Ask Mr. Answer Person: What can be done about deer?"

A herd of deer eat from a bird feeder in Decorah (decorahnews.com file photo)

Cynthia e-mails Mr. Answer Person: "Deer seem to be roaming the Flats in groups.  They are denuding trees, etc.  Is this a problem that any city authority is addressing?  Any solutions would be helpful."

Mr. Answer Person says: "They're not just on the Flats.  Mr. A.P. was looking out the window of the decorahnews.com offices on East Broadway Street the other afternoon when a parade of six deer walked down the sidewalk.

To answer your question, the Decorah City Council occasionally has talked about deer control measures, but has never approved any.  Of course, there's no method that fully prevents deer from coming into your yard and enjoying your hosta buffet.

But there are a few ideas that have been suggested in a paper written by wildlife experts in Wisconsin and Nebraska.  You can read it here: http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/Deer.asp

The deer population does seem to be large this winter--even though the Iowa DNR says the statewide deer herd is smaller than it has been in past years.  Tell that to your hostas!

Good luck in your efforts to scare away the deer--or your efforts to scare up support for community-wide measures.