TEGA CAY, S.C. — Tega Cay finally has a plan for its deer overpopulation problem, and it might end up helping people in a different way.
Channel 9 has reported on the deer issue for months in Tega Cay, with locals saying deer have overrun town streets and neighborhoods. The town looked at a variety of solutions, including a possible deer “birth control.”
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- 80 deer will be culled in Tega Cay to help with overpopulation
Monday night, Tega Cay leaders authorized the use of a sharpshooter to cull 160 deer, which will cost $94,000. The town was originally authorized to cull 80 deer before getting approval from the state to double that number last week.
[ RELATED: Sharpshooter to cull deer population at Tega Cay golf course ]
The first location used by the sharpshooter will be the Tega Cay Golf Club. That’s scheduled to happen after the vote, from dusk Monday to dawn Tuesday. The culling process concluded on Jan. 22, and it is expected to resume the week of Feb. 5.
Ursula Borg and her family moved to Tega Cay about 1 ½ years ago.
“I have a family (of deer) in my yard,” Borg said. “We have about 11 of them. We started with four this season.”
They had a deer problem in New York, as well, which created another problem when a deer tick bit her son.
“We didn’t know he was bitten by a tick,” she said. “He ran a 105 fever for three to four days. We were just about ready to take him to the hospital because the doctors didn’t know what was wrong.”
They pulled the tick off the boy and he was OK.
Resident Elizabeth Murray said 20 to 30 deer are always in her yard eating bamboo.
Murray works for an insurance company in Tega Cay and said she gets at least two claims a week for drivers hitting deer in the city.
“And they live here, so they know to watch out for them,” she said. “They go slow but it’s just way overpopulated.”
Murray is concerned about safety regarding the deer culling.
“Well think about it: A sniper. One big brown dog gets killed. You need to check your homeowner’s insurance. I get they’re snipers, but you get one stray bullet. You got homes on the golf course. You got kids, and you got dogs.”
Councilman Brian Carter opposed the idea.
“I don’t feel that is fiscally responsible for the residents of Tega Cay and all of our taxpayers so at this time, I would like to pull back and not cull any more deer,” Carter said.
Carter, who was just elected in November, was the only “nay” vote.
What to do with the meat?
Channel 9 asked town leaders what they’re going to do with all of the deer that will be killed.
A spokesperson said all of the deer will be taken to a local meat processor, and then that venison meat will be donated to local food banks. That could work out to hundreds of pounds of meat being made available to people in need.
(WATCH: ‘Way overpopulated’: Tega Cay considering birth control for deer)
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