Letter prepares residents for deer culling

The culling of the deer in Shawnee Mission Park by local law enforcement volunteer sharpshooters is about to begin. Exactly when, Johnson County Parks and Recreation District officials aren’t saying.

But according to a letter sent out Tuesday by JCPRD to residents surrounding the park, the deer management plan will begin "on or after Oct. 9 and may continue through Nov. 31 … specific harvest dates will not be made public."

According to the letter, safety procedures incorporated into the harvest include that it will take place outside of normal park hours; that rifles with sound suppressors will be used; that all shots taken will be at short range directed toward the interior of the park; and that during the operation, the interior and perimeter of the park will be closely monitored by law enforcement personnel.

Upon completion of this first phase of the culling, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will do a survey to estimate the size of the deer herd. That will determine whether a second harvest needs to be done.

The deer herd in Shawnee Mission Park should number 30 per square mile. The herd currently numbers 200 per square mile, according to KDWP estimates.

A second harvest could begin as early as Dec. 7 and continue through the month of January, according to the letter.

A second harvest would be done by certified archers that have been screened and tested. Safety procedures for the second harvest would include management by JCPRD park police in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; it would be confined to closed and restricted areas of the park and would not impact normal park hours or interfere with regular park use; archers must be 18 and have a valid Kansas hunting license and have successfully completed a bow hunter education course; and in order to participate, archers must complete the district’s Shawnee Mission Park Archery Deer Harvest Class and pass an archery proficiency test.

More information can be obtained at the JCPRD Web site at www.jcprd.com or by calling 438-7275.

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