Oh deer! Quail Hollow has too many deer, controlled hunt planned

LAKE TWP. – Jon Brenckle knows how destructive deer can be.

The owner of Brenckle Farms has watched them meander from inside Quail Hollow State Park onto his property where they munch away on his crops, especially the lettuce.

"We plant romaine, green, red, Boston. ... But they like romaine the best," he said. "They bite right out of the center. You go out there, pull one (plant) up, peel apart the leaves and the middle's gone. 

"They could put a hurt on a field. Over time, you could see 50% damage on the lettuce. They eat our sweet corn, but the lettuce, they really like that."

The number of deer and the destruction they cause is so great at Quail Hollow State Park that wildlife officers are inviting bow hunters to thin the herd. 

Stark Parks and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are hosting the Quail Hollow Park Controlled Bow Hunting Program, a deer harvest that will run from Oct. 2 to Feb. 6. Hunters have until Sunday to sign up for a chance to take part.

It's the first controlled hunt by Stark Parks.

The goal is to restore a balanced ecosystem and manage the deer population at the 701-acre park, which is made up of rolling meadows, marshes and woods in northern Stark County near Hartville. The large amount of deer can harm crops and native vegetation, while also leading to an increased number of motor vehicle accidents, Stark Parks said.

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A Malone University study conducted in January showed the deer density in Quail Hollow — where hunting has not been permitted — to be 212 to 360 deer per square mile, noting that biologists say the "optimal deer density in healthy forests is 15 to 28 deer per square mile." 

"Our estimates indicate that Quail Hollow is severely overpopulated with deer!​" the study concluded. It also noted that the overabundance of deer is likely "spreading disease among the herds, damaging crops in the park’s surrounding areas, and stripping the forest floor of native plants."

Farmers near Quail Hollow: 'We struggle with deer every year.'

Farmers and residents who live and do business just outside of the park say the deer are ravenous.

"We struggle with the deer every year," said Chris Byler, office administrator at the K.W. Zellers & Son farm southeast of the park.

Herds of deer devour the corn at Congress Lake Farms, which lines the park's northern border along the stretch of Pontius Street that divides Stark and Portage counties.

"They do some damage to the corn," said Kenneth Rufener, who co-owns the farm, which spans 3,000 acres across four counties. He said the deer are most active during the nighttime hours, adding that they run back to the park. "They know that's their sanctuary," he said.

Mike Rufener, who also co-owns the farm, said raccoons do even more damage. 

"Raccoons destroy the outside rows (of corn)," he said. "They just pull it down to the ground and ruin it."

Park volunteers say the deer unfortunately enjoy the herb garden inside the park, which was owned by the state until 2016 when the county took it over.

The deer also frequently venture out the south side of the park, too, damaging properties along Swamp Street NE.

"They eat all our plants and flowers," said Charlotte Schlabach, who along with her husband, John, owns the Quail's Covey Bed & Breakfast on Swamp Street NE.

John Schlabach pointed to the line of 60 arborvitae trees he planted, describing how large-antlered bucks destroyed two of the trees last year by repeatedly rubbing their antlers on the branches during mating season. He is considering installing a solar electric fence to keep them out.

The deer previously chewed up his wife's vegetable garden on the other side of their house — until she installed a solar electric fence around it. 

"Before that, they just had a smorgasbord," she said.

Controlling the deer population

Farmers in Stark County have been awarded "deer damage permits," which enable them to kill more than the county limit of three deer outside of hunting season.

ODNR statistics show that 409,808 deer permits were sold in 2020 and 197,721 deer were harvested. In Stark County, 3,238 deer were killed, an increase of 14% over the previous three years.

Deer-hunting season for archers doesn't start until Sept. 25. The gun portion lasts only about a week from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5 and then again, Dec. 18-19.

Deer Lottery details for Quail Hollow in Stark County

Jeff Westerfied, assistant wildlife management supervisor with ODNR, called the deer density situation at the park "pretty incredible." He said he could not estimate how many deer will be taken in the upcoming bow hunting program.

"There is probably going to be a good number of deer that can be removed from that park pretty quickly," he said.

To qualify, interested bow hunters must participate in a lottery, which runs from until 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The winners will be chosen Monday.

For a non-refundable $15 entry fee, Stark County residents who are bow hunters with a valid hunting license and a deer permit can vie for one of the 45 spots available.

Each winner must also first demonstrate proficiency with a bow.

The hunting will take place within a pre-designated two-week timeframe at one of five areas that are all well off the trails.

The hunters may hunt all day "from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset," Stark Parks Police Chief Justin Laps said.

They can also keep the deer they harvest or donate it to a meat processor, he said, noting that meat processors often will donate the deer meat to charities.

Laps said that as of Wednesday morning, 80 hunters had signed up.

Applications for the controlled hunt lottery, along with full details, including qualifications, rules and regulations will be made available at: http://starkparks.com/deerlottery.