How to convince your town to allow bow hunting in city limits?

[BCHunter]

So I happen to work with a guy that is on the city commission, and he said he was willing to look into the law if I give him info on how other cities are implementing hunts. Right now it's only allowed on properties that are zoned as agricultural. Does anyone know where the best place to start is? I figure i should make some sort of presentation about population control and disease issues as well as safety. He seemed surprised that Michigan got rid of the safe zone around buildings for bow hunting a few years ago, so I feel this will be about educating the board more than anything.

 

[kyler1945]

So I happen to work with a guy that is on the city commission, and he said he was willing to look into the law if I give him info on how other cities are implementing hunts. Right now it's only allowed on properties that are zoned as agricultural. Does anyone know where the best place to start is? I figure i should make some sort of presentation about population control and disease issues as well as safety. He seemed surprised that Michigan got rid of the safe zone around buildings for bow hunting a few years ago, so I feel this will be about educating the board more than anything.

I’d start by setting aside your motivations for getting it allowed. Then I’d figure out what incentives would have to be in place for the decision makers to side with you. What would motivate them to allow it?

 

[EricS]

So I happen to work with a guy that is on the city commission, and he said he was willing to look into the law if I give him info on how other cities are implementing hunts. Right now it's only allowed on properties that are zoned as agricultural. Does anyone know where the best place to start is? I figure i should make some sort of presentation about population control and disease issues as well as safety. He seemed surprised that Michigan got rid of the safe zone around buildings for bow hunting a few years ago, so I feel this will be about educating the board more than anything.

There is another thread about state bowhunters organizations. I would say start with Michigan’s if they have one. If they wouldn’t help they should be able to give you information on what has worked in the past.

 

[BCHunter]

I’d start by setting aside your motivations for getting it allowed. Then I’d figure out what incentives would have to be in place for the decision makers to side with you. What would motivate them to allow it?

Yeah, I actually don't have much a reason to get it passed other than I believe in the cause. I doubt I would even hunt in the city, I'm very lucky with the access I have.

I do agree, I need to sell them on how it helps them.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[dpierce72]

I’d start by setting aside your motivations for getting it allowed. Then I’d figure out what incentives would have to be in place for the decision makers to side with you. What would motivate them to allow it?

• Deer:Vehicle Collision Rates (financial/safety)
• Ability to Donate to Hunters Feeding Hungry (philanthropic)
• Pissed off homeowners who have to keep replanting landscaping (emotional)

I bet there are some great documents somewhere, and I'm extremely interested in this topic personally. We do have 6-7 'urban hunt zones' in AR, so I'll follow up w/the ArkansasBowhunters.Org and see if there is any type of document they used. Probably not necessary to reinvent the wheel.

Taylor Chameberlin, SeekOneProductions ...big time urban guys who might also be good resources.

 

[sureshotscott]

I exchanged emails with a SE MI city "elder" about this. His city was notoriously overrun with deer, lots of car/deer accidents, they debated hiring sharpshooters. Explained that, in cooperation, we could set up a group of hunters that were vetted, tested, etc. and only those hunters would be allowed to participate. They could revoke permission at any time. Some portion of meat would be donated. He was the most conservative guy on the council, and he wanted no part of it.

In retrospect, I should have approached him F2F, one-on-one. Too easy to say no via email.

If you're in SE MI I'd be glad to help you with this. Feel free to PM.

 

[dpierce72]

I exchanged emails with a SE MI city "elder" about this. His city was notoriously overrun with deer, lots of car/deer accidents, they debated hiring sharpshooters. Explained that, in cooperation, we could set up a group of hunters that were vetted, tested, etc. and only those hunters would be allowed to participate. They could revoke permission at any time. Some portion of meat would be donated. He was the most conservative guy on the council, and he wanted no part of it.

In retrospect, I should have approached him F2F, one-on-one. Too easy to say no via email.

If you're in SE MI I'd be glad to help you with this. Feel free to PM.

Tough to beat the effectiveness of LIVE & Face-to-Face... Still might not work, but as you state, much tougher to say not to than an email...

 

[kyler1945]

• Deer:Vehicle Collision Rates (financial/safety)
• Ability to Donate to Hunters Feeding Hungry (philanthropic)
• Pissed off homeowners who have to keep replanting landscaping (emotional)

I bet there are some great documents somewhere, and I'm extremely interested in this topic personally. We do have 6-7 'urban hunt zones' in AR, so I'll follow up w/the ArkansasBowhunters.Org and see if there is any type of document they used. Probably not necessary to reinvent the wheel.

Taylor Chameberlin, SeekOneProductions ...big time urban guys who might also be good resources.

