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Dispatch staff reports

More than 300 deer have been killed in the first phase of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District's deer management plan for Shawnee Mission Park, district officials said Monday.

The district said police trained as sharpshooters began the harvest Nov. 1 and ended it Nov. 4, culling 313 deer. The harvest, which was conducted outside regular park hours, involved perimeter security by law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies throughout the county including the Johnson County Park Police, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lenexa and Shawnee police departments.

Randy Knight, director of communications for the district, said he could not comment on how many law enforcement personnel had taken part in the initial phase of the hunt.

The initial deer harvest approved earlier this year by the Board of Park and Recreation Commissioners was conducted this past week by law enforcement sharpshooters with the assistance of a wildlife biologist and senior scientist from White Buffalo, Inc.

The state had previously estimated there were 200 deer per square mile in the two-square-mile park and the one and one-half square miles of district-managed land surrounding the park. The district’s goal was to reduce the population to 50 deer per square mile, still higher than the state-recommended 30 deer per square mile.

White Buffalo, a non-profit corporation based in Connecticut, was contracted to assist with the planning of the initial harvest and to provide specialized training and support for the sharpshooting operation. The district reported that the firm has considerable experience in herd reduction and has provided similar assistance to a large number of other communities throughout the United States.

All of the deer harvested are undergoing testing coordinated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to ensure only meat from healthy deer are distributed for consumption. Distribution of the meat to needy families through Harvesters’ Community Food Network will begin once the state’s testing has been completed.

The district reported that the deer hides from the harvest are being donated to the Elks’ Veterans Leather Program. They will be tanned and distributed for recreational and occupational therapy throughout the Veterans Administration health care system. Some of the tanned leather will also be cut and sewn into specially designed fingerless gloves for veterans confined to wheelchairs.

The next step in the ongoing management of the deer will be a survey later this month by Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to estimate how many deer per square mile still remain within the park and the adjacent properties managed by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District.

Knight said the district likely wouldn’t know how much the initial phase had cost the district until after the survey is done.

The resulting data will be used by district staff to determine whether an approved secondary harvest by certified archers is still needed. The secondary harvest, if necessary, could begin as early as Dec. 7 and continue through the month of January.

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