A Message from City Manager Megan O'CallaghanÂ
City of Dublin
Megan O'Callaghan, Dublin City Manager
Deer in Dublin: Stewardship, Safety & Sustainability
One of the things I value most about Dublin is our longstanding commitment to protecting and caring for our natural environment. Our parks, green spaces and natural resources are important parts of our community, and we work hard to preserve them for future generations. That responsibility extends to how we manage wildlife, including the white-tailed deer that are part of our community.
For many residents, seeing deer in our neighborhoods is a cherished part of living in Dublin. Deer are a valued part of our local landscape. At the same time, over the past decade, we have seen a steady increase in deer-related conflicts, including damage to landscaping and native vegetation, more deer-vehicle collisions and a growing number of reports involving aggressive deer encounters. The growing deer population is also affecting the health, diversity and long-term sustainability of our local ecosystem.
The City has spent years studying this issue and exploring solutions. We have worked with wildlife experts, conducted population studies, gathered resident feedback through community surveys, hosted public information meetings and evaluated a range of management strategies. In 2022, City Council adopted Dublin's no-feed ordinance to help reduce unnatural deer concentrations and encourage healthier wildlife behavior. While those efforts remain important, the data and expert recommendations indicate that additional action is necessary to restore balance.
As a result, the City is partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) Wildlife Services to implement a strategic, science-based deer management program. Beginning as early as November, trained wildlife management professionals will conduct targeted removal operations designed to reduce the deer population to a more sustainable level, with safety as our number one priority. The goal is not to eliminate deer from Dublin but to maintain a deer population that can continue to be part of our community.
Dublin is not alone in this effort. Communities throughout central Ohio are addressing similar challenges, and Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks have managed deer populations at Glacier Ridge Metro Park for years as part of its broader ecological stewardship practices. We will continue working with regional partners and learning from their experiences.
We recognize that residents hold a variety of perspectives on this issue. That is why education, transparency and community dialogue will remain central to our approach. We will continue providing information, answering questions and sharing best practices for coexisting safely with wildlife. To learn more about the City's deer management program, visit Dublin's Deer Management Program page at DublinOhioUSA.gov/deer.
Sincerely,
Megan O’Callaghan
City Manager
City of Dublin
