Carbondale Reporter

More than 125 concerned farmers, hunters, and conservationists gathered during a town hall event in Mount Vernon hosted by State Senator Terri Bryant, State Representative Dave Severin, the Illinois Farm Bureau, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on Thursday. The meeting addressed issues related to the overpopulation of deer damaging agricultural land in southern central Illinois.

Senator Bryant acknowledged the concerns of those present and emphasized her ongoing efforts to bring IDNR's attention to crop destruction caused by deer herds. "This is not a new problem. It is a growing problem," Bryant said. "Rep. Severin and I have brought the IDNR and Farm Bureau together to hear your concerns and to entertain good ideas to manage a growing deer population that continues to destroy crops and cost the average farmer a lot of money that they frankly don’t have to lose."

Representative Severin has been actively involved in identifying solutions for farmers following his visit to Frey Farms in rural Wayne County, where he learned about significant crop damage throughout the region. "Frey Farms is a number one pumpkin producer in our country, and they are experiencing crop loss that costs them hundreds of thousands of dollars every year," Severin said. "A doe will poke its hoof into a pumpkin, take one bite of it, and then move on to another pumpkin and ruin it. Take that times thousands of deer, thousands of times per year, and you have a serious economic problem."

The meeting featured presentations from IDNR and Farm Bureau representatives, along with questions and suggestions from attendees. Proposed solutions included extending hunting hours and shotgun hunting season, expanding nuisance permits, ending prioritization of out-of-state applicants for deer tags in the annual lottery, and revising how IDNR calculates the deer population.

Jefferson County Board Member and Illinois Farm Bureau District 17 Director John Howard noted that the large turnout highlighted the severity of crop destruction by deer herds. "You can tell by the crowd that this is an issue that is of great concern," Howard said. "I was encouraged by some of the ideas brought forward by local residents who turned out in a big way to drive home the point that the status quo simply cannot remain."

Howard emphasized that Southern Illinois farmers are conservationists who support responsible thinning of deer herds causing harm to agriculture.