Questionnaire: Detroit asks neighbors how it should manage growing geese, deer populations

DETROIT – A growing population of geese and deer has the City of Detroit looking into ways to potentially manage wildlife in certain areas.

Some neighbors around Rouge Park and Palmer Park have been complaining about the increasing presence of geese and deer. City workers said the complaints include the animals damaging property, gardens, and vehicles among other things.

“I’m definitely seeing a lot more geese,” said Antoinette McGruder, as she sat in Rouge Park.

The geese are leaving a mess around picnic areas and playgrounds.

In the nearby Brightmoor neighborhood, an increasing presence of deer is an issue, according to some neighbors.

“They come out of nowhere. Literally. Especially at night,” Breanna Washington explained.

The City of Detroit is partnering with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on potential solutions.

“We’ve had community residence reach out to us with this major concern with the urban wildlife and how to manage it in the city of Detroit,” said Jessica parker, Deputy Chief Operations Manager with the Mayor’s Office.

The city and its partner agency, MDNR, are sending out a Wildlife Management Questionnaire to residents living near Palmer Park and Rouge Park. They’re asking residents to chime in about whether they’d like to see wildlife managed.

The questionnaire asks residents to choose an option for controlling the geese population. They include:

• Egg oiling, which targets goose reproduction and prevents hatching

• Goose herding, would remove adult geese from the park and euthanasia, or

• Do nothing

As far as deer population controls, the options include:

• Hiring a third party (USDA) sharp shooters to remove a reasonable number of deer, and donating meat to a food bank, or

• Doing nothing and allowing the deer to continue their natural course of increasing in population.

“I wouldn’t want to see any animals eradicated,” said McGruder. “I mean, shifted probably to more areas that might need it.”

Some residents appeared to be on the same page in their opinions.

“Well, I don’t think that they should kill them. I’m not really a fan of that. If they can safely remove them, I think that would be a good idea,” Washington said.

City staffers said the questionnaire is designed specifically for those neighbors living near Palmer Park and Rouge Park. If you’d like to take the questionnaire, contact the Department of Neighborhoods at 313-224-441 or click here.