TEGA CAY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – CN2 News have been reporting on how the city of Tega Cay plans to manage the overgrowing deer population. City leaders say the herd continues to grow, estimating more than 1,000 deer in the city.
At one point the city was leaning towards a decision which would bring a trained sharp shooter in to harvest some of the deer.
After hearing about that plan, several concerned residents formed a group called Tega Cay Wildlife Conservation Society which is presenting another option, it believes is more humane and will work better in the long run.
The option is called PZP and the Conservation Society says it’s a natural protein that would be darted into the female deer and will cause the deer’s immune system to prevent pregnancy, breaking the cycle of more deer being born. Officials say it is 80 to 90 percent effective.
The group has been presenting the option to city council and those from the conservation society say they believe their voices are being heard.
“We are here in this situation with a lot of deer and we are not going to be able to reduce the population overnight because we didn’t get here overnight. So right now we are in the rut season which means they are mating right now. So its too late to do anything this year but we are hopeful if PZP is approved we will be able to start darting these animals early spring, early summer”, says Mary Ickert with Tega Cay Wildlife Conservation Society.
City leaders say the most recent decision made by council was to move forward with the sharp shooter option, however they are waiting on approval from Clemson to go with the P-Z-P route. If approved by Clemson, The PZP treatment can be added to the agenda for council to vote on.
Related links: https://www.cn2.com/deer-population-continues-to-be-concern-in-tega-cay/
