Tega Cay Leaders Pull Trigger On Plan To Hire Sharpshooters To Kill Deer

TEGA CAY, S.C. – City leaders in Tega Cay have pulled the trigger on plans to cull the city’s growing deer population.

After months of debate, trained USDA sharpshooters will now be hired to kill 80 deer.

City leaders say the deer population is out of control, with the most recent estimate finding just over 1,000 deer living in Tega Cay, up from 850 last year.

It comes just a month after the city paused plans to cull the herd, to investigate darting deer with a type of birth control called PZP.

But they say that couldn’t be done until Spring, and they want to start reducing the deer population right away, while considering the birth control again in the future.

The city estimates it will cost just over $63,000 to cull 80 deer.

The permit expires March 1st, so it has to be done by then.

The Tega Cay Wildlife Conservation Society sent WCCB Charlotte the following statement:

“We are very disappointed that our city leaders have decided to approve a deer killing program in Tega Cay as a current means for deer management. This is not the outcome we were hoping for, however we are remaining positive and optimistic. We will continue our efforts building a path forward for the future use of PZP in Tega Cay hopefully as early as this coming summer. We are extremely grateful for the residents who have been supporting us from day one and we aren’t giving up on efforts for PZP to become the most efficient, sustainable and long term solution for a deer management program here in Tega Cay.”