Dozens of people showed up Sunday in Lyndhurst upset by a proposal to reduce the number of deer in that city. Lyndhurst leaders said culling the herd is absolutely needed but opponents say the way it will be done is just downright cruel.
"I've lived in Lyndhurst for over 35 years," said Jill Walker. She’s helping to spearhead a movement against a deer thinning method called Trap and Bolt. "I did some research about the proposed method Trap and Bolt and was horrified about what I found out," she told the crowd.
Some in the audience of about 50 people were disturbed as well. A video was shown during the meeting depicting Trap and Bolt. We saw people turning away, shielding their eyes, and shaking their heads. Deer are caught in cages then a crew is shown coming to finish the process. "They attempt to fire a 4-inch metal rod into the deer's brain," explained Walker.
The mayor of Lyndhurst sent us information about the city's months-long study into culling deer. The paperwork shows the Ohio Division of Wildlife has approved the city's use of Trap and Bolt. It also shows the city's deer population is “unsafe” and that accidents involving deer have shot up 500% in the last 3 years.
Betsy Traben was at today's meeting. She told us she checked police records since 2014 about deer. "I feel with a population of 14,000 people in Lyndhurst… getting 31 calls on deer...is not a problem," she told us.
The Deer Management Program is planned to last the next two months. Walker has her own plan: head to the city council meeting tomorrow night at 7:30pm voicing concerns about Trap and Bolt. "It's the most cruel, barbaric, inhumane thing that can be done,” said Walker. “It's probably the worst possible choice imaginable for Lyndhurst."
While looking into this further, we noticed numerous cities around the U.S. have used Trap and Bolt. We also noticed various protests popping up in those cities. This is shaping up to be no different not only tomorrow night at city hall, but there's a peaceful protest planned for February 15th as city hall as well.
