The Kent County Road Commission has a new project to connect deer hunters with large property owners.
It’s part of the county’s efforts to manage the deer population. The county’s Deer Management coalition reports 26% of vehicle crashes in Kent County involve deer.
“When we look at our job is to keep the roads as safe as possible, and 25 percent of the crashes are deer-related, if we can reduce that, then we can reduce the overall crashes,” said Jerry Byrne, managing director of the Kent County Road Commission. “So that’s what we’re about is traffic safety.”
One way to reduce the deer population is to increase hunting countywide. But Byrne said hunters tend to go up north, or in other surrounding counties, to find deer.
“The question is, ‘Why can’t they hunt here? There’s property here?’” Byrne said, “and the hunters are telling us, ‘Make us a connection. Get us property to hunt, and we’ll hunt.’”
So the road commission is leading the effort to connect hunters and property owners with a new website: deerconnections.com. People can create a profile on the site, as a hunter, a landowner or someone who simply wants to receive donated venison. They then can review profiles of others on the site to connect and make arrangements to hunt or receive meat.
Byrne said about 50 hunters signed up immediately, but it’s been harder to get landowners to sign on. He says some are skeptical of the idea of allowing a stranger on their property to hunt. Byrne said some he’s spoken to are concerned that hunters could scare livestock, trample crops or leave a mess behind.
“There is that respect issue,” Byrne said.
But, he added, that’s why the website allows people to make connections beforehand, and talk about issues.
“Make a connection, talk to each other, if you’re not comfortable with that person, say no,” Byrne said.
The road commission is also planning two open house events to get more information, and allow people to meet in person. The events are:
- Thursday, Sept. 17
5-7 p.m.
Kent County Road Commission North Complex
11777 White Creek Ave. NE
Cedar Springs, MI 49319
- Friday, Sept. 18
8-10 a.m.
Kent County Road Commission South Complex
4949 Tim Dougherty Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
