Three Rivers Park District Takes Aim at Deer Overpopulation
As daylight grow shorter and temperatures dip, the number of deer-related car crashes climb.
Thousands of Minnesotans hit a deer with their vehicle every year, and November is peak time for such crashes.
According to AAA Insurance, the average deer-related crash claim is more than $5,000.
Three Rivers Park District is trying to make a dent into the number of car-deer crashes. A recent archery hunt at Elm Creek Park Reserve had hunters setting their sights set on curbing collisions.
“This year I’m actually hunting with my uncle who started me hunting when I was 12,” said hunter Scott O’Konek, who drove 45 minutes from South Haven, Minn., to take part in the archery hunt.
It’s a pastime he’s fond of.
“This [time of] year is really fun for me,” he said.
But for O’Konek this hunt is more than just time well spent with family.
It’s also to help bring down the booming deer population.
An archery hunt at Elm Creek Park Reserve has hunters setting their sights on curbing deer-car collisions.
Car-Deer Crashes Are Up
Steven Hogg, senior wildlife manager with the Three Rivers Park District, said the abundance of deer at the nearly 6,000-acre park reserve poses a threat to the natural habitat and creates safety concerns for people.
“The last survey we did was last February and we had 300 deer that were inside at Elm Creek Park,” said Hogg. “We know that if the deer numbers get too high then we end up with higher deer collisions occurring outside our park and around the surrounding areas.”
According to the Maple Grove Police Department, in 2024, there were 26 deer-vehicle collisions in the city. So far this year, there’s been 28.
Hogg said he’d like to see the deer population at Elm Creek cut in half, and this hunt is a step in accomplishing that goal.
And it’s not just drivers Three Rivers is trying to protect. An overpopulation of deer can wreak havoc on native plants.
“We know that we need to protect the native plants that are here. To do that we need to manage the deer herds,” said Hogg.
O’Konek, meanwhile, is hoping to do his part and keep up with his uncle.
“I haven’t seen anything yet, but my uncle did get one, so there’s still plenty time to go,” he said.
The recent archery hunt from Nov. 21-23 removed 42 deer from Elm Creek Park Reserve.
