I don’t know.
I am just seriously asking. I have never looked on the city website because I would assume if the plan exists it would be available. I was thinking about this over the summer. I started a new thing this year where I would ride the entire bike trail, 30 miles every Saturday and Sunday morning. I liked to start 30 minutes before sunup. What amazed me was not only the different kinds of wildlife I saw but the sheer volume of some of some of the species. I have seen coyotes, foxes, black squirrels, wild turkey flocks and deer herds, bald eagles and hawks, possums, beavers, coons . . . you get the picture.
I know they use air cannons at the airport and in the past the SFPD gets a permit I think from the state to shoot deer in certain areas in town. But what about other wildlife? I saw a flock of geese last weekend behind Smithfields that when they took flight from the banks of the river the sky turned black, no lie. I guess my concern is when does this wildlife become a nuisance? I am all for wildlife in town and it is what makes our city parks attractive (now if we can add a fruit tree park!) But I think it is time the city brings in the game fish and parks and does a headcount of the wildlife in Sioux Falls and recommend mitigation. Of course, this is a post for the next mayor and council because the current administration acts like Trump at a cabinet meeting. ZZZZZZZZZZZ!
This made me laugh, squirrels, they are a problem? We need to accept that there are more species on the planet than just humans, and that we don’t have to dominate the environment we live in. Everything is connected, and we see the disruption all the time. Kill the mosquitoes, and we kill all the other bugs. Kill the bugs, and the birds aren’t here. When the birds aren’t here, the rodents come. Then we get cats for the rodents, and we have too many cats, and we ask how to control them. Maybe the actual harmony is to live among the other species?
I would agree, I am just curious what the counts are but more importantly what kind of species we have in the city limits. I think the park system should promote wildlife watching on the bike trail. It amazes me we spend millions on the zoo when you can see so much wildlife for free on the trail (you can also see many animals in the zoo from the trail like bison and rhinos). A deer even walked up to me and sniffed my hand (it was behind a SSI apartment building so I am assuming the residents are feeding the deers.) Yeah, I am all for cohabitation, just like I support neutered stray cats hunting pests in our neighborhoods. I just think it would be a very informative study by GFP.
kristi noem put all those bounties on critters like river otters to help clean up ur bike trail riff-raff. u should say “thank you”.
Relative to the deer population, yes, the City of Sioux Falls does have a program to manage the population of deer in the City. This is toward the interest of decreasing collisions of deer and motor vehicles.
It has been awhile since I have seen a news feature like the one pasted below. Public reception is often times negative toward the thought that archers are harvesting deer within city limits. So maybe the City doesn’t choose to festure the activities of the deer management program.
And isn’t just about anything the City does these days accomplished on the down low.
https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/some-deer-like-living-in-sioux-falls/
GG, thanks, I was trying to figure out how long it has been since they went hunting for venison.
“Say, in the City’s attempt to control the deer population, what if they accidentally bagged an e-biker on the trail? ….. That would be too bad” …… 🙂