Riverton is applying for another permit to harvest deer in city limits this year.
It’s part of Riverton’s urban deer control program, which “has the potential to reduce vehicle strikes and other negative occurrences associated with deer intrusion,” city staff said.
The city harvested 11 deer during the program’s first year, city administrator Tony Tolstedt said, and nine of those were donated to community members after testing negative for chronic wasting disease.
Animals that test positive for CWD are disposed of, he noted.
The following year – 2021 – Riverton harvested the same number of deer, and 10 were donated, Tolstedt said.
The permit allows the city to take up to 50 deer.
Baiting
The permit also allows for some hunting activities that aren’t normally legal, Tosltedt said, like baiting and spotlighting, for example.
He anticipates the city will incorporate more baiting techniques into its deer harvest this year, because “it’s hard to shoot in certain areas and to truly do it safely.”
“We will seek to focus harvesting activity in locations away from populated areas through baiting of animals … in an attempt to minimize potential interaction with our citizens,” he said.
The Riverton City Council directed staff to apply for the permit during a regular meeting last week.