Deer in Dublin

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Deer Management Overview

The City of Dublin began exploring options related to deer management in 2022. The topic has been publicly discussed by the Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) at its meetings on Feb. 14, 2023; June 13, 2023; Sept. 12, 2023; Oct. 10, 2023; Nov. 25, 2024; and Feb. 11, 2025. At these meetings, the Committee explored management options, hearing from statewide and local experts and learning about programs throughout the state and region. As the recommended first step in a management program, as advised by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), CSAC recommended that City Council adopt an Outdoor Feed Ordinance at its meeting on Oct. 10, 2023. City Council adopted the Outdoor Feed Ordinance, which prohibits the feeding of wild animals on private property via Ordinance 47-23.

City Council referred the topic of deer management back to CSAC at the Oct. 21, 2024, meeting for additional discussion. After learning more about regional programs, CSAC recommended that City staff members continue monitoring the regional landscape surrounding deer management. CSAC also recommended that City staff members provide updates to the Committee when new information becomes available, ensuring that CSAC is properly informed. City Council supported this recommendation at its May 5, 2025 meeting.

In furtherance of this recommendation, City staff members held numerous meetings with representatives from ODNR, Franklin County Metro Parks, including staff involved in the Sharon Woods and Glacier Ridge programs, as well as the City of Worthington and other stakeholders. These conversations helped staff members understand the full range of available options, regulatory considerations and potential community impacts.

Updates on benchmarking, data, aggressive deer and outdoor feed ordinance enforcement were shared with CSAC at its Jan. 14 meeting to collect member feedback.

Public Meeting Materials

Since beginning discussions related to Deer Management in Feb. 2022, there have been a number of public meetings held about the topic. The “Documents” section of this webpage includes all of the materials for these meetings. A timeline and summary of each meeting are listed below.

Ohio State Capstone Research Report

In May 2023, the City of Dublin engaged with The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources to provide Dublin with information about the deer population density, the impacts it has on the habitat and resident sentiment. The report can be found in the “Documents” section of this webpage.

Additional Resource

Methods for Managing Human-Deer Conflicts in Urban, Suburban and Exurban Areas: www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/8816/1297/6730/Methods_for_Managing_Human-Deer_Conflicts_in_Urban_Suburban_and_Exurban_Areas.pdf

Timeline

Jan. 2022 – The City’s wildlife management program was referred to CSAC by City Council.

Feb. 2022 – Deer management was presented for information only to CSAC as part of the overall wildlife management presentation.

Feb. 14, 2023 – The topic of deer management was revisited at CSAC, accompanied by additional information, including details of deer-vehicle collisions and an update that Staff had engaged Ohio State to conduct a population assessment.

Survey (May 19 – 23, 2023) – As part of Ohio State’s work, a community-wide survey was launched and received 297 responses. The questions were adapted from the Wildlife Society Bulletin and phrased in a non-biased manner.

June 13, 2023 – Staff presented the findings from the Ohio State report, which indicated that the deer population was approximately 50-85 deer per square mile and that the sentiment regarding whether the deer population is increasing and needs to be managed was split.

Sept. 12, 2023 – Staff presented lethal and non-lethal management options. CSAC supported moving forward with drafting a “no feed ordinance.”

Oct. 10, 2023 – CSAC reviewed sample code language and voted to recommend that City Council direct Staff to draft a code amendment to include a prohibition on outdoor feeding of wild animals or animals running at large.

Oct. 23, 2023 – The CSAC Chair presented CSAC’s recommendation to City Council. Council voted to direct Staff to draft an outdoor feed ordinance to be considered at a future City Council meeting.

Nov. 13, 2023 – City Council heard the first reading of Ordinance 47-23 Amending Section 91.12 of the City’s Code of Ordinances with the Outdoor Feed Ordinance language reviewed by CSAC.

Nov. 27, 2023 – City Council adopted the Outdoor Feed Ordinance via Ord. 47-23.

March 25, 2024 – City Council heard the first reading of Ord. 05-24, which amended the Outdoor Feed Ordinance language to remove mention of feral cats after Staff received a number of concerns.

