TEGA CAY, S.C. — A sharpshooter will help the city of Tega Cay get its deer population under control this week as a plan that's been more than a year in the making gets started.
Right now, there are over 1,000 deer within the city limits.
Tega Cay City Council met on Monday to discuss details of plans to thin the herd in agreement with the USDA and what it will cost.
During Monday's meeting, city council members approved additional resources so sharpshooters can kill even more deer. The original plan had officials culling 80 deer this season, though the plan now is to cull 160 deer at the Tega Cay Golf Club over two weeks, from Jan. 22 through Feb. 5.
The lone no vote was councilman Brian Carter, who cited the financial burden.
The expected price tag is a little over $94,000. City leaders discussed an official work plan and the USDA's responsibilities during Monday's meeting.
The sharpshooting will take place from dusk until dawn and the city is asking people to stay away from the golf course during this time. Violators will be charged with trespassing.
For months, people living in Tega Cay have been split on the issue, either pressuring the city council to deal with the problem or voicing concerns about the treatment of the deer and public safety.
"No one is walking around in anybody’s backyard with an AR-15 shooting deer," City Councilman Scott Shirley said. "That’s not anywhere close to what that would look like. It would be controlled by law enforcement and the public safety is going to be the No. 1 factor there."
The Tega Cay Wildlife Conservation Society has spoken out against the city’s “last minute notice” of the culling, saying the city dismissed a birth control darting idea to appease angry residents. But the city is moving forward with the sharpshooting plan.
The city said the deer meat will be processed and donated to food banks in the area.
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