OXFORD — Oxford’s City Council has unanimously voted to hire professional sharpshooters to reduce the city’s deer population, citing an overpopulation issue.
The council has contracted with White Buffalo, a non-profit company, to manage the culling process. The decision comes after months of seeking solutions to the problem, which has been attributed to the decimation of diverse plant types, increased risk of tick-borne diseases, and car strikes.
“Our local hunting program is not keeping up with population growth,” said Oxford Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene.
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According to the contract, White Buffalo’s sharpshooters will be allowed to bait deer into specified locations in town, shoot them, and then deliver the meat to be processed and donated to area food banks.
The program aims to cull up to 100 deer, pending a population survey and approval from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
White Buffalo Wildlife Biologist and Head of Operations, Dane Stevens, explained that the sharpshooters would operate at night to ensure community safety and minimize disruption.
Greene emphasized that the goal is not to eliminate the deer population but to maintain an appropriate number of deer per square mile.
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