There’s no need for a deer harvest within the boundaries of South Dakota’s capitol city this year. Pierre City Commissioner Blake Barringer says the Pierre Deer Management Task Force made the decision after hearing a report from the town’s Animal Control Officer. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/102324-barringer1.mp3 So far this year (2024), Barringer says there have been fewer deer-vehicles accidents in town than there were in 2023. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/102324-barringer2.mp3 Barringer says the accidents tend to be happening in the same types of areas of town. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/102324-barringer3.mp3 But, the decreasing trend could change because Barringer says observers are seeing a bit of an anomaly in the female deer with fawns they’ve seen around Pierre this year. https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2626/files/2024/10/102324-barringer4.mp3 The Pierre’s Deer Management Task Force is comprised of a city commissioner and nine citizens appointed by the mayor and informed by the Pierre Police Department. The Task Force was established in 2007 by the city commission to establish and administer an urban deer management program.   WRITTEN VERSION BELOW: Pierre’s Deer Management Task Force has determined there’s no need for a deer harvest in city limits this year. The decision was made following a report from the city’s Animal Control Officer to the Deer Management Task Force. “I’ve had no property damage deer complaints this year. I have had no sick deer complaints this year either,” said Animal Control Officer Farley Zuber. “We have seen a few deer crashes, but those have all been in areas that are natural travel corridors for wildlife.” So far in 2024, there have been 18 vehicle crashes involving deer. In 2023, there were 25. According to Zuber, this year’s deer versus vehicle crashes have been scattered in less developed areas along Fourth Street, the Highway 83 truck route, east Highway 34, and Highway 1804. The Deer Management Task Force is comprised of a City Commissioner and nine citizens appointed by the mayor and informed by the Pierre Police Department. The Task Force was established in 2007 by the City Commission to establish and administer an urban deer management program.