Deer Overpopulation: Working to Address a Regional Issue in Farmington Hills
As the overpopulation of deer in Farmington Hills and Southeast Michigan becomes of increasing concern, the City of Farmington Hills is working with partners across Southeast Michigan to find a way to address this regional issue.
The City of Farmington Hills is one of more than 25 communities and organizations working together as part of the Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition. The Coalition, which was formed in 2021 as the Oakland County Community Deer Coalition, has since expanded to include communities from several counties, including Wayne and Washtenaw, as well as statewide organizations, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“To manage the urban deer herd, we must work together to have a lasting impact,” said Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich. “We are pleased to be working closely with regional leaders as we lay the groundwork for a future strategy.”
On Monday, April 28, the Farmington Hills City Council voted 6-1 to adopt the RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF FARMINGTON HILLS CITY COUNCIL FOR DEER MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE CITY OF FARMINGTON HILLS with two amendments.
- The City Council asked for the highly regulated archery hunting to be limited to public safety personnel. Language will be added to indicate this change to 2b and the second point under 3 in the resolution.
- All other portions of the resolution were adopted as written.
A copy of the resolution as presented at the meeting—which does not include the amendments—is available on pages 85-86 in the April 28 City Council meeting packet.
Resolution Overview
- Contracted professional culls by sharpshooters: The City of Farmington Hills will coordinate professional culls for a period of two to five days per year beginning 2026. This will involve U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sharpshooters using suppressed rifles and thermal imaging at night. Sharpshooters will be positioned to take safe accurate shots.
At this time, the locations of the culls have not been identified. The location will be determined by looking at impact data across the City and could be City property or private parcels of five acres or more with approval from the landowner. Culls will occur in accordance with regulatory agencies.
- Highly regulated archery hunts by public safety personnel: The City of Farmington Hills will conduct a highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt with five public safety members using bows and crossbows for a period of two days in 2027. Prior to the highly regulated organized archery hunt, the selected public safety personnel will undergo rigorous training and skills testing. During the highly regulated organized archery hunt, the selected public safety personnel will be positioned in a tree or elevated position above the deer, allowing them to shoot arrows toward the ground.
At this time, the locations of the highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt have not been identified. The location will be determined by looking at impact data across the City and could be City property or private parcels of five acres or more with approval from the landowner. Highly regulated organized hunts will occur in accordance with regulatory agencies.
- Firearms ordinance suspension strictly during periods of culls and/or highly regulated organized archery hunts: To facilitate these deer management efforts, City Code Sections 18-307 and 19-65(1), which prohibit the discharge of firearms within the City and possession of bows in City parks, will be temporarily suspended strictly for the purpose of authorized deer culls and highly regulated organized hunts and only during the limited identified period of these efforts each year.
- Venison to be donated to local food banks: Venison harvested during culls or highly regulated organized archery hunts in the City of Farmington Hills will be processed and donated to food banks to address food insecurity. Annual deer harvest goals will be determined with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the USDA.
- Continued monitoring and participation in regional planning: The City of Farmington Hills will continue to collect data related to deer-vehicle crashes, deer carcass pickup, resident deer concerns and ecological impacts. A Deer Management Report will be provided annually to the Farmington Hills City Council and the Deer Management Plan will be reviewed every five years as part of the City of Farmington Hills Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Additionally, the City of Farmington Hills will continue to work in collaboration with the MDNR, USDA, National Deer Association (NDA) and participating members of the Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition to share resources and information.
The City will continue to share resources with the community on a dedicated deer management page on the City's website, in addition to other methods. The Community is encouraged to visit the City's website for the latest information.
Over the past few years, City leaders in Farmington Hills have been learning from experts at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, as well as the University of Michigan. Farmington Hills City Council members have also been sharing this knowledge with their counterparts in other Oakland County communities.
In March 2024, the City of Farmington Hills hosted Chad Stewart, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) deer, elk and moose management specialist, to share his expertise at a meeting of the South Oakland County Mayor’s Association (SOCMA). Representatives from Oakland County Executive’s office and 11 other Oakland County communities, including Southfield, attended the meeting to gain insight on how to address the issue with a regional approach.
“In 2022, more than 60% of Southfield residents voted to cull the urban deer herd, but the reality is, unless we take a coordinated, regional approach, any action would only be a temporary solution to a persistent problem,” City of Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver said after the SOCMA meeting in 2024. “We’re grateful to the City of Farmington Hills for bringing area leaders together to strategize on this longstanding issue.”
In 2022, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) conducted a “Pulse of the Region” survey to collect perspectives on deer from Michiganders. The goal of the survey was to get a sense of how community members were feeling about deer and to share those findings with Southeast Michigan communities, as they work to determine potential strategies and plan initiatives to address challenges and concerns associated with deer. The SEMCOG data indicated that approximately 73% of Farmington Hills residents have concerns related to deer overpopulation.
One of the main concerns related to deer overpopulation in an urban setting like Farmington Hills, is an increase in car-deer crashes. In 2023, there were nearly 288,000 car-deer crashes in Michigan and more than 2,100 of those were in Oakland County, according to the Transportation Improvement Authority. In Farmington Hills, there were 144 reported crashes involving deer in 2023 – an 18% increase over 2022. Community members have also expressed concerns related to deer having a negative impact on their landscaping and potential exposure to diseases, such as Lyme disease.
At a study session on Monday, March 24, Farmington Hills City Council heard a presentation highlighting key information and data regarding urban deer management in Southeast Michigan, potential regional solutions and best practices. Community members were invited to attend the study session to learn along with City Council. Speakers included a subject matter expert from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, master’s students from the University of Michigan and City staff.
The presentation included a breakdown of relevant data, including car-deer crashes, impacts of deer overpopulation on the environment, best practices for managing urban deer populations and costs associated with these management practices. The presentation also reviewed success stories from other Michigan communities and organizations that are working to manage deer overpopulation, as well as shared a draft resolution for action across the region. City Council did not make any decisions about how to move forward, but will consider the resolution at a City Council meeting in April.
Community members may share their input by attending any City Council meeting, even if deer management is not on the agenda. City Council meetings are typically held the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:30 p.m. Each person will have a maximum of three minutes to address members of City Council during the public comment portion near the end of the meeting.
Community members who wish to share their input but are not able to attend a City Council meeting in person, may submit written comments to the City Clerk’s Office to be shared with City Council members by emailing FHClerk@fhgov.com.
Click here to view the presentation slides from the Monday, March 24 City Council.
The population size of white-tailed deer in the City of Farmington Hills is currently at a level that is unsustainable, which impacts other wildlife, the environment and poses a threat to public health and safety.
The City of Farmington Hills has tracked over 10 years of deer-related concerns from residents. These concerns include increasing deer-vehicle accidents, damage to landscapes, habitat destruction, and the spread of diseases, like Lyme disease. A combination of resident surveys, data collection, aerial deer counts and a rise in invasive plant species have highlighted the overpopulation of deer in the area. Managing the deer population will help reduce these risks, as recommended by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
As approved by the Farmington Hills City Council on Monday, April 28, the City of Farmington Hills will coordinate professional culls for a period of two to five days per year beginning 2026. This will involve U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sharpshooters using suppressed rifles and thermal imaging at night. Sharpshooters will be positioned to take safe accurate shots.
The City of Farmington Hills will also conduct a highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt with five public safety members using bows and crossbows for a period of two days in 2027.
Annual deer harvest goals will be determined with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the USDA, and will be a fraction of the overall herd size, as the City works toward a healthy carrying capacity.
The MDNR considers the combination of culling and regulated hunting to be the safest and most effective way to manage deer in urban and suburban areas. The American Veterinary Medical Association also considers culling by rifle as a humane method of euthanasia.
According to recent aerial surveys, the City has up to 80 deer per square mile. An ideal herd size (or carrying capacity) would be fewer than this, as the current number is impacting the environment, as well as threatening public health and safety.
Annual deer harvest goals will be determined with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the USDA, and will be a fraction of the overall herd size, as the City works toward a healthy carrying capacity.
The MDNR only approves lethal methods, such as culling and hunting, as options for managing deer in Michigan. The MDNR considers the combination of culling and regulated hunting to be the safest and most effective way to manage deer in urban and suburban areas. The American Veterinary Medical Association also considers culling by rifle as a humane method of euthanasia.
Alternative methods, such as relocation, sterilization or contraception are not approved as methods to manage deer populations in Michigan.
According to the MDNR, sterilization has been tested in Michigan in the past and was found to be expensive and ineffective.
Contraception is also costly and difficult to achieve results in free-ranging herd, as deer would need to be captured multiple times to receive booster doses. Additionally, these contraceptive vaccines—GonaCon and Zonastat—are federally registered as pesticides through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development does not authorize their use in Michigan.
Relocation is also not allowed in Michigan.
It is estimated that the cull will cost up to $20,000 per year.
A cull is a controlled operation performed at night by trained sharpshooters using rifles with silencers and thermal imaging to identify deer. The sharpshooters are elevated in tree stands, and when a deer is identified, they shoot it from above.
A highly regulated organized archery hunt allows qualified hunters to hunt deer under controlled conditions. In Farmington Hills, the highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt will be performed by public safety personnel using bows or crossbows – not guns – while elevated in tree stands.
Organized deer culls will begin in 2026 and will be held for a period of two to five days. The City of Farmington Hills will also conduct a highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt with five public safety members using bows and crossbows for a period of two days in 2027.
The City will collaborate with experts, like the USDA, to perform deer culls in accordance with all federal, state and local regulations.
The City will minimize disruptions while addressing deer overpopulation. The deer management plan will be part of the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which is reviewed every five years. Efforts will be made to avoid negative impacts on residents and the environment.
The City will work with the USDA, MDNR and other agencies to ensure all culls and hunts follow federal, state and local laws. The USDA will conduct culls at night using trained sharpshooters. The highly regulated organized pilot hunt will take place for two to five days in 2027 with five volunteer public safety personnel, who will undergo rigorous training and skills testing.
The City will temporarily lift Ordinance No. 18-307, which bans the discharge of firearms, but only during the limited deer culls and highly regulated archery hunts. During culls, authorized USDA agents will use rifles with silencers. The highly regulated organized pilot archery hunt will only allow bows and crossbows—no rifles or other guns.
The City will work with the USDA and MDNR to determine safe and effective locations for culls and archery hunts. These locations could be public and private land, with permission from property owners, and will be away from populated areas. At this time, the locations have not been identified.
Venison (deer meat) from culls be donated to local food banks, such as CARES, to help those in need. Venison from the highly regulated archery hunts will also be donated to food banks, with some available to hunters. On average, venison from one deer provides 160 meals.
Excessive deer populations pose safety risks, like deer-vehicle collisions, and negatively impact the local environment by damaging landscapes and spreading diseases. Managing the deer population will help ensure a safer, healthier environment for everyone in the community.
Deer are known to browse on various plants, which can be challenging for gardeners. Here are some strategies to deter them:
- Installing Fencing or Netting: Putting in fencing around your garden may help to protect the contained area from deer browsing. You may need to consult the rules for your homeowners’ association prior to installation.
- Using Deer-Resistant Plants: Deer eat a variety of plants in their diet and tend to show preference for certain plants if they are available. Planting non-preferred deer- plants, while avoiding preferred plants is one strategy to help reduce damage.
- Perennials: Coneflower, Lavender, Milkweed, Yarrow.
- Annuals: Coleus, Marigold, Snapdragon.
- Shrubs: Hydrangea, Lilac, Rose of Sharon, Juniper.
A longer list of potential plants is included on the City’s Deer Management page and the MDNR includes a list in its Managing Deer Within Suburban Communities report. You may also consider consulting with a horticulturist.
- Applying Repellents: Applying commercial deer repellents or homemade solutions on plants may help in limiting damage. These solutions can deter deer from returning but are not usually effective in the winter and must be reapplied after rainfall. Some of these solutions can also smell bad to humans and deer can become used to their flavors.
These suggestions are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but to serve a starting point. The City of Farmington Hills is not responsible for any issues caused by wildlife in your yard.
No. Feeding deer in Farmington Hills is prohibited by Ordinance C-5-2017. This ordinance states that “no person shall place […] on the ground, or less than five (5) feet above the ground surface any grain, fodder, salt licks, fruit, vegetables, nuts, hay or other edible materials which may reasonably be expected to result in deer feeding.”
Violating this ordinance is considered a civil infraction and could result in fines and penalties. Prior to the issuance of a complaint or citation for violation, the City shall issue a written warning giving notice of the maximum penalties that could be imposed if the violator fails to cease and desist from violating this section.
To report a violation of the deer feeding ban, contact the City of Farmington Hills Zoning and Code Enforcement Division at 248-871-2520.
You can send feedback to deer@fhgov.com or call 248-871-2511.
You can stay informed through the City’s official website, eNews, social media, flyers, electronic boards, and local media. You can also watch Farmington Hills in Focus, the City’s monthly news program on the City’s cable channel, Spectrum Channel 203 and AT&T Channel 99, or on any of the City’s social media, including:
· NextDoor
· YouTube
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