RTM: Does Westport Have a Deer Problem?

A group of AP environmental science students tackled Westport’s perceived deer problem in class, arguing both for and against measures to thin out the animal's numbers. On Thursday night, the students saw elected officials discuss the same thing in a crowded meeting room.

The stakes were high as far-reaching measures, from hunting to contraceptives, will be researched before a recommendation is made.

“What is the problem?” asked Stephen Rubin, a member of the Representative Town Meeting. “Do we really have a problem and are we big enough to attempt it, or is it maybe something that should be on the state level?”

The RTM, the town’s legislative body, is tasked with looking at possible deer control measures after a petition signed by more than 200 residents was submitted last year listing the problems caused by overpopulation of deer. Ultimately, the RTM could decide to do nothing if they deem that there is no deer problem. 

Several public meetings yielded conflicting information about deer in town, and the Wednesday meeting of several RTM committees was spent discussing how to handle the governmental process of possibly making a recommendation on what to do.

Further complicating things is a town-wide ban on hunting. Westport is the only municipality in Connecticut that forbids deer hunting. Nobody at the meeting expressed interest in allowing public hunting.

"There’s not going to public hunting in this town,” said Sean Timmins, of the Public Protection Committee.

"It’ll never happen, said Rubin, also on the Public Protection Committee.

 The RTM members discussed the process of how to address the issue – and determine if deer overpopulation is a real issue – rather than what should be done about the deer. A referendum to gauge public comment was considered, but did not gain traction.

 After two hours of discussion, the issues were divided up and assigned to separate committees. They will work on their assigned topics individually and then meet as a group on March 3.

• The Environment Committee will look at the ecological impact of deer and the viability of using pesticides.
• The Public Protection Committee will study motor vehicle accidents caused by deer, along with the possibility of culling and allowing hunting.
• The Health and Human Services Committee will study Lyme disease and the possibility of employing sterilization and contraception to keep the deer population down.

After an hour of discussion, the students at the meeting for extra credit, departed with their teacher Michael Aitkenhead.

“It’s one thing to deal with this in the security of a classroom with unconstrained possibilities, so it’s very enlightening to see this aspect of it,” he said.