Cleveland Heights moving forward with plans to cull deer in the city

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) -Passionate debate on both sides of the culling issue but the problems the deer cause are evident, destroying property, especially gardens.

“Deer come up on my patio, pull down potted plants,” said one neighbor at a city council hearing. “They’re a menace and we need to get rid of them.”

“We are definitely here to support the culling,” said another on Corydon Road. “Spent over a thousand dollars this spring to build a six-foot fence around our own garden. We love gardening, so we did that because it wasn’t sustainable otherwise. So, we’re frustrated.”

“It’s really gotten bad,” said yet another. “It’s okay if they’re in my yard -- not really -- but when they’re coming up onto my deck, it’s pretty scary.”

Council heard there are about 500 deer in the city, six times more than sustainable, with the herd growing about 30 percent a year because of procreation and a lack of predators.

Sterilization could be a long-term solution but, in the short-term, culling could come first.

But not everyone agrees.

“Fifteen years ago, I chose to come to Cleveland Heights because this is one of the few cities that didn’t cull,” said Francesco Aiello, who lives on Cedar Road. “This is a battle for the soul of Cleveland Heights.”

“I like the deer and I want to advocate for the deer,” said Sarah Zinsmeister on Princeton Road. “Yes, we have a lot more deer than we used to, yes, I understand that’s a problem, yes, I garden and they do eat my plants, and it is an issue. I understand there are issues with them, however, I enjoy them and I care about them.”

In addition to gardens, some of the deer appear unhealthy carry ticks, leave droppings, cause accidents and even scare pets.

Cleveland Heights expects the program to cost in the six figures, and the city will consult with neighboring communities already culling, like South Euclid, Shaker Heights, and Beachwood, But, for many, the change can’t come fast enough.

“I hate the creatures. I really do,” said an Oak Ridge Road resident. “I think we should start by outlawing the showing of ‘Bambi’ in our community.”

“Come spring, if we do not have a culling program put into place, I’m going to ask, ‘Why not?’” asked another.

Cleveland Heights City Council expects to take up the measure again next month and will have to allocate money for culling in the budget with a program possibly beginning in 2027.