I exchanged emails with a SE MI city "elder" about this. His city was notoriously overrun with deer, lots of car/deer accidents, they debated hiring sharpshooters. Explained that, in cooperation, we could set up a group of hunters that were vetted, tested, etc. and only those hunters would be allowed to participate. They could revoke permission at any time. Some portion of meat would be donated. He was the most conservative guy on the council, and he wanted no part of it.

In retrospect, I should have approached him F2F, one-on-one. Too easy to say no via email.

If you're in SE MI I'd be glad to help you with this. Feel free to PM.

Putting these two posts together, is what I mean by incentives of the decision makers. That guy who said no, likely really wants to get reelected. You can’t tell him all the upside- it has no personal motivation for him if he doesn’t have a garden or has never hit a deer. You have to tell his voters about all the upside. We’re selfish creatures folks. Get the influential folks in town on your side, and you can start bending his will with the wishes of the voters.

 

[Lacky]

Seems like it would be a nightmare. I can't imagine having to walk up to someone's door in a neighborhood and ask permission to collect the deer that just bled out in their backyard. I mean deer run after you arrow them. Maybe being a westerner I'm just not understanding what you mean by city limits. In my city there are an awful lot of houses. Also the first deer that runs into a road causing an accident just after being arrowed would be an instant lawsuit and news story. What am I missing?

 

[sureshotscott]

Seems like it would be a nightmare. I can't imagine having to walk up to someone's door in a neighborhood and ask permission to collect the deer that just bled out in their backyard. I mean deer run after you arrow them.

This is an issue anyone hunting on private land has to deal with. See here

Maybe being a westerner I'm just not understanding what you mean by city limits. In my city there are an awful lot of houses. Also the first deer that runs into a road causing an accident just after being arrowed would be an instant lawsuit and news story. What am I missing?

In the midwest it's very common to have rivers/streams cutting through population centers where municipalities have "discharge of a weapon" prohibited. Or parks or nature areas, etc. These areas support deer, without the pressure of hunting. So setting up urban hunting involves some finesse--hunt spots that are "relatively" isolated (not next to roads) and in a municipality that's open to it. Ann Arbor is one of these kind of areas, except the town elders would rather pay White Buffalo to shoot some deer and sterilize others. Yes, they actually perform field surgery on deer.

 

[Exhumis]

Here's a couple links to how and why we do it in Northern Virginia :
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/wildlife/archery-program
https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/blog/virginias-urban-archery-season/
But mostly it comes down to what others have said before, you've got to bring the "what's in it for me" factor. Our cities here do it because there's so many deer, they literally camp out in people's back yards which is great until the family dog gets after one or they eat all your azaleas or they get hit by a car. Certain buzzwords you might find helpful - responsible herd management, reduction in deer/vehicle strikes, etc. Come at them with numbers, how many deer an acre can support, etc.

 

[Deerinthawoods]

Seems like it would be a nightmare. I can't imagine having to walk up to someone's door in a neighborhood and ask permission to collect the deer that just bled out in their backyard. I mean deer run after you arrow them. Maybe being a westerner I'm just not understanding what you mean by city limits. In my city there are an awful lot of houses. Also the first deer that runs into a road causing an accident just after being arrowed would be an instant lawsuit and news story. What am I missing?

I listed to a podcast with Taylor Chamberlain on Truth From the Stand. It was quite informative in how he approaches homeowners and land owners for permission. He also digs into recovering downed game. He mentions having to pay for a swimming pool or two to be cleaned. It is a risk he is willing to accept. Search out the podcast. It’s good stuff. I have applied for a couple of the urban hunts in AR this fall and look forward to something new.

 

[JBDaddy]

Info on where it was recently done in Michigan: https://www.lenconnect.com/news/20190206/tecumseh-city-council-approves-lethal-deer-cull-funding
But that went to a private company that could operate in dark hours, not to archers. Living just a few miles from Tecumseh, where that was approved, I would love to be able to participate, but it's not to be.

 

[LooyvilleLarry]

• Deer:Vehicle Collision Rates (financial/safety)
• Ability to Donate to Hunters Feeding Hungry (philanthropic)
• Pissed off homeowners who have to keep replanting landscaping (emotional)

I bet there are some great documents somewhere, and I'm extremely interested in this topic personally. We do have 6-7 'urban hunt zones' in AR, so I'll follow up w/the ArkansasBowhunters.Org and see if there is any type of document they used. Probably not necessary to reinvent the wheel.

Taylor Chameberlin, SeekOneProductions ...big time urban guys who might also be good resources.

petition .. See if the game warden has complaints. You may also be able to get a Damage Control Permit, which a lot of times supersedes some local policies.