Removing the problem

DALTON GARDENS - The city of Dalton Gardens' trapper has caught and safely transported five deer from the city.

Mayor Dan Franklin said Tuesday the animals are being taken to an undisclosed location, which was approved by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Franklin said the trapping has been going on for approximately three weeks, and it will continue until the end of March.

The city is attempting to remove a total of 25 deer this winter, he said. City officials are getting weekly updates from the trapper on the progress.

There are half a dozen traps in the city in undisclosed "hot spot" locations.

"There's pockets where they really come through," Franklin said.

The trapper built the traps specifically for the city's use, he said.

"We're still at the front end of this whole process," Franklin said.

City officials will analyze the effectiveness of the effort at the end of March.

"This is really the test year," he said.

The city's deer population, he said, is a very sensitive issue among the city's residents.

In December, the City Council approved signing a contract with a trapper and anticipated trapping starting in January.

At that time, the council also approved a no-feeding-deer ordinance. City officials have been working for years to find solutions to the city's burgeoning deer population.