TEGA CAY, S.C. — Tega Cay is still grappling with a deer overpopulation problem and the community says it’s getting worse. This week, the city council heard feedback from the public on how to potentially thin the herd.
Leaders are weighing two options: Hiring sharpshooters to hunt up to 80 deer a year, and/or using darts to inject them with birth control.
Whichever method is chosen, neighbors are urging leaders to decide soon.
"They’re beautiful animals, but there’s just too many of them," resident Joni Buttermore told WCNC Charlotte.
The small city has more than a thousand deer according to a count done in September.
"If you’ve lived here for this long, you’ve seen it multiply every year, so something needs to be done," resident Mark Kershaw said.
South Carolina wildlife officials gave Tega Cay approval to hire sharpshooters to hunt 80 deer per year. After pushback from the community, city leaders are now considering birth control darts to prevent deer from breeding.
"I think they need to do the culling as soon as they can, and then get this birth control going," Kershaw added.
Buttermore said there are constantly 15 to 20 deer in her yard that destroy her plants and riddle the neighborhood with feces.
"We need to start something now so they can start becoming healthier deer, and not a nuisance to the community," Buttermore said.
She added that the overpopulation problem is wildly unsafe for drivers and the deer.
"They're not healthy," said Buttermore. "We've had two babies dead over here, it’s just -- it’s a lot."
The Tega Cay Wildlife Conservation Society says birth control is the most sustainable option to thin the herd, but many neighbors want to see a more immediate fix.
"I just wish they would do something," Kershaw said. "We’ve been talking about it a long time. It’s just time to do something."
City council members said Monday they hear residents’ concerns and are in the final steps of making a plan. They’re scheduled to meet again on December 18, 2023.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.