the issue prior to taking action, said City Administrator Theresa Martinson, who talked to Department of Natural Resources officials on the details of staging a bow hunt within city limits.

Jeff Lightfoot, area wildlife manager, said a number of northeastern Minnesota communities, including Duluth, Tower, Two Harbors and Bemidji, have used managed hunts to deal with similar issues with deer.

“It started out in metropolitan cities, but I never thought 10 years ago it would be a management tool in the north,” said Lightfoot. But the popularity of feeding deer combined with slightly milder winters resulted in a healthy boost in the deer population and more deer venturing into communities.

Although overall the deer population is down from previous years, Lightftoot said the population remains dense in some pockets, including the Tower and Cook region.

Some cities, such as Duluth and Grand Rapids, have banned recreational feeding of deer within the city limits, and Lightfoot said the DNR also encourages that approach in other communities.

But he acknowledged that it’s difficult to enforce, especially in communities without their own law enforcement agency. Still, he said, just reinforcing the message that people should not feed deer within city limits could help.

“We’re learned that white-tailed deer are very adaptable,” he said. “If they can deal with the jungle of Bloomington, they will come into smaller cities, especially if they associate it with a food supply.”

Most communities stage bow hunts and don’t allow the use of firearms for hunts within the city limits. Bow hunting reduces the risk of injury to property and person, he said, adding that some cities require that hunters pass a proficiency test to be eligible for the hunt. “You don’t want deer running around with arrows stuck in them and dying someone’s yard.”

The city would be responsible for managing the hunt, including collecting a fee from hunters. Deer taken would be registered with the state just as they are during their regular deer season.

Most cities schedule their hunts close to the normal hunting season. For instance, he said, Tower’s managed hunt starts Nov. 24 and ends Dec. 9. Bemidji’s hunt runs from Sept. 15 through the end of December. Tower does not charge a fee for those taking part in its managed hunt, while Bemidji collects a $5 fee.

In other business at the Thursday, Nov. 15 meeting, Cook councilors:

‰Discussed concerns about pigeons at the Doug Johnson Recreation Area. Northwoods Pest Management had cleaned up the gazebo at the park and provided some advice on how to discourage pigeons from returning to the site, Martinson told the council.

‰Adopted a new part-time pay structure. The new structure followed a decision to increase starting pay for staff at the Last Chance Liquor Store to $10 per hour.

‰Received the monthly report from the liquor store. Sales for October totaled $106,633, down from $107,136 for the same month in 2011. Year-to-date sales total $1.26 million, ahead of sales of $1.21 million at the same point in 2011.

‰Received a report on the Cook Airport operations. Crack-sealing on the hangar taxi-lane is completed and the city has contracted with Shermer Logging to clear the approach to the turf runway.

‰Received a report from the Cook Library Board. The board approved the purchase of two iPads and two Kindle Fires, and agreed to replace a large bookcase in the children’s area with lower shelving.

‰Scheduled the December meeting for Thursday, Dec. 20. That meeting will begin with the Truth In Taxation hearing at 6 p.m.

‰Met at 4:45 p.m. prior to the council meeting to canvass city election results. Mayor Harold Johnston and Councilors Karen Hollanitsch and Elizabeth Storm, who all ran unopposed, were re-elected to office.