About Ames

Urban Deer Management

The City of Ames, like many other urban areas, has experienced an increased deer population. Population increases occur slowly at first, resulting in unhunted deer populations growing by approximately 33 percent every year. For example, a total population of 300 deer one year will be 400 the next year. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has worked with the City of Ames to establish an urban deer management plan. The goal of this plan is to obtain a deer population that is acceptable to most Ames citizens. This population is based on the number of complaints, deer carcass pickups, and information from the annual helicopter aerial survey.

Why are there now so many deer in the city?

• No natural mortality except for deer/vehicle collisions (DVC’s)
• Hunting was prohibited by Ordinance (discharge of firearms or projectiles) before the current Deer Management Program
• Property owners feeding and protecting deer
• Urban development incorporating woodlands and other deer habitat

• Citizen complaints
• When adjacent neighbors disagree on the absence or presence of deer, i.e., one neighbor is feeding deer next door to one that is an avid gardener experiencing extensive damage
• Property damage
• Deer vehicle collisions
• Browsing of plants
• Bucks rubbing trees

Hunting primarily female deer will keep the population under control and at a level desirable to Ames citizens. Hunting is a successful wildlife management tool for controlling deer populations and is used in other cities in Iowa.

For information on the City of Ames Urban Deer Management Hunting Rules, click here.

For an overview map of the Deer Management Zone, click here.