Update: Town of Long Beach, IN has Tabled the Deer Kill Discussion…for Now
First covered by CWE in August 2021, the Town of Long Beach, Indiana, has decided not to open its Town for deer hunting purposes. After months of surveys and contentious debates surrounding the supposed “deer problem,” the Town Council President has decided to table this issue for the duration of his term. While the Town is still considering reduction programs, the only ones currently being entertained are non-lethal in nature focus on educating residents about how to avoid negative interactions with deer.
For now, the deer of Long Beach are safe. However, the duty to ensure this safety continues. A different, future composition of councilmembers or extensive lobbying efforts by hunting proponents could easily reignite the deer kill issue.
As the hunting population continues to decline, states are desperately throwing money at localities to encourage hunting. This is true even in areas where the discharging of projectiles presents a significant public health, safety and/or property rights’ concern.