Monday, September 20, 1999
Proliferating wildlife irks homeowners
Fort Thomas gets complaints
BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT THOMAS — This hilltop city may need the services of the Crocodile Hunter if various forms of wildlife continue to proliferate in parks, forests and back yards.
Fort Thomas is the home of stylish, diverse housing and breathtaking river views. It is also home to deer, raccoons, groundhogs, opossums, the occasional coyote and yes, peacocks.
City administrative officer Jeff Earlywine says scarcely a week goes by that the city does not hear at least one complaint from an irate citizen about deer eating flowers and shrubs, raccoons taking up residence in an attic, or groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) burrowing in someone's yard.
“The deer appear to be the major problem,” Mr. Earlywine said. “At our last council meeting, we received a petition from a number of residents who had problems with deer, calling for some sort of special bow hunting period to cull the herd.”
That suggestion is being considered by council's safety committee. Mr. Earlywine emphasized that conducting a controlled hunt inside the city limits is rife with legal and other hazards, not the least of which is obtaining permission from property owners.
“We could trap raccoons all day long, every day,” he said with a chuckle. “They are everywhere. The county animal control officer gets calls all the time to remove raccoons from houses and garages.”
Police Chief Col. Steve Schmidt, who has only been on the job a few months, said, “It seemed like the animal control officer was here all the time in the spring. We had a real problem with diseased raccoons, but that seemed to taper off after spring.”
But Col. Schmidt, having grown up in Covington and served on that police department for 25 years, said he didn't mind seeing deer and other wild animals in the yard.
City Clerk Dottie Ivie felt the same way until just recently when a groundhog family decided to make its home under her concrete patio.
“They're digging out under my patio, and I can see where the ground has shifted near my deck,” Ms. Ivie said. “And they now have a path worn in the grass from the patio to a storage barn in the back yard. I love animals, but this is destructive.”
She said she contacted animal control.
“My name is on a rather lengthy list for use of a large humane trap,” Ms. Ivie said. “I don't know when I'll see that.”
Jon Gassett, deer coordinator for the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, said deer, and in some cases smaller animals, tend to be a problem only in suburban areas such as Fort Thomas.
“We have some similar problems in areas of Jefferson County (Louisville) and Fayette County (Lexington),” he said.
“And deer are a problem in highly agricultural areas like western Kentucky.”
“You have exceeded the number of deer the area can tolerate. It may become necessary to take a more aggressive posture and stage some sort of bow hunt,” he said of Fort Thomas. “You definitely don't want to use firearms in a city.”
Fort Thomas has the most green space of any city in Northern Kentucky, and Mr. Earlywine said he thought the amount of habitat and available food is a contributing factor to the number of deer and other wild animals living in the city.
About three weeks ago, a coyote chased a woman's dog out of the woods in Highland Park, resulting in two attempts by police Officer Jim Young to shoot the animal. He was unsuccessful in his hunt and the coyote hasn't been seen since.
There are also a lot of people who enjoy seeing the deer in their yards and don't want anything to happen to them.
“I don't think they do that much harm, and they're really beautiful animals,” said Fort Thomas resident Dave Minesinger. “We see them in the back yard and the front yard. They eat some of our plants, but they don't really do any damage. But I can see where if you had a lot of them they could be a nuisance.”
Then there are the peacocks. Reportedly at least three, living at the end of Fairview Drive near the Highland Country Club. There are occasional complaints about noise and police once received a call that some peacocks were sitting on someone's car. But they also reportedly are fed by a number of nearby residents who prefer to keep the whole thing quiet.
Motorist barrels through festival
Sirens and cries replace laughter
Emergency crews from neighboring areas help
No one's teasing Miss America now
Development rides along
UC freshmen get welcome and warning
$300,000 drug ring busted up, police say
Tax foes hope to grab city voters
Suspect in April slaying arrested
Zoo fire causes $200,000 damage to pavilion area
Education proves to be his racket
Just a model kid
Monroe workers together at last
Proliferating wildlife irks homeowners
ROTC marches into Silver Grove
Warren Co. resources a click away
Cable show highlights Cincinnati neighborhoods
GET TO IT
TRISTATE DIGEST
Drought puts levels lower in reservoirs
Schools get schedule for funds
Want a hefty raise? Show boss you've earned it
