Havre looks for property owners who will allow deer hunting

With an urban deer management plan for Havre approved by the state, the city now is looking for people who would allow hunting on their property.

“Property owners that have a large open space of property and would like to allow archery hunting on their properties are encouraged and will need to contact the city to be added to a list of approved property,” a release from the city said.

The plan was developed by the city and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks after several years of discussion on how to deal with the growing population of deer living inside the city.

Havre held numerous public meetings and discussions in City Council meetings before approving sending the management plan to the state for its approval.

Some Havre residents said they opposed hunting and trapping the animals, but, overwhelmingly, most people said they were in favor.

The plan includes allowing certain wide-open areas of the city to open to bow hunting of the deer, and to use trapping with euthanasia throughout the rest of the city to cull the population, as well as providing more education about why feeding deer is not only illegal, but bad for both the deer and humans.

The release said the city is in the process of finalizing the management program, which is intended to provide for a healthy wild deer population for the residents of Havre and to reduce the negative impacts to people and property caused by the deer that are in and near the city.

Public hunting will begin Dec. 1 and run through Feb. 15. The primary hunting is for antlerless mule deer only within designated property areas of city limits, city property and designated surrounding areas. Hunting is restricted solely to the use of archery equipment in the city and as defined by Fish and Wildlife Commission Big Game Regulations, the release said.

Rifles may be considered and used in certain designated areas outside of city limits, the release added.

All hunters will be required to have daily written permission from the city or the property owner, it said.

Hunters are required to check in and obtain approval from a landowner, including the city, before hunting on their property, the release emphasized.

Additional landowners may be added to the list after being approved by the city, the release said.

Hunters will be required to bag and remove the deer viscera from city property or any areas where its presence may be offensive or a problem, the release said.

Hunters will receive maps along with the rules and requirements of the program when written permission is obtained.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will provide 100 additional deer B licenses for antlerless mule deer for hunters to use in the deer management program. Licenses may be purchased at Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices or online as well as through any license provider.

Hunters harvesting any deer will need to notify the city for monitoring the success of the program per the approved deer management program.

The city repeated that any property owner willing to participate in the deer management program should call Havre City Hall at 406-265-6719 or the Havre Police Department at 406-265-4361.