Archery deer season approved in North Hudson

• North Hudson areas to be closed during the approved bow hunting season

The shaded areas around village parks in North Hudson will be closed during the archery season approved at the Board of Trustees’ Sept. 1 meeting. The bow hunting program is aimed at reducing the deer herd in the village.

Talk about it

A few selected hunters will be allowed to take deer with a bow and arrow inside the village limits of North Hudson following action by the board of trustees.

The board approved a contract with River Valley Deer Management by a 6-0 margin last Tuesday in an attempt to reduce the herd in the village.

However, the approved hunting areas in the village are few, and that is upsetting to those who want the deer out of their back yards. The idea of shooting deer inside the village doesn’t sit well with others.

Resident Starr Paton took the opportunity early in the meeting for citizens to speak and said she was “against killing deer within the village limits,” and cited a state statute that bans discharge of firearms or bow and arrow within 40 rods of any public park.

The board approved an amendment to the village ordinance allowing it to grant permission to hunt deer with a bow and arrow inside the village limits in conjunction with the program.

Trustee Daryl Standafer had a different take after seeing the reduced hunting area. “I’m in the middle of a no-hunting zone,” he said. “I was hoping they (hunters) would be sitting on my deck.”

Jim Thomas, chair of the Public Welfare Committee, has been working on the deer problem for some time. “Safety is at the forefront,” he said. “All state hunting laws are complied with.”

“I feel strongly that my family can walk anywhere in the village and be safe,” said Thomas.

He said the North Hudson plan has the potential to be a model for other municipalities, according to the DNR.

“It’s a pilot program,” Thomas said. “Its success or failure depends on public support. Our hope is that after the pilot program we can expand.”

The contract with RVDM states the program is designed to reduce the deer population by an estimated 30 to 50 animals. Six hunters will participate in the program. At a special meeting Friday morning, the board approved permits for the six hunters who had passed background checks.

The archery deer seasons runs Sept. 12-Nov. 19 and Nov. 21-Jan. 31. The village will issue hunting tags.

The no-hunting areas in and around parks appear to take up over half the square-footage in the village.

“It’s a pilot program,” said Lon Feia, one of the owners of RVDM who spearheaded the effort in North Hudson and will be hunting. “We hope to be successful in the limited amount of hunting land.”

Feia’s hope is that once his group hunts a season in North Hudson, residents will embrace the program, and hunting on public land and in parks will be allowed. “In Green Bay and Grantsburg all archery deer hunting is done on public property,” he said.

“We’ll play with the cards we’re dealt. We want to show that bow hunting is a successful deer management program in North Hudson,” Feia said, although he acknowledged the goal of 30 to 50 deer may be hard to make.

“The program can only be successful if it continues every year,” he said.

The RVDM has worked out an agreement with local processor Steve Bakken whereby a resident may get a fully processed deer from the hunt for $75. Those who want to skin and process a deer themselves can get one free.

The five other hunters who will join Feia are Brad Coulter, Rick Krause, Jon Loewe, Sean and Kevin Coffey, all of Hudson.

Tags: north hudson, archery, deer, northland, outdoors, hunting