The Urban Deer Hunt was reapproved after being dormant for several years by the Ronceverte City Council during the Monday, Sept. 13, meeting.
The program, run by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), allows permitted residents to hunt deer with a bow or crossbow inside of the city in order to reduce the population within the city.
“Last night City Council approved a trial year for urban deer hunting with a bow,” explained Councilmember Tanya Hazelwood on the Facebook page I [heart] Ronceverte. “There is a $25 non refundable deposit, after [the Ronceverte Police Department] approves the requested hunting area, the applicant will file an official application with the city requiring photo ID, proof of appropriate hunting license and show permission of hunting area (tax receipts) and another $25 fee (for a total of $50). We hope this will go smoothly with great success. Good Luck to all hunters.”
City Council most recently approved the program in 2018. In 2019, the program was not renewed after a split council vote. Then-Police Chief J.R. “Rusty” Byer Jr. noted that although the program increases work for the police department, he did not express opposition or support for the program as a whole. According to Byer, about 17 people signed up to participate in the program in 2018.
In 2020, no councilmember made a motion to pass the program, resulting in it dying before coming to a vote.
Council has previously heard guest speakers asking for the reinstatement of the program. For example, in September 2020 before the vote, there were also a few voices of public support for the program during the citizens’ comment section of the meeting. Bringing some information from the Department of Natural Resources, David, Dennis, and Danny Austin, joined by Charlie Campbell, asked council to reinstate the policy after it was discontinued in 2019.
“We’ve had … numerous land owners ask us about trying to come on our property and ask us about killing the deer because it’s eating up all their shrubs and doing damage all around the house,” said David Austin. “We tell them we can’t do anything about it – if they want something done they need to contact you guys and let you know the problems they’re having. I’m just encouraging you to reinstate the urban hunt. You can kill seven deer and most of the ones we kill, we gave to people in need. … We’re very responsible. We did it the whole time it was in [place], never had a problem. We had permission from 10 to 15 land owners, giving us written permission to come [and hunt] on their properties.”
Pack, then the city recorder, explained her vote against the program in 2019.
“My concern, which is the same concern I had last year when I voted against it, does involve if they’re hunting in daylight hours in city limits, where my children are outside playing and my neighbors do live close to our home,” said Pack. “That is a safety concern to me, even if they are responsible, licensed, permitted hunters. That is my concern as a parent living in city limits.”
During her recent campaign for mayor, she relented, promising to reconsider her opinion on the program if its safety could be assured, pointing to the requirements for hunters in Morgantown.
Councilmember Tanya Hazelwood applauded the council’s decision.
“We have talked about this, we want to make it to where it’s good for everybody,” Hazelwood said. “You guys get what you want, but it’s still safe. We just needed to find that common ground, that way we can all compromise on this.”
The council’s approval on Monday came with thanks from Ronceverte Chief of Police Jerry Hopkins, who noted the department “gave people the guidelines we laid out up here.”
In other business:
— “The [unkempt] yards that y’all you all write letters to [to get them to clean it up], what do you do if they don’t do anything?” Councilmember Gail White asked Chief Hopkins. Before he could answer, City Administrator Pam Mentz noted “there’s a new process … I think we’ll see some results.” Hopkins noted the police department could take action “whenever there is a violation,” to applause in the room.
— In response to a question from Pack about break-ins, Hopkins noted that “for the last two weeks, there’s been an uptick. A lot of people wandering around in the middle of the night. There’s three or four out of an abandoned house, that’s about all I can say. … We’re cracking down on [one location] in particular.”
— John Humpheries, manager and chief operator at the Ronceverte Wastewater Treatment Plant, approached council with a positive report. He explained “the new plant is up and running, everything is going well. We just had back to back to back inspections over the past three months and we were fine with those. I just wanted to extend the invitation to see the new plant. … Just call.” Pack also spoke highly of the facility after a tour in the past few months.
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