State denies professional sharpshooting request to manage Iowa City deer population

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City’s deer population is growing – with the latest data showing nearly 560 deer in just under five square miles.

On May 14, the city asked the state’s Natural Resources Commission for professional sharpshooting, but that request was denied.

The police department received 35 calls for deer collisions last year. According to the city’s 2026 drone survey, the population has risen 16% to about 116 deer per square mile.

Concern for driver safety is one of the reasons the city wants to bring the number down to a safer level of 25 deer per square mile.

City management’s perspective

Assistant city manager Kirk Lehmann said although an urban bow hunt is the long-term strategy for population management, the city is working towards a hard reset with the sharpshooting.

“We do believe the data suggests that some sort of targeted sharpshoot is going to be necessary and ultimately that will depend on approval by the Natural Resources Commission,” said Lehmann. “We look forward to continuing working with them and the DNR.”

He said the NRC wants to see more results from the city’s urban bow hunt program before signing off on it.

Participation in the urban bow hunt is growing, with only 3 deer harvested in 2020 and 62 deer by 22 hunters in 2025. Lehmann said that was a 40% increase from the past year.

“When it comes to urban bow hunts, that does allow hunters to get additional buck tags and so that’s a popular incentive,” he said.

Lehmann said the city is also working to increase outreach and the amount of land available for the hunt.

A professional sharpshoot would be paid for locally – and Lehmann said it was included in the fiscal year budget.

A resident’s perspective

Seeing deer is a near daily occurrence at George Rickey’s house on the east side of town – in sunshine, rain or snow.

“It’s a nice city, nice community, and I didn’t realize I was moving into a wildlife preserve!“ he said. ”Recently, it has really exploded.”

Although he enjoys seeing the deer, he points out the possibility of disease and the danger to drivers as concerns – as his friend has hit two deer in the past two years.

“I’d rather see them in my backyard and peacefully wandering around than in my windshield,” he said. “Because I’m a former EMT and I can tell you that those kind of accidents don’t end up really well.“

Rickey said he wouldn’t be a fan of a sharpshoot as he wants the management to be extra cautious and said a bow hunt would have more “control.”

In the meantime, Rickey said the deer are pretty friendly when he encounters them – recounting a recent time a neighbor was selling their house and five deer wandered through his backyard.

“I said, there’s a great selling point if you’re selling to a family that’s got kids… ‘Hey look, we’re going to move in right next door to a game preserve!’” he said, laughing.

Although he said he drives carefully on roads that deer frequent, he will continue to enjoy seeing them in the neighborhood.

“Well, they’re here, live with them. Just try to work it out where everybody can coexist,” he said.