April 22, 2024 – City Council adopted Ord. 05-24.

Oct. 21, 2024 – Given the ongoing regional conversations, Staff requested that the topic of deer management be referred to CSAC for continued discussion and to allow CSAC to engage directly with representatives from ODNR. The referral was unanimously approved following discussion with Council on regional coordination and the impact of the Outdoor Feed Ordinance.

Nov. 25, 2024 – Geoff Westerfield and Gary Comer with ODNR presented on managing human-deer conflicts, including information on lethal programs in northeast Ohio. Mr. Westerfield’s presentation was very similar in nature to the second town hall hosted by the Worthington Deer Task Force. The presentation provided CSAC with an opportunity to ask additional questions about regional and statewide management programs to inform any future decisions.

Feb. 11, 2025 - CSAC further discussed the topic and decided to continue monitoring regional programs. The group's consensus was that there should be a further management program, but the exact nature should be determined and the cost justification well established. It was suggested that the City conduct another survey of residents and to share some of the information that the Committee has seen about potential solutions with the community to better understand the residents’ preferences. Feedback included that any program should be well-researched and include a transparent, inclusive, comprehensive communication program. The importance of having a solid justification for the City’s cost and administrative burden and providing education was emphasized.

May 5, 2025 – The CSAC Member provided an informational update on the Committee’s discussions in Nov. 2024 and Feb. 2025 to keep Council in the loop on the status of the conversations. The language provided to City Council stated that CSAC discussed continuing to monitor the regional landscape surrounding deer management programs. To support this, Staff would provide updates to CSAC when new information is available. As CSAC would be receiving updates, CSAC would provide annual updates to City Council to outline any changes and return with additional recommendations to City Council, if desired. Council indicated support for continuing to monitor the regional situation to be updated annually on the statistics of people who are not in compliance with the Outdoor Feed Ordinance.

Jan. 14, 2026 – Staff provided CSAC with updates on benchmarking, data, aggressive deer and outdoor feed ordinance enforcement. CSAC members provided feedback on additional data points that would be beneficial to further advance this topic.

Deer Management Overview

The City of Dublin began exploring options related to deer management in 2022. The topic has been publicly discussed by the Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) at its meetings on Feb. 14, 2023; June 13, 2023; Sept. 12, 2023; Oct. 10, 2023; Nov. 25, 2024; and Feb. 11, 2025. At these meetings, the Committee explored management options, hearing from statewide and local experts and learning about programs throughout the state and region. As the recommended first step in a management program, as advised by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), CSAC recommended that City Council adopt an Outdoor Feed Ordinance at its meeting on Oct. 10, 2023. City Council adopted the Outdoor Feed Ordinance, which prohibits the feeding of wild animals on private property via Ordinance 47-23.

City Council referred the topic of deer management back to CSAC at the Oct. 21, 2024, meeting for additional discussion. After learning more about regional programs, CSAC recommended that City staff members continue monitoring the regional landscape surrounding deer management. CSAC also recommended that City staff members provide updates to the Committee when new information becomes available, ensuring that CSAC is properly informed. City Council supported this recommendation at its May 5, 2025 meeting.

In furtherance of this recommendation, City staff members held numerous meetings with representatives from ODNR, Franklin County Metro Parks, including staff involved in the Sharon Woods and Glacier Ridge programs, as well as the City of Worthington and other stakeholders. These conversations helped staff members understand the full range of available options, regulatory considerations and potential community impacts.

Updates on benchmarking, data, aggressive deer and outdoor feed ordinance enforcement were shared with CSAC at its Jan. 14 meeting to collect member feedback.

Public Meeting Materials

Since beginning discussions related to Deer Management in Feb. 2022, there have been a number of public meetings held about the topic. The “Documents” section of this webpage includes all of the materials for these meetings. A timeline and summary of each meeting are listed below.

Ohio State Capstone Research Report

In May 2023, the City of Dublin engaged with The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources to provide Dublin with information about the deer population density, the impacts it has on the habitat and resident sentiment. The report can be found in the “Documents” section of this webpage.

Additional Resource

Methods for Managing Human-Deer Conflicts in Urban, Suburban and Exurban Areas: www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/8816/1297/6730/Methods_for_Managing_Human-Deer_Conflicts_in_Urban_Suburban_and_Exurban_Areas.pdf

Timeline

Jan. 2022 – The City’s wildlife management program was referred to CSAC by City Council.

Feb. 2022 – Deer management was presented for information only to CSAC as part of the overall wildlife management presentation.

Feb. 14, 2023 – The topic of deer management was revisited at CSAC, accompanied by additional information, including details of deer-vehicle collisions and an update that Staff had engaged Ohio State to conduct a population assessment.

Survey (May 19 – 23, 2023) – As part of Ohio State’s work, a community-wide survey was launched and received 297 responses. The questions were adapted from the Wildlife Society Bulletin and phrased in a non-biased manner.

June 13, 2023 – Staff presented the findings from the Ohio State report, which indicated that the deer population was approximately 50-85 deer per square mile and that the sentiment regarding whether the deer population is increasing and needs to be managed was split.

Sept. 12, 2023 – Staff presented lethal and non-lethal management options. CSAC supported moving forward with drafting a “no feed ordinance.”

Oct. 10, 2023 – CSAC reviewed sample code language and voted to recommend that City Council direct Staff to draft a code amendment to include a prohibition on outdoor feeding of wild animals or animals running at large.

Oct. 23, 2023 – The CSAC Chair presented CSAC’s recommendation to City Council. Council voted to direct Staff to draft an outdoor feed ordinance to be considered at a future City Council meeting.

Nov. 13, 2023 – City Council heard the first reading of Ordinance 47-23 Amending Section 91.12 of the City’s Code of Ordinances with the Outdoor Feed Ordinance language reviewed by CSAC.

Nov. 27, 2023 – City Council adopted the Outdoor Feed Ordinance via Ord. 47-23.

March 25, 2024 – City Council heard the first reading of Ord. 05-24, which amended the Outdoor Feed Ordinance language to remove mention of feral cats after Staff received a number of concerns.

April 22, 2024 – City Council adopted Ord. 05-24.

Oct. 21, 2024 – Given the ongoing regional conversations, Staff requested that the topic of deer management be referred to CSAC for continued discussion and to allow CSAC to engage directly with representatives from ODNR. The referral was unanimously approved following discussion with Council on regional coordination and the impact of the Outdoor Feed Ordinance.

Nov. 25, 2024 – Geoff Westerfield and Gary Comer with ODNR presented on managing human-deer conflicts, including information on lethal programs in northeast Ohio. Mr. Westerfield’s presentation was very similar in nature to the second town hall hosted by the Worthington Deer Task Force. The presentation provided CSAC with an opportunity to ask additional questions about regional and statewide management programs to inform any future decisions.

Feb. 11, 2025 - CSAC further discussed the topic and decided to continue monitoring regional programs. The group's consensus was that there should be a further management program, but the exact nature should be determined and the cost justification well established. It was suggested that the City conduct another survey of residents and to share some of the information that the Committee has seen about potential solutions with the community to better understand the residents’ preferences. Feedback included that any program should be well-researched and include a transparent, inclusive, comprehensive communication program. The importance of having a solid justification for the City’s cost and administrative burden and providing education was emphasized.

May 5, 2025 – The CSAC Member provided an informational update on the Committee’s discussions in Nov. 2024 and Feb. 2025 to keep Council in the loop on the status of the conversations. The language provided to City Council stated that CSAC discussed continuing to monitor the regional landscape surrounding deer management programs. To support this, Staff would provide updates to CSAC when new information is available. As CSAC would be receiving updates, CSAC would provide annual updates to City Council to outline any changes and return with additional recommendations to City Council, if desired. Council indicated support for continuing to monitor the regional situation to be updated annually on the statistics of people who are not in compliance with the Outdoor Feed Ordinance.

Jan. 14, 2026 – Staff provided CSAC with updates on benchmarking, data, aggressive deer and outdoor feed ordinance enforcement. CSAC members provided feedback on additional data points that would be beneficial to further advance this topic.

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Page last updated: 18 Feb 2026, 06:00 AM