ROCHESTER — Eighteen bowhunters are setting up their stands in Rochester parks to be ready when Minnesota’s deer hunting season opens for archery on Sept. 17.

They are part of a new deer-management effort initiated by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to address citywide concerns about deer population.

More than 200 deer-related vehicle collisions were reported in 2021, and Parks and Recreation Director Paul Widman has pointed to a variety of other concerns, including property damage from overgrazing and public health concerns related to deer tick-borne Lyme Disease.

The

hunt was approved by the Rochester City Council

in May.

As hunters prepare their site, Widman said parks staff, along with volunteers from the Rochester Archery Club, are working to mark areas where hunters might be seen.

“It lets people to know to stay on the trail and keep their dogs on a leash,” Widman said of the signs posted near wooded hunting areas.

Sites for the start of the hunting season are Willow Creek Reservoir, Gamehaven Park, Indian Heights Park and Northern Heights Park and the South Zumbro Trail natural areas, between 16th Street Southwest to Mayowood Road.

In smaller parks, notices are being posted at the entrances, but in larger parks, such as Gamehaven, the notices mark the specific areas of the park being used.

“We specifically targeted areas so we could keep trails open,” Widman said, pointing out that some sections of trails could be closed if they come too close to an area where a hunter might be present.

“They are doing their best to stay out of areas where people frequent the parks,” he said.

The desire to reduce potential conflict points led the city to scale back hunting in Gamehaven Park, which reduced the registered hunters from 10 to four.

“We didn’t factor in the response we have had to the mountain bike trails and disc golf (facilities), and we did not want to shut those down,” Widman said of the reason for adjusting the plan.

The hunters, who have successfully completed the Minnesota Bowhunter Education and passed the Minnesota Bowhunter proficiency test, as well as attended training related to the city hunt, are coordinating specific hunting locations and times among themselves.

Widman said there are no set hours for hunting activity, but feedback indicates that most hunting will occur shortly after…