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With the aim of keeping deer numbers down to manageable levels, the Sundance City Council has hired Nick Kaminski of Grainland Trapping to fulfill this year's quota. Kaminski is also familiar to the community through his service as a deputy with the Crook County Sheriff's Office.

The city has long followed the protocol of obtaining a permit from Wyoming Game & Fish to cull a certain number of deer. However, the cull was not performed last year and, "In missing a year, they got ahead of us," said Mayor Paul Brooks at Tuesday's meeting.

"We believe if we can keep them thinned down, period, it is better," said Brooks. "If we can take our 23 a year, sooner or later we will whittle them down."

The deer that were raised in and around town are the problem, he said, as they have lost their fear of humans and become so accustomed to human presence that they cannot be scared away with something like a pellet gun.

As it's more difficult to cull deer in the residential areas, said the mayor, in the past the city has concentrated in the low-hanging fruit of areas such as the parks and golf course.

Kaminski informed the council that he has spoken with Game Warden Chris Teter and will plan this year to give the meat from the culled deer out to community as usual. However, he will follow up with a go-ahead to eat the meat once the results of CWD tests have been received.

The mayor explained that the city has always given preference to those who can benefit most from the meat, beginning with single moms, followed by the elderly and then those who receive community assistance.

Kaminski questioned whether the council has any preference as to the type of deer taken during the cull.

"Anything that you can kill," responded Brooks. "I am indifferent to what species, I am indifferent to what size."

Kaminski told the council that the likely timeframe for this year's cull will be November, due to the lower temperatures making it easier to store the animals and dispose of waste. As has been done in the past, the deer will likely be stored at the fire hall.

During last week's meeting, the council passed a motion approving an application to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for a permit to cull deer.