City Takes First Steps for Upcoming Urban Deer Hunt
By Jeff Toquinto on July 26, 2016
For the past several years, the City of Bridgeport Urban Deer Hunt has witnessed the numbers drop. In fact, the numbers have progressively dropped since 2012 when 107 deer were harvested in areas where hunting by approved individuals is allowed within the city limits.
“That was a big year, but we followed that with 89 deer in 2013, 52 deer harvested in 2014 and last year we issued 98 permits for 
hunters, but only harvested 49 deer,” said Bridgeport Police Department Deputy Chief Randy Hartley. “We’d like to see those numbers up. Ideally, I’d like to see it over 100 every year.”
hunters, but only harvested 49 deer,” said Bridgeport Police Department Deputy Chief Randy Hartley. “We’d like to see those numbers up. Ideally, I’d like to see it over 100 every year.”
Whether the numbers go up remains to be seen during the hunt that runs from Sept. 10 through Dec. 31 of this year. However, the first steps in the process are already begin announced.
The city has scheduled dates, times and locations of required proficiency tests needed to obtain a license and the same dates for those that have already been tested in the last five years to obtain the license.
The dates are set for August 20 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., August 23 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on August 25 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. All the meetings are at the Bridgeport Municipal Complex. These are the only meetings and times that you can sign up to participate and acquire hunting permits.
At those meetings, individuals will get permission slips signed to hunt on city property at this time. The meetings also are the times for filling out the hunting application and turning in signed permission slips for approved tracts of land involved in the hunt.
To learn about the tracts that are available to hunt on and for the forms that will be completed at the above mentioned dates, visit the Bridgeport Police Department Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those forms can be picked up now.
“We hope to have a big turnout. I’ve talked with residents throughout the city and some tell me they do have less deer in their neighborhoods, which is the ultimate goal of the hunt. At the same time, there are some that tell me they still have issues with a large number of deer in their neighborhoods,” said Hartley.
Hartley said the key reason that numbers aren’t where he’d like them to be is due to the fact that there aren’t a large number of tracts that can be hunted on. He said the two tracts most utilized are two tracts of land owned by the city.
“Those tracts are off of Lodgeville Road and Platinum Drive. The others that are approved are privately owned where only hunters permitted by the private property owners are allowed to hunt,” said Hartley. “In most cases, those private tracts see the property owners 
giving permission to friends and relatives and that limits the numbers of people hunting on those tracts, which limits the deer that’s harvested.”
giving permission to friends and relatives and that limits the numbers of people hunting on those tracts, which limits the deer that’s harvested.”
Hartley said the deer aren’t the only thing that’s dropped in the last few years. He said, not surprisingly, the tracts of land that property owners want for the hunt have also dropped.
“We’d like to have more parcels approved and harvested, but they have to ultimately be approved by the Chief of Police,” said Hartley. “We’ve had tracts that were looked at, but they’re close to our city parks or educational facilities and those are ones we just can’t approve because of the possibility of individuals, particularly children, being present.”
Hartley said that anyone with property and would like to have it considered for the urban hunt can stop and get the forms at the Police Department and fill them out and return them to the Police Department to be considered for the 2016 hunt. Even if your property was in the hunt last year, the property owner still needs to fill out the forms for this year’s hunt. They are not automatically renewed from year to year.
If you have any questions about the rules of the hunt, please see the Urban Deer Hunt Ordinance by clicking HERE. Individuals with questions, can contact Hartley at 304-848-6108.
Editor's Note: Top and bottom photos show deer within and just outside the city limits, while Randy Hartley is shown in the middle photo.